Penang Culture Guide: 6 Unique Things to Do in Penang

ByEmily Lush Updated on

Go deeper into Penang culture and discover what makes this Malaysian island tick – here are 6 must-have Penang experiences for culture-loving tourists, as recommended by a local.

About the author: Marco Ferrarese of Penang Insider is a long-time resident of the island who is eager to share his insider tips for Penang.

Set in the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia, Penang is an island that brims with history, colonial architecture, and a smorgasbord of mouthwatering food.

From the top of Penang Hill to the streets of George Town, Penang blends colonial architecture with tropical scenery. More than any of the Penang beaches, what really makes this a special place to visit in Malaysia is the unique blend of cultures.

Malays, Chinese, Indians and migrants from all over Asia, the Middle East and further afield have all influenced this tortoise-shaped island, ever since it emerged as an economic powerhouse on the Spice Trade routes between Europe and Asia in the early 1800s.

Those histories and legacies are still visible in the tapestry of shrines, temples, cuisines and traditions that have survived Penang’s fast development into Malaysia’s second-biggest city.

Every visitor to Penang is assaulted by a somewhat quizzical attack on the senses that often can be disorientating. But with the following suggestions, one will be well-equipped to go deeper than most and experience the cultural kaleidoscope that is Penang.

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Penang essentials

How to experience Penang culture: 6 unforgettable things to do

Here are some of the most spectacular ways to enjoy the local culture in Penang, ranging from multi-ethnic cuisine to nature and historical architecture.

1. Explore UNESCO-inscribed George Town

Heritage shop houses in Penang, Malaysia.
Colourful architecture in George Town, Penang.

A journey to Penang must start on the streets of its main settlement, George Town. Once a thriving colonial port which even acted as the Fourth Presidency of British India between 1805 and 1830, George Town well deserves its UNESCO Heritage Status thanks to the layers of history and unique mixture of architectural elements and living traditions that blend traditions of Europe and the East like nowhere else in the world.

To be honest, since being inscribed in 2008, George Town has suffered from the effects of gentrification and tourism. Many of the original traders have been evicted, shophouses have been upgraded to boutique hotels and cookie-cutter cafes.

But the old-world atmosphere lives on in the many temples, the distinct sounds of hawker food peddlers, and the very peculiar local characters. It should all be experienced on foot – or even better, by renting a trishaw for a sunset ride, as to help out one of the poorest workers left in Penang today.

Don’t miss strolling along Pitt Street, a central thoroughfare that hosts a triptych of temples belonging to three different religious groups: the Masjid Kapitan Keling mosque, the Chinese temple to the Goddess of Mercy Kwan Yin, and the oldest Hindu Temple in Penang, Sri Mahamariamman Temple.

Not far from Pitt Street, Padang Kota is a wide field set on the sea esplanade next to the historical Fort Cornwallis, and is home to two beautiful neoclassical buildings that have hosted George Town’s Town Hall and Court since colonial times. Looping back from the fort to Beach Street, one can see rows of immaculate old-world buildings, including the India House, that today house some of the island’s main banks and businesses.

Guided option: Walking tour of UNESCO-listed George Town.

2. Indulge in some of the world’s best food

Street food in Penang, Malaysia.
Penang street food.

The late celebrity chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain dedicated a whole episode of his famous series No Reservations to Penang, checking off some of the mainstays of the island’s long-established hawker food culture. ‘Hawker food’ is street food dished up by people on the kerb, most often from movable carts.

Beyond Penang Laksa, the CF, Red Garden and New Lane food courts, the nasi kandar at Line Clear and Muthu Restaurant Chettinad, Bourdain didn’t even scratch the surface of Penang cuisine.

In 2014, Lonely Planet declared this the ‘world’s best place for foodies’. What nobody tells you, however, is that you don’t need to go to George Town to find these delicacies – every mom and pop stall on every corner of every street in Penang cooks up top-notch awesomeness.

And even if – for reasons unbeknownst to myself or anyone else in Malaysia – it was Singapore that achieved UNESCO Intangible Heritage status for its hawker food in 2020, way too many people around the world will cast their vote and preference for Penang’s hawker culture.

There are far too many Penang foods to list them all here, but what is important to understand is that in Penang, food means culture. Each one of the three main groups living on the island (Malay, Chinese and Indian) have their own foods, meaning that visitors are confronted by an assault of culinary choices at every corner.

Food is where ethnic groups not only take relief in maintaining their ancestral traditions, but also where they mix, intermingle, and really become the unique melting-pot that distinguishes this Southeast Asian nation. And with big numbers of Buddhists and Hindus, vegetarians and vegans will find plenty of scrumptious and cheap options for very satisfying local meals.

Start your food hunt in George Town’s Chulia Street, the main tourist thoroughfare, and walk your way into nearby Little India or the maze of streets to the east of Chulia including Campbell, Hutton and Transfer Road, to find anything and everything, from Chinese curry mee and char koay teow (noodles with egg and prawns), to South Indian breakfast favourite masala dosa or North Indian tandoori chicken, palak paneer and chicken butter masala.

Turn a corner and bump into Malay-style nasi campur (rice with your choice of meats and vegetables, most often drowned in spicy curries), or Indonesian nasi padang.

