Malaysia
Melaka and George Town
Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca, are renowned for their multicultural heritage.
These ports were located at a strategic position for the 15th-to-18th-century trade between Europe and Asia. Their culture and townscapes evolved after being colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British, and Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures became incorporated. The cities include a great variety of religious buildings of different faiths, ethnic quarters, shophouses and townhouses.
Community Perspective: Another often-visited but under-reviewed Malaysian WHS. This may be because people find the monuments lacking in appeal – but, as Frederik states, it is not the old town or its history, but the unity of different cultures and colorful people that make this a place to remember. Bernard provides a good comparison between Melaka and George Town.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca (ID: 1223)
- Country
- Malaysia
- Status
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Inscribed 2008
Site history
History of Melaka and George Town
- WHS Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
- ii
- iii
- iv
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- gtwhi.com.my — George Town
- destinationmelaka.my — Destination Melaka
News Article
- March 23, 2025 straitstimes.com — Penang heritage enclave under attack by graffiti artists
- March 2, 2023 nst.com.my — Outrage over plans for skyscraper next to heritage site in Penang
- Aug. 30, 2017 theguardian.com — 'Unesco-cide' of Georgetown
- July 23, 2017 straitstimes.com — Renovations to 119-year-old Chinese temple in Penang's Georgetown cause more damage
- Feb. 13, 2014 nst.com.my — Settlement on marshland in the midst of George Town
- Jan. 17, 2014 themalaymailonline.com — Penang set to limit wall murals in heritage zone
- April 3, 2011 businessweek.com — Lucrative birds banned from Penang
- Nov. 22, 2008 southeastasianarchaeology.com — Development plans endanger Georgetown's World Heritage Status
- Aug. 15, 2008 thestar.com.my — Heritage buildings demolished despite Unesco listing of George Town
Community Information
- Community Category
- Urban landscape: Colonial
- Secular structure: Military and Fortifications
Travel Information
Recent Connections
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Replica in Legoland
Legoland Malaysia: Melaka and George To… -
Indo-Saracenic architecture
George Town: Jubilee Clock TowerSee en.…
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Reclaimed land
George Town: "There is also a large ha…
Connections of Melaka and George Town
- Individual People
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Isabella Bird
Visited in Jan/Feb 1879. Malacca is described in "The Golden Chersonese and the Way Thither" (Chapters VIII-X) -
Magellan
conquered 1511 -
Zheng He
Malacca - Visited on most of the voyages. He established one of his bases of operation there and, under Chinese protection against an expansionist Siamese monarchy at Ayutthaya, Malacca flourished. Malaccan folklore believes that Zheng He brought a Chinese princess (together with many Chinese retainers) with him who married a local Sultan. The progeny of all these Chinese formed the basis of the Straits Chinese population. -
King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Rama V)
George Town (4 Dec) -
Alfonso de Albuquerque
Melaka, Aug 24 1511 after a 1 month battle -
Sir Stamford Raffles
Raffles served in both Georgetown and Melaka. In particular he persuaded his superiors to drop a plan physically to destroy Melaka when it came under British control during the Napoleonic wars (with the objective of assisting the development of Penang instead). The Nomination file states "Further destruction was timely stopped by Thomas Stamford Raffles, agent of the EIC, who happened to be visiting Melaka. His report on Melaka to his superiors stated that, ??the name carries more weight to a Malay ear than any new settlement could," and indeed, ??with the assistance of Malacca, the whole of the Malay rajas in the Straits and to the Eastward might be rendered not only subservient but if necessary tributary". Regarding Georgetown the nomination file states "Young Stamford Raffles,... worked at Government House in what would later become Convent Light Street grounds, as Assistant Secretary under Governor Phillip Dundas".
