Saturday, December 29, 2012

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion @ Penang

Date: 29/12/2012
City: Penang, Malaysia
Remarks: Day 3, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion



I went to Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion the day before indeed, but it was closed. It only opens at 11am, 1:30pm and 3pm in guided tour. So I had to come back again today. But it's worth it. I personally think it was a must-go in Penang.

The guided tour costed RM12 and lasted for around an hour. One must stay in the tour and are not allow to wonder around. The guide was very humorous and took us through the life of Cheong Fatt Tze.

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is also named the Blue Mansion, which is not hard to understand why from its outlook. It locates at the end of Lebuh Leith, near E&O Hotel. It was a very well preserved UNESCO World Heritage site, a mansion of Cheong Fatt Tze, a successful and influential business man in Penang with 9 wives. The mansion is a combination of different cultures. The floor plan is essentially Chinese, together with Gothic louvered windows, Chinese cut-&-paste porcelain work, Stoke-on-Trent floor titles, Scottish cash iron works and Art Nouveau stained glass, the mansion is a masterpiece. The mansion was blue because Cheong Fatt Tze believed that blue can bring harmonies to his family (well, with 9 wives I guess he really need the harmonies).

The mansion has 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases, and 220 windows and the artisan is spectacular.

PS. 16 air-conditioned rooms of the Mansion was available for homestay and the entire mansions may be rented for wedding. Way too bad I only knew that in the tour. I would love to have a chance to stay in the Mansion.

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

Address: 14 Leith Street, 10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 6 04 2620006
Fax: 6 04 2625289

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