Hello everyone! I hope everyone is well. Today I'm going to share some pictures of The Esplanade, Penang, Malaysia. I visited the place during my trip to Penang last year. I think everyone who go there should pay it a visit as it is an eye-catching location that is quite happening especially during festivals as celebrations are held there.
This is the entrance of the area. The Esplanade is located in George town, Penang, Malaysia. It is a seafront city square of the Penang Island.
History
This is where Sir Francis Light landed in 1786 to claim Georgetown for the British government from the Sultanate of Kedah. Back then, the lands controlled by Kedah Sultanate were way larger compared to the current area of Kedah. He asked for Penang in exchange of military protection. After acquiring, It was then used as a military parade ground.
A lot of time passed and in the 19th century, it was then used for recreational and sports purposes. Fast forward to now, it is a famous tourist spot as well as a location where celebrations of festivals are held. Soon this month, the Chinese New Year celebrations too will probably be held here.
Look at the beautiful view! We can enjoy the sea while basking in the sun warmth in the morning or we can watch the sunset during evening. My family and I went during midday so it was really hot. However, the silver lining is this is the best time to take pictures because this location is photogenic and photos appear vibrant. I even saw a couple having their pre-wedding photoshoot here. I won't post their pictures due to privacy reasons but they looked dashing in a black puffy ball gown and an elegant suit.
This is the mandatory selfie with the ocean. Good thing I didn't wear a blue outfit like I often do.
A cruise ship was arriving to dock at the jetty. There is a cruise terminal nearby and it is called Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal. This is where most of the cruises dock for a day before continuing the journey to other locations. There are other jetties nearby too called Cruise Pier Penang and Georgetown Cruise Terminal.
As it was coming towards the seafront, I zoomed and took some pictures. I managed to capture the name which is the Genting Dream cruise. It is actually a famous cruise here and actively operates. It usually departs from Singapore, then goes to Penang and docks here for a day, and finally concludes the trip in Port Klang. However there are other routes too that we can check on the Resort World Cruise website.
I have never been on a cruise before so I took some selfies with if as it was approaching. It looks flipped due to the mode on my phone. It took around 15 minutes for the ship to reach the terminal and it became stationary afterwards. The grandeur of the cruise ship attracted other tourists too and everyone started walking towards the terminal area to have a better look at it.
When finally became stationary, everyone started losing interest in it and started walking back. I too did the same as the sun was shining brighter than ever and it got very warm. I was afraid that I might get a heatstroke and got to the shade. The Penang sunshine was way stronger than my home area in Kuala Lumpur. It was so heaty that tan marks appeared on my feet later on. I still have them even now although it has been a while.
This is the Cenotaph. This is a war memorial which was unveiled by Prince of Wales in 1922 to remember all the sailors who lost their lives during the World War 1. Later on, It was destroyed during World War 2 but was rebuilt. As many lives were lost again during the WW2, the Penang Veterans Association erected another monument to remember not just them, but also the victims of other historic events such as the Malayan Emergency, Siam-Burma Death Railways, Resurgency Period and the Indonesian Confrontation.
There were benches at the shade area under the tree. People can sit and admire the view from there. They can also just sit and talk with someone or just enjoy the breeze as it is usually windy in this location.
I took some photos with the leavy trees. The greens appear vibrant in such weather. Can you see my entire family in the last picture? It is a candid photo as no one noticed I was capturing it.
This is how the street going towards the seafront area looks like. These two historical buildings are the key landmarks of getting there. If I'm not mistaken, they are also free to visit so I suggest doing so if you got the time.
The large white building is the Penang City Hall. It is a part of The Esplanade too. The building was started in 1903 and completed in 1906. It was then called the Municipal Building. However as Georgetown gained the city status, it was renamed as the City Hall.
Now it is the Penang Island City Council which is responsible for the entire Penang Island including Georgetown. This is where the mayor makes important decisions regarding the planning of the city, management of waste, traffic management and environmental protection.
This is another landmark of the area which is the Penang Town Hall. It is adjacent to the Penang City Hall. This too has the British architecture. It looks elegant and looks well maintained even though it has been so long. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Category I Building, so the original structure must be kept intact. It was built in 1879 and included a grand ballroom, a library and an assembly hall. It is now used for public events and art exhibitions.
I hope that you find this post entertaining and informative, and hopefully not boring due to the history section of it. I have actually been sitting on this post for a while and built it up gradually as I had a fall recently and been in pain ever since. I tried my best to make it coherant and a fun read. Thank you for dropping by and I wish you a wonderful day ahead!