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- Geography
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Straits
Strait of MalaccaSee en.wikipedia.org
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Indian Ocean
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- Trivia
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Twin Towns
Melaka and George Town rivalled over trade hegemony in the 18th / 19th century -
Built or Owned by Chinese
There are Chinese temples in both Melaka and Georgetown -
Replica in Legoland
Legoland Malaysia: Melaka and George Town both are there separately. -
Built or owned by Portuguese
A Famosa -
Repainted in a different colour
Melaka: Originally, the Stadhuys like the other Dutch administrative buildings in South East Asia was painted white. However, after Melaka was handed over to the British, it was re-painted terra cotta by the British in 1911. -
Built or owned by Dutch
Melaka - a new fortress on St. John's Hill, converted the former Governor's residence into the Stadthuis, catholic St. Peter's Church, protestant Christ Church -
Dubbed as another WHS
Venice of the East (Melaka)See en.wikipedia.org
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Built or owned by British
Georgetown contains numerous Victorian buildings -
Built or owned by Japanese
GeorgeTown, Penang had little Japanese community officially since 1915 along Cintra Road which locals called the Little Japan Street
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- History
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Silk Roads
Maritime Silk Road (Melaka): " From at least 200 BCE, Chinese merchants sailed as far south as the straits of Malacca and met and traded with both Indonesian people and merchants from across the Indian subcontinent." (Silk Roads Programme)See en.unesco.org
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Located in a Former Capital
Melaka - Capital of Sultanate of Malacca (1402-1511) -
Thomas Cook Round the World tour 1872-1873
Dec 20 1872 "still gently wafted by the congenial monsoon we sped our course to Penang. In the settlement we were told that there are nice retreats and beautiful views worthy of tourist inspection but the town was disagreeably close and hot and there was but little inducement to promenade the streets -
VOC
In 1641 "After the conquest of Melaka, the Dutch merely took over the infrastructure left behind by the Portuguese. They occupied the fortress, A Famosa and renamed it Porta de Santiago. The coat of arms of the Dutch East India Company and the date 1670 were engraved on the gate. " (Nom File) -
The British East India Company (EIC)
The Island of Penang was ceded to the Briitish EIC in 1786 and Fort Cornwallis was created by it to protect the island and became its administrative centre (See link) in 1826 Penang, Malacca and Singapore were merged into the Straits Settlements but still under EIC control. In 1867 they were made Crown Colonies.See en.wikipedia.org
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- Architecture
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Geomancy
Georgetown, Malaysia - Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion -
Indo-Saracenic architecture
George Town: Jubilee Clock TowerSee en.wikipedia.org
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Art Deco
A number of buildings in George Town -
Star fort
Fort Cornwallis in George TownSee en.wikipedia.org
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Georgian Architecture
George Town, Penang's Suffolk House -
Dravidian Architecture
George Town - Sri Mariamman Temple
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- Damaged
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Hit by Tsunami
George Town, Penang Dec 26 2004 -
Cultural sites damaged by fire since inscription
George Town's Lebuh Armenian Street in December 2008 -
Damaged in World War II
Between 1944 and 1945, Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force bombers from India repeatedly launched bombing raids on George Town, seeking to destroy naval and administrative facilities. Several colonial buildings were destroyed or damaged, such as the Government Offices, St. Xavier's Institution, Hutchings School (now the Penang State Museum) and the Penang Secretariat Building.See en.wikipedia.org
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- World Heritage Process
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Minor modifications after inscription
2011: minor changes: in five cases, they correspond to an extension of the property, and in one case a reduction. Including the whole quarter of Kampung Ketek.
