Little India
Kapitan Keling
Mosque
FESTIVAL FEVER
The spirit of celebration seems to be in the air year
round in Penang, and these just a few of the unique,
high profile annual events taking place this year:
Penang Dragon Boat Festival
June 7 – 8, 2014
This 2-day event sees Dragon Boat competitors from
all over the world converging on Penang to compete
for the ultimate prize.
www.penangdragonboat.gov.my
George Town Festival
August 1 – 31, 2014
This month-long event is a vibrant arts festival
incorporating a variety of music, drama and dance.
www.georgetownfestival.com
Little India & Beyond
Penang Bridge International Marathon
November 1, 2014
Already the world’s longest bridge marathon race, this
annual event – sponsored in part by Asics – is set to
be even bigger and better this year, with more prizes
and more competitors.
www.penangmarathon.gov.my
Large Scale Street Art
Nestled in the heart of George Town’s old city is the noisy, vibrant and very colourful quadrant
known as Little India. It’s a feast for the senses, especially taste, and street stalls offering mouthwatering take-away fare such as samosas, rotis, and colourful sweets, are on hand to tempt hungry
travelers. The area is also rich in classic colonial architecture – much of it in a picturesque state
of decay – as well as countless restaurants, cafés, hotels, guesthouses and places of worship,
including the lovely Kapitan Keling Mosque. Little India, and Penang as a whole, exists as a virtual
microcosm of all that Southeast Asia has to offer, and the way in which it all co-exists in perfect
harmony could be a lesson to rest of the world.
Wrought Iron Street Art Sculpture
Street ART
Over the past few years George Town has become
renowned for it’s abundance of street art, including
several beautiful wall murals by Lithuanian artist
Ernest Zacharevic. In fact some of his works, which
usually employ a bit of “optical illusion”, have become
so famous that tourist literally line up just to have their
photos taken next to them. Another popular street art
attraction is the collection of 52 humourous wrought
iron wall sculptures, each of which depicts – using
cartoon imagery and text – some historic or cultural
aspect of the area. There’s even one depicting a young
George Town cobbler by the name of Jimmy Choo, who
went on to become one of the world’s most successful
footwear designers.
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