George Town

Country: Malaysia · 794,313 inhabitants · Founded: 1786

Attractions

Wikivoyage

George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is Malaysia's sixth largest city, with a population of about 708,000, with 1.7 million in the metro area, as of 2020. Founded as an entrepôt in 1786, it was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia. Over the centuries, the city has evolved into a melting pot of sorts and is now home to a cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic populace. Due to its unique architecture, the old core of the city is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. George Town is also regarded as the culinary capital of Malaysia.

The city of George Town has a diverse set of attractions. Aside from George Town's living heritage, colonial-era buildings interspersed with towering skyscrapers, modern shopping malls and other amenities, the city is lined with sandy, tranquil beaches. Penang Hill, a well-known hill station, overlooks the entirety of the city. George Town, a city filled with various festivities in any given year, has gained popularity for its arts scene as well, with the annual George Town Festival growing into one of the region's most prominent arts event.

Wikipedia

George Town is the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is the core city of the George Town Conurbation, Malaysia's second largest metropolitan area with a population of 2.84 million and the second largest metropolitan economy in the country. The city proper spans an area of 306 km2 (118 sq mi) encompassing Penang Island and surrounding islets, and had a population of 794,313 as of 2020.

Classified as a "Gamma −" city, the second highest in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur, George Town is the commercial centre for northern Malaysia and one of the few high-income economies of the cities outside the Klang Valley. According to Euromonitor International and the Economist Intelligence Unit, George Town has the highest potential for revenue growth among all Malaysian cities and contributed nearly 8 per cent of the country's personal disposable income in 2015, second only to Kuala Lumpur. Its technological sector, anchored by hundreds of multinational companies, has made George Town the top exporter in the country. The Penang International Airport links George Town to several regional cities, while a ferry service and two road bridges connect the city to the rest of Peninsular Malaysia. Swettenham Pier is the busiest cruise terminal in the country.

Established as an entrepôt by Francis Light in 1786, George Town was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia, and its proximity to maritime routes along the Strait of Malacca attracted an influx of immigrants from various parts of Asia. It became the capital of the Straits Settlements in 1826, only to lose its administrative status to Singapore in 1832. Shortly before Malaya attained independence from Britain in 1957, George Town was declared a city by Queen Elizabeth II, making it the first city in the country's history. In 1974, George Town was merged with the rest of the island, throwing its city status into doubt until 2015, when its jurisdiction was reinstated and expanded to cover the entire island and adjacent islets.

The city is described by UNESCO as having a "unique architectural and cultural townscape" that is shaped by centuries of intermingling between various cultures and religions. It has also gained a reputation as Malaysia's gastronomical capital for its distinct culinary scene. The preservation of these cultures contributed to the designation of the city centre of George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.