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- Religion and Belief
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Taoism
Melaka's Cheng Hoon Taoist temple (the Chinese Temple) -
Goddesses
Kuan Yin Teng, or Temple of the Goddess of Mercy, is one of the most important temples in Georgetown, Penang -
Confucianism
Khoo Kongsi's confucian clan shrine (Georgetown) -
Notable mosques
Melaka
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- Human Activity
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Reclaimed land
George Town: "There is also a large harbour area, partly on reclaimed land" (AB ev) -
Forced labour during WWII
George Town - Female residents were also coerced to work as comfort women by the Imperial Japanese Army, with a handful of brothels set up within the city.See en.wikipedia.org
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Piracy
See en.wikipedia.org
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Sea Ports
Melaka, important port of Malacca Strait -
Spice Route
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Gilded Lacquer or Urushi
Many Chinese shop houses used black and gold lacquer doors
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- Constructions
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Notable Hotels
Georgetown: Eastern & Oriental Hotel, one of the most famous hotels during colonial time in Asia -
Clock Tower
Melaka: Tan Beng Swee (Red) Clock Tower (1886) -
Monumental Fountains
Melaka: Queen Victoria's fountain -
Prison
Melaka: underneath the Stadthuys -
Historic Military Parade Grounds
Esplanade in George Town: "..it was here where Captain Francis Light, the founder of George Town, first landed on 17 July 1786. Upon claiming possession of Penang Island (then Prince of Wales Island), for the British Empire, the Esplanade became the first area to be cleared by Light. The cleared field was then used as a military parade ground, prior to its recreational and sports use beginning in the mid-19th century. " (wiki)See en.wikipedia.org
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Built on Stilts
'China Jetties' in Georgetown: "There is also a large harbour area, partly on reclaimed land, with piers and clan jetties, a unique form of settlement with timber houses on stilts clustered around a jetty." (AB ev) -
Lighthouses
In front of St. Paul's church, built by the British
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- WHS on Other Lists
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UNESCO 'LEAP' program
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World Monuments Watch (past)
George Town Historic Enclave (2002, 2000) -
The Jean-Paul-L’Allier Prize for Heritage
2021: George Town, Malaysia – Creating public spaces through the revitalisation of backlanes in the world heritage city of George Town. Melaka, Malaysia – Improvement and Conservation of Historical Urban Environment in the Historic City of Melaka. -
Memory of the World
The Malay Annals (2001) cover the history of the Malay Sultanate that was based in Melaka (they are now in Kuala Lumpur) -
U.S. Ambassadors Fund
Restoration of a Mid-19th-Century Shop House (2003), Restoration of a Late 18th-Century Shop House in Malacca (2001)
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- Timeline
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Built in the 16th century
In 1511 the Portuguese conquered the city of Melaka (AB ev)
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- WHS Names
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Named after Queen Victoria
"Queen Victoria Fountain" in Melaka -
Named after individual people
George Town is named after the British King George III
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News
- straitstimes.com 03/23/2025
- Penang heritage enclave under atta…
- nst.com.my 03/02/2023
- Outrage over plans for skyscraper …
- theguardian.com 08/30/2017
- 'Unesco-cide' of Georgetown
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.Community Reviews
Show full reviews
In my opinion, the twinning of these two places into one WHS was brilliant as together, they present a coherent historical narrative of colonial development in the region. The architecture and artefacts in both cities are testament to a culture and townscape resulting from a blend of external influences (European and Asian) on local conditions. Each site has its own lovely ensemble of fabled historical buildings and old streets, telling the story of colonialism in this part of the world.
I had been asked which one would I recommend a tourist short on time to visit; honestly, I am incapable of answering the question. Once there, both cities are lovely and easy, comfortable places to visit, with their respective WHS zones conveniently covered on foot. They also have no shortage of amenities for tourists and visitors. In both George Town and Melaka, I would recommend at least an overnight stay to get a good feel of both places over the course of a day.
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This site hasn’t been reviewed in 10 years, so it can use a refreshment. Not that I think that it has changed much over the past years. I visited Melaka already in 2009 but left it til 2023 to add George Town. After having just arrived from bustling Thailand, George Town seemed to be in a post-Covid tourism dip and there wasn’t a lot going on (it also was a Malaysian school holiday period). Still, it grew on me and it is worth a day or two.
I stayed in the heart of Little India – it might as well be called ‘Very India’, for the numerous shabby-looking (but excellently tasting) Indian restaurants, the sari- and gold bangle shops. My hotel – the Ren I Tang Heritage Inn – was a wonderful 19th-century townhouse in the “Early Straits Eclectic Style”, and a former Chinese Medical Hall.
My explorations (all done on foot) brought me first to the monuments from the British colonial period. This still seems to be the business and political center of the city. Several historic buildings remain, most of them stark white in colour. ‘Around the corner’ there are the remains of the British East India Company’s Fort Cornwallis; I didn’t go in as I found the entrance fee of 40 ringgit too high.
I then followed the coastline, with good views of the Penang Strait and the city of Butterworth, at which I had arrived by train on my way down from …
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As much as there isn't much noise being made about George Town, and that unanimous praises are given to Melaka, I was surprised to find out that the former component would be the highlight of this inscription. The character of George Town is more presentable, in my opinion. I visited the two historic cities last May to finish off the list of current Malaysian WHS.
