George Town's flavour is quintessentially Chinese - old men play mahjong on street corners, trishaws peddle their way madly through narrow alleys, the air is heady with the salty aroma of soy sauce mingling with the sweet smell of incense from temples and stone dragons glare balefully from their vantage positions on gateways.

Faced with the inexorable march of time, old George Town gave way to modern high rises, government offices and temples dedicated to Mammon. The single-minded pursuit of commerce transformed the old city into a booming commercial centre, the financial heart of Penang. But winds of modernisation notwithstanding, all it needs is a whiff of salt air with underlying hint of curry to evoke images of a different era. The streets of George Town teem with life, particularly after dark and offer a glimpse of the history and culture of this city -  Carnarvon St. Love Lane, Pitt Street or Campbell Street evoke memories of British rule as do the buildings along Beach Street and Light Street.

Fort Cornwallis: the heart of George Town and the starting point of Capt Light's forays into this uninhabited island became an outpost of the Empire when the fort was constructed in the early years of the 19th century. Named after Lord Cornwallis, Viceroy of India, the fort protected British regional interests, particularly from the French forces in the area. The fort precincts have been converted into a public park with an open-air theatre, a gallery and souvenir shops selling local crafts.

The highpoints of a visit to Fort Cornwallis' fortified compound are the many cannons that lie scattered around - some were captured from the marauding pirates of the South China Sea, most have interesting tales to tell like the old Dutch cannon that witnessed the ebb and flow of many powers and some like Seri Rambai, the largest and most important cannon that is venerated for its procreative powers. Dating back to the 1600s, it is hugely popular with childless women who come especially to lay flowers in the barrel of 'the big one' and pray for a child. St. George Church on Farquahar St. is one of the oldest Anglican churches (1818) in the region and so a landmark in its own right. It was built by convict labour and still has a daily morning and evening service.

Next door to the fort is the Esplanade - a promenade that stretches along the waterfront and has streetside hawkers extolling the virtues of their wares in full-throated volume. Right in the middle of the Esplanade is a large square around which are old colonial buildings housing the city administration offices. Particularly impressive is the City Hall, an imposing edifice of soaring columns and tall windows characteristic of the neo- Palladian architecture so popular in Imperial England at the time.

In consonance with their colonial past, George Towners keep time with their colonial past - literally, with the 60 ft tall Jubilee Clock Tower on Jalan Tun Syed Sheik Barakbah - each foot of height represents one year of Queen Victoria's long reign. Philanthropist-millionaire, Cheah Chen Eok gifted the clock tower to the state of Penang in 1897, the Diamond Jubilee year of the Empress's rule.

Visitors to George Town find its ambience reflecting its multicultural society whether it is in the numerous Chinese, Buddhist or Hindu temples, mosques or the ornate mansions of the wealthy Chinese merchants.

Kuan Yin Teng: The Goddess of Mercy Temple is possibly the oldest of its kind in entire Penang - it was built in the 1800 by the first Chinese to settle here and is dedicated to the goddess who sacrificed personal salvation to save the souls of others. Kuan Yin Teng is highly rated and receives hordes of pilgrims all year long. The temple has all the intricate details one expects from Chinese religious architecture - fearsome stone dragons, stone lions and plenty of flowing lines as the roof soars high up supported by green stone pillars decorated with dragons.

On Queen Street stands Penang's very first Hindu temple, Sri Mahamariamman Temple (1883) and is typical of temples of its kind - plenty of gods and goddesses, bright colours, detailed sculpting and gateways. The temple's most prized possession is the ornate gold and silver, emerald and diamond studded statue of Lord Subramaniam. Hindu devotees take the god in a ceremonial chariot procession during the Thaipusam festival.

Reminiscent of Thailand is the Wat Chayamankalaram, and its resident deity, the 33 m high reclining Buddha, the third largest of its kind in the world. For local Thais, this s indeed a little bit of their homeland with a Thai village and cemetery also in the vicinity of the wat. The Thai festivals of Loy Krathong and Sonkran are celebrated with great fanfare here.

A rich Indian merchant by name of Caudeer Mohammed built the Kapitan Kling Mosque in the 19th century. The mosque embodies the features typical of Moorish-Islamic architecture with its minarets, domes and arches.

The Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas or the Kek Lok Si Temple stands in all its majesty on a hilltop in Ayer Itam. The Kek Lok Si temple is sacred to followers of both the Mahayana and the Theravada sects of Buddhists. Tiers and tiers soar towards the sky in this exquisite building that took nearly 20 years to build - and no wonder - the temple features such diverse architectural styles as Chinese (at its base), Thai (middle tiers) and Burmese (crown)! Other attractions in the complex include beautifully landscaped gardens with small shrines and statuary and a turtle pond.

Penang Hill (2722ft) offers a vantage viewpoint to see George Town about 830m down below. The best view is the one at night when the city lights twinkle in the darkness below. Visitors can catch the funicular railway up the hill and not just enjoy the view but also spend time at the gardens, Hindu temple and mosque on the top of the hill.

The only Jewish Cemetery in Penang is located deep inside George Town - the synagogue closed down in the late 1970s as most Jews migrated to Israel and the synagogue could not muster up even the ten men required for the requisite quorum for religious ceremonies. At the cemetery are graves dating back to the 1830s even though the first Jews arrived in the Malay Peninsula as far back as the 11th century.

Little India: George Town's Indian enclave reflects the parent country's multi-religious and multi-ethnic personality with its Hindu and Muslim population of Gujaratis, Tamilians, Punjabis and Malayalis. This area has a predominance of brightly coloured Hindu temples with ornate sculptures and elaborate gateways, streets selling everything from saris to curries.

China Town: Despite its multi-ethnic and multicultural character, George Town's ambience is overwhelmingly Chinese - and the hustle bustle of Chinatown makes it the most popular destination with locals and foreign tourists. Showcasing the best of Chinese culture and architecture are the mansions of the rich and famous - the best known amongst them being the home of the mega-baron Cheong Fatt Tze (1830-1917). Cheong was a Chinese merchant who moved to Java in the 1850s before coming to Penang at the tail end of the 19th century. Cheong made his fortune and gained political pre-eminence as a Mandarin in the Manchu government, China's emissary to Singapore and also served as the Dowager Empress's economic adviser.

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion: Cheong's stately mansion is one of three buildings of its kind outside China and was built over a period of 7 years by master craftsmen brought in from Mainland China. The interiors have been done up in the grandiose fashion befitting a tycoon's residence - there are a series of exquisitely appointed rooms full of beautiful paintings, rare porcelain sculptures, carvings in wood and stone, finely embroidered tapestries, books and an outstanding collection of antiques. Impressive wooden doors lead into the living quarters, ceremonial halls, libraries and courtyards that open out onto pretty landscaped gardens.

Getting There: The Penang Bridge and a 24-hour ferry service connect the island of Penang to mainland Malaysia. The ferry from Butterworth is available 24 hrs for both passengers and vehicles. Butterworth is connected to Kuala Lumpur by fast trains with ordinary as well as air-conditioned sleeper coaches. Alternately, visitors can fly in directly by MAS flights from Singapore, Xiamen (China), Bangkok, Nagoya (Japan) and Madras (India) or by any one of the twenty odd daily flights between Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Prepaid coupon cabs, bus services and taxis are also available for travelling on the island.

Accommodation: The most reasonably priced hotels in George Town can be found along Lebuh Chulia while the top end luxury hotels are on the Jalan Penang.

Dining & Entertainment: Chinese and Indian cuisines are the bestsellers in George Town and the restaurants in China town and little India offer a terrific selection of authentic dishes. Some of the upmarket places feature continental cuisine but the best food is certainly the local cuisine, Nonya or Malay, sold everywhere at stalls, by hawkers and vendors creating magic on coal braziers. Entertainment options abound from pubs, bars, karaoke lounges, discotheques to puppet shows, cultural performances, dances and concerts.

Climate: George Town as a all year round moderate tropical type climate - days are warm at 32° C while nights are cooler at 22° C. George Town's proximity to the sea makes it humid as the region receives plenty of rainfall throughout the year. The monsoon or rainy season, when George Town is at its wettest is between September and November.

For detailed country and visitor information, see Malaysia.