BRINGING HISTORY TO LIFE

PATA ESCAPE!

Waving Penang Flag

        The Padang Kota Lama (PATA) or Penand Esplanade, is the waterfront area and large green space located in the north-eastern tip of Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. It is a rare wide greenish open space in the city and must visit place in Penang for every visitor.

Padang Kota Lama Street

Fun Facts:

1. Padang Kota Lama is located in one of the oldest section of George Town and was among the earliest part of town to be cleared. It is the parade ground and playing field created by the British colonials in the civic district of George Town.

               On the Eastern side of the green is Fort Cornwallis, the old British Fort, built on the first area of land that was cleared by Francis Lights crew and labourers, way back in 1786.

Symbolic of  Fort Cornwallis

Fun Facts:

1. Fort Cornwallisi at Padang Kota Lama, Georgetown, is the largest intact fortress still standing in Malaysia. The fort dtaes back to the earliest days of British settlement on the island. There, Francis Light established the British settlement and trading port of Georgetown. To defend the site, he built a simple stockade out of nibong palms.
2. Fort Cornwallis was named after the Governer-General of Bengal, Charles Marquis Cornwallis. (Cornwallis was the general who was defeated by General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War in Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, paving the way for the creation of the United States).            

                  The western side of the field are two grand old buildings of the City Hall and Town Hall. The Penang Hall or Dewan Bandaraya Pulau Pinang is a handsome Victorian-style building along Jalan Padang Kota Lama.

The Unique Architecture of City Hall

Fun Facts:

1. The City Hall building was originally called the Municipal Office, Penang. It was renamed City Hall when Georgetown was granted city status in 1957.
2. It has continued to be known as City Hall, even when the local government was revamped in 1976. 
3. Today it is one of the buildings housing the Municipal Council of Penang Island or Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP). The whitewashed building forms an elegant backdrop to the Esplanade.

           The City Hall overlooks the historic parade ground at Padang Kota Lama, and affords a panoramic view of the Esplanade. Within a stone's throw from the City Hall and not too far from a green carpet of The Esplanade lies a monument that stands by the sea at the intersection of Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah and Jalan Padang Kota Lama in the heart of Georgetown, Penang. That is the Cenotaph, the First World War Memorial. The gated stone monument, erected to commemorate the brave soldiers who sacrificed themeselves in The Battle of Penang during World War I.

Georgetown UNESCO Herritage Site - Penang War Memorial

Fun Facts :

1. The Cenotaph at the Esplanade  is a memorial in Georgetown erected by the British to remember those who died in World War I. In reality, Penang saw very little action related to World War I, with the possible exception of the sinking of the Russian ship Zemschug by the German cruise ship Emden.

2. Even our grands might not recall this event ( The Battle of Penang) vividly as it occured too short, just in a day!

The Famous Local Pasembur

    To the north is the waterfront walkway following the coastline from the edge of the Fort, to the Esplanade Food Court as you walk Westwards away from the Fort. Do come here in the late afternoon and evening to the sea breezes, have drink and some delicious food at the seafront food court. This food court is open in the late afternoon / evening. There is also food court on the Esplanade, the Fort Cornwallis Food Court which as the name suggests is by the fort. This place is only open during the day and closed in the evening.

Chinese New Year Event Organized

               The Penang Esplanade is where you will find most of the major events happening throughout the year, from New Year's Eve firework displays, Parades, Live Music, Dragon Dances, Chingay and Flower shows to Cycle racing and Motorbike racing around the square. You will find something going on here most weekends, so check with the local Tourist Office on Beach Street to see if there are any events going on while you are in town. 

                Although no longer a British administrators in Penang, but the British legacy can be seen clearly around Padang Kota. Padang Kota is a tourist attraction and people who want peace and enjoy food that is popular Penang Nasi Kandar, Pasembur, Fried and Laksa. Most visitors prefer to hang Padang Kota fortress on the sea wall to feel the wind blowing while relaxing. The fort was built by the sea to prevent the erosion of the waves. 

Local People are Fishing at the Sea Wall

Trip Tips :

The Tourists at The Esplanade

    The Padang Kota Lama, it takes approximately 20 minutes after the Penang Bridge and according to traffic conditions. Traffic conditions towards Bandaraya Center to Georgetown and Bayan Lepas are very crowded in the morning, noon, evening and weekends. Passengers must be smart in planning a trip.

ENJOY AND HAVE A BLAST!

By:

Erwani Binti Saiful Anwar

Nur Dini Binti Md Nasir

Wan Shafiqah Binti Wan Mahayuddin