Melaka has a rich history, its role in regional trade cannot be underestimated. Sadly, I think that its current condition, however, does not live up to it anymore. Without knowing its past, the town simply looks like any other Chinese-Malay town (can be akin to Hat Yai, in fact). The city's important monuments - representing various cultures and periods in its colonial era - can easily be explored in a day, on foot. We started off in the residential/commercial portion of the inscribed site, across the bridge over Melaka River, and nothing really stood out. The Street of Harmony is nice, but is not as spectacular compared to that of George Town. Jonker Street was a bit sober and empty then as it was post-election time and most shops were closed, in protest against the recent results. The spirit of Jonker Street, nevertheless, went to life when I visited some of the shop houses, learning some few things from store-keepers about the items that they sell - that made me feel that I was truly in a multi-cultural trading town.
The Red Square is small, …
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I visited Penang this March. My best impression actually is about two Buddhist temples within the urban area but probably even outside the buffer zone -- the Burmese and Thai Buddhist temples just facing each other across a narrow street. They especially endear me because their presence in Penang add significant claims to this place being a crossroad, not just for the main ethnic groups in today's Malaysia and the country's former colonial rulers, but show Penang as the meeting point of continental and archipelago South East Asia, as where the majority Buddhist and majority Islam zones touch.
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Melaka has been compared to Macao, Hoi An and Galle. But I would like to throw in another comparison: Ping Yao. Melaka's contemporary feel is very Chinese. And the hundreds of shops, residences and temples did remind me of the Chinese WH town. It also seems to attract a lot of Chinese tourists (though they might be native to Malaysia or Singapore).
The best-known view of Melaka however is that of "Dutch Square", with its Town Hall (Stadthuys), Clock Tower and Church. They don't look very Dutch to me, probably because they (the Brits, the Malaysians) have repainted them with red paint. No sober Dutch would ever do that.
A couple more Dutch remnants can be found a little uphill, at St. Paul's Church. They are mostly tombstones of 17th-century Dutch citizens.
So what's the verdict on Melaka? In general, it's nice enough. But there's no real highlight here. During my 1.5-day stay, I strolled through town a couple of times and spent half a day on a recommended bike tour to the surrounding countryside.
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Melaka historic centre is basically a very small area covering with many redish buildings in one part before crossing the bridge, and more 'historic - old' buildings on the other side of the bridge.
The combination of west vs east culture is very pronounce. And some holy places from different believes standing side by side tells us even more on how rich the combined culture is...
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The first cultural world heritage site of Malaysia is the historic areas of two port cities in the famous straits of Malacca, Melaka and George Town, in my opinion, these two cities are the true examples of global cities influenced by almost every great maritime country in the history: Malay, Indian, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese and English. I only visited George Town, the capital city of the State of Penang, in October 2008 as a day trip from Kuala Lumpur by plane. At first glance, Penang Island was very busy island with lots of traffic, high rise buildings which was a typical image of normal large Asian city, but in the historic quarter, the atmosphere was totally different.
The old area of George Town can easily be divided into two parts, the small colonial district and the very large shop houses area that include China town and little India districts. For the colonial area, there are some nice British colonial buildings, but to be honest, these buildings cannot be considered to be outstanding especially if you compared with Singapore's colonial area or other beautiful colonial building of French Hanoi or Thai-adopt colonial style in Bangkok. The real major draw card for George Town is the shop house area; the shop house buildings can be considered a unique style of architecture in Southern China and Southeast Asia with interesting mix of Portuguese and Chinese and using typical European and Malay arts as decorative motif. For me this is not my first …
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I'm born around this new World Heritage Site, GeorgeTown, Penang, Malaysia. This place is full our cultural sites, being Chinese, Indian or Malay. We have side by side Chinese & Malay place of worship and had live peacefully for ages. There are historical stroll or trails which is helpful and well plan for vistors. I'm not ashame to let you know that even though we are born around the site there are plenty of places still not explore my me. I love to take photos around this hitorical & cultural site and had being doing it most weekend, just to show you how much to see inj GeogeTown ( we called it Old GeorgeTown )
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