George Town, Penang, a World Heritage Site

Yesterday, my wife and I visited Pinang Peranakan Mansion, at 29, Church Street, Penang, for the first time. Just last week, she visited Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion again when she showed Dominik around. She was so impressed with PPM’s collection of Nyonya antiques that I think she is likely to be visiting it again and again whenever we have a visitor!

The tour guide showed us, including a young Australian couple, around, explaining in detail the history of the original owner, Cheang Keng Kwi (spelt according to the etching on the wall), undisputedly richest Chinaman in Malaya then. His second wife, was a nyonya from Malacca and PPM was in her honour. It seems, CFT Mansion also belonged to CKK and it was the second wife who sold it to CFT. CKK was head of Haisan (or Ghee Hin) gang and he was a crony of Sir Francis Light who was Resident then. He was also an official representative of China and later, involved in the signing of the Pangkor Treaty.

Briefly, from memory, the PP Mansion has similar features like CFT Mansion, like the indoor air-well with little drains leading to a unique system of underground drainage, the Scottish caste iron or steel pillars and so on. PPM is bigger in size and even has its own temple housing tablets of ancestors. Peranakan or better known as Babas and Nyonyas are Chinese whose religion is Taoism, but dress and speak like Malays.

There is an area for business discussion, which can be accessed from Church Street. There is a set of beautifully carved collapsible wooden doors separating the business section from the private sections of the house, which include western as well as oriental dining rooms. There is another section at the back housing the staff quarters and spacious kitchen. More details in their website: Pinang Peranakan Mansion Home Page

It is a wonderful coincidence when I read Anilnetto’s George Town, Malacca now Unesco World Heritage sites The present owner of Pinang Peranakan Mansion, Peter Soon, has done a wonder job in restoring it to its former glory.