Georgetown Sightseeing – Day Two in Penang
Thursday, November 27th, 2008. We ventured out into Georgetown this afternoon after a morning’s worth of work. On the way to our first attraction, we bumped into Sheila, an expat visiting Georgetown but currently living in China. Genuinely excited to meet another westerner (especially one from the USA), we invited her along on our tour. We talked about China mostly, and it was very enlightening to hear the perspective of a person who had lived in China for more than 10 years (as opposed to our 3 weeks of experience).
After navigating Georgetown’s treacherous sidewalks (or lack thereof) for a few miles, we parted company with Sheila and visited Cheong Fatt Tze mansion. It was hot, so we stopped at the bar of the Eastern and Oriental Hotel for a cool drink and an appetizer. Next, we walked past St. George’s Church (built in the early 1800′s by the British East India company), the Kong Hock Keong Temple (an icon of worship for the local Chinese population), Capitan Kling Mosque, and a host of other local religious buildings.
The Cheong Fatt Tze mansion.
St. George’s Church in Georgetown, Penang.
The Kong Hock Keong Temple, where Joss sticks and paper are burned for good luck.
The Capitan Kling Mosque.
The culture of Georgetown, along with other cities along the Straits of Malacca, is very similar. Indians, Chinese, and Malays settled cities created and defended by the British and Dutch. The melding of Hindu, Muslim, Taoist, Buddhist, and Christian religions (and cultures) has created a place where everyone shares a common experience despite a completely different heritage. “Americans” (a term I’ve learned is improper – What are all the other people who live in North, South, or Central America supposed to call themselves?) tend to think of the USA as the greatest cultural “melting pot” in the world. Not so – the USA is a great melting pot, but there are a lot of other places that manage this same feat too. What’s more, the USA has yet to embrace and respect Muslim religion and culture as well as Singapore, Georgetown, and elsewhere.
Georgetown is a great example of culture and religion co-existing peacefully – an example we should all hope to aspire too.