It’s like visiting three or more countries while always remaining within a few city blocks. Imagine what you can find if you venture a bit further off the beaten food path to discover what lies in the rest of the island… The possibilities are endless.

3. Join a festival to learn about Penang culture and the vibrant arts scene

Musicians beat drums as part of a street festival performance in Penang.
Penang festival. Photo credit: cloudyew@gmail.com/Depositphotos.com

The beauty of visiting Penang is that, depending on the time of the year, one is able to experience any number of different cultural events. There are more than 20 major festivals in Penang, each related to a different aspect of one of the cultures that share the island.

From the boisterous celebrations of Chinese New Year – which reach their zenith on the 9th day in the coastal thoroughfare near the Chinese Clan Jetties of George Town – to the Wesak Day dedicated to Buddha, or Thaipusam, when Indians come together to pray to Lord Murugan in a display of excessive religious devotion (skewers through your tongue and cheek, anyone?) Penang festivals will surprise you, and give you the opportunity to rub elbows with dozens of friendly locals.

Besides religious festivities, Penang has also many cultural and arts festivals including as the George Town Festival, usually held in July, and the George Town Literary Festival at the end of November, one of Asia’s most coveted literary gatherings.

4. Chase Penang’s last remaining artisans and their centuries-old crafts

The essence of old Penang’s craftsmanship lives on in the work of some of its remaining artisans and the trades they keep alive.

In Little India, septuagenarian Osm Mohd Shariff has been hand-making Muslim skullcaps (songkok) from his corner of King Street for decades. The shop was first opened by his late father, OSM Mohd Shariff Mohideen Rawhter, who passed away in 1973, and has been operating for 80-odd years.

It’s a pity that Lee Beng Chuan, Penang’s last Chinese joss-stick maker, passed away in 2020 at 93 years of age. You can still visit Lilian Tong, who makes the characteristic Peranakan (or Nyonya, the name given to a unique culture born out of the intermarrying of Chinese and Malay people) beaded shoes, where the shoe-cover is entirely hand-stitched.

Seang Hing Leong still hand-weaves and produces his own rattan furniture from a hole-in-the-wall shop along Beach Street. From chairs to low tables and baskets, Seang’s creations make for very unique souvenirs.

Ng Chai Tiam still carries on with the tradition of wood carved seal engraving which, before the age of print as we know it, were used by businessmen, companies and so on to stamp their documents. The tradition was active for 3000-plus years in China, where Ng learned it in Hong Kong in the 1960s.

With the lure of rampant modernity that makes fewer and fewer young people interested in taking up these trades as livelihoods, Penang’s craftsmanship is endangered and at risk of disappearing as an irreplaceable heritage. Make sure you don’t miss a visit – and please consider making a purchase to show your support.

5. This is a tropical island after all: So explore the rainforest and the sea

Boats sail past a jetty at sunset in Penang, Malaysia.
Penang Jetty.

When British adventurer Francis Light landed on Penang in August 1786, the island was covered in lush tropical forests that made its central hills viridian, and provided a spectacular backdrop to kilometres of perfect beaches.

Visiting George Town today, one may think that all that natural bounty has vanished, traded for the fumes of progress and the leftovers of a British empire that blends with the disproportionate and cluttered development of any Asian city.

Thanks to Penang’s unique geography, with its spine of hills, few visitors have the time or the desire to get out in nature – but there’s still quite a bit to explore if one doesn’t mind walking.

The interesting thing is that most of these hills are now chiselled with farms and durian orchards, and their farmers and owners are very friendly to visitors, especially foreigners. The reason is simple: if millions visit George Town every year, less than a thousand, at the very most, venture to these places. The same is true of Penang’s beaches and offshore islands, with their communities of welcoming fishermen.

If you’re into hiking, Penang has a huge community of walkers of all ages who are very receptive and welcoming: Several Facebook groups are dedicated to hiking island-wide, and are a great way to connect with locals and experience Penang at your own speed – as long as you are ready to work out more than just a sweat as you trawl these incredibly humid jungles.

6. Realise you are in Malaysia’s long-standing Opposition State

Street art depicting cats in Penang.
SvetlanaSF/Depositphotos.com

Talk to any Malaysian who’s not an ethnic Malay and you’ll soon understand how the ‘peaceful coexistence’ that seems so obvious on the surface is instead plagued by deeply rooted discontent and social and political inequalities.

Penang State (comprising Penang island and Seberang Perai, a small strip of land on Malaysia’s mainland, connected by two long bridges) has the highest proportion of residents with Chinese heritage (about 53%) in all of Malaysia, and has traditionally been led by parties who oppose the Malay-centric ruling coalitions.

Why is this important? In Penang, you’ll see Malaysia through a bit of a skewed lens as a world where the Malaysian Chinese are holding the reins. This is far from the truth in a nation that, since gaining independence in 1957, has suffered the brunt of social division based on stereotypes.

Penangites are among the most open Malaysian citizens when it comes to having conversations on local politics or race. But again, consider the background of who you are talking to, and don’t take their words as definite assumptions.

Treasure your Penang experience, but don’t use it as a benchmark to judge or experience the rest of Malaysia, because it will generate cultural confusion. Use it, on the contrary, to understand how this very unique, multi-ethnic nation can surprise you at every step. Did you know that in East Malaysian Borneo, there are more than 30 separate ethnic groups? When visiting Malaysia, always keep an open mind!

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