George Town, being the capital city of Penang, is not just rich with the
glorious foods but also completed with the beauty of heritage sites. Just so you know that the inner city of George Town is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. As much as I love the foods in Penang, am also amazed with the heritage site of it. During
my recent Penang trip with
Project Penang, I had the opportunity to stepped into
Cheong Fatt Tze mansion ( also known as The Blue Mansion ) and venture every little corner of the mansion.
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| A picture with the the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion |
Upon reaching Cheong Fatt Tze mansion, we were greeted warmly by a sweet lady named Joanne, who introduced herself as a guide to us, told us what's the do's and don't when you're in the mansion before she start the mansion tour. Photography is not allowed when you're in the house, however, we're given the authority to do it and that's relieved me lots. The moment she started the tour and telling us that the whole mansion occupied a land area of 56,000 square feet, with a built-up area of total 33,000 square feet was built according to Feng Shui, that caught everyone's attention which were keep till the end of the tour.
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| Coin motif fence |
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| Bamboo fence |
The Cheong Fatt Tze mansion, is a grand mansion which was built by Cheong Fatt Tze (1840-1916) in a full Chinese architecture. That was the first time I heard his name and later did I know that he was a Chinese of Hakka descent and known locally as Teow Thiaw Siat. If you wonder, he was also one of the richest men in Southeast Asia. It took over a period of seven year (between 1897 - 1904) in order to built the mansion completely. We were informed that this mansion was one of the many houses that belongs to Cheong Fatt Tze and here also the home of his third, sixth and sevent wives and where all eight of his son were raised too.
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| Butterfly with double "喜" |
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| Bat (蝙蝠) on the wall which means "福" |
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| Pillar |
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| Floor tile |
During the exploration of the mansion, the Chinese-style doors, filigree and latticework placed side-by-side to contemporary louvred windows and stained-glass windows can be easily found in the mansion. I can't help myself but impressed with every little things in the mansion! The floor tiles in the mansion were imported all the way from Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England.
As mentioned earlier, the whole mansion was built fully according to the Feng Shui. It was believed that Cheong Fatt Tze would probably have invited a master geomancer to calculate the best time to construct the mansion; the best choice in use of materials; and the layout of water-flow and wind-flow lines which would best suit his zodiac, and most importantly to ensure that the wealth is retained. You would be surprised you could actually take a virtual courtyard tour at
HERE!
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| Picture of Cheong Fatt Tze and the 7th wife |
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| Joanne |
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| Antiques music player |
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| Traditional Pillows |
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| The window |
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| View from the upstair |
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| Bedroom |
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| Traditional Silk |
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| Cheong Sam |
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| Spacious Hall |
I myself could not stop admiring the whole artwork of the interior of the mansion which were done in detailed, most importantly it is mostly done by handwork instead of machines. You could even see all the antiques which places in certain rooms in the mansion, most of it, I have never seen before and to have this kind of experience, wonderful! Oh! There's another thing that impressed me - the decoration on the roof and walls which made of tiny pieces of broken pottery called chien nien. My-oh-my! Any of you can tell me who's on earth would do such time consuming work especially in this modern era?!
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| Walls Decoration made by tiny pieces of broken pottery*1 |
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| Walls Decoration made by tiny pieces of broken pottery*2 |
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| Walls Decoration made by tiny pieces of broken pottery*3 |
The restoration work on Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion which took 5 years to complete has been awarded as the "Most Excellent Project" award for cultural heritage conservation by UNESCO Asia Pacific. The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion has been re-adapted as a boutique hotel, allowed not just local but tourist to stay and experience a pleasant stay in a heritage boutique hotel in George Town.
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| Bedroom of The Old Kitchen |
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| Antiques as a deco in the room |
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| Bathroom |
The room above was actually known as The Old Kitchen and it was such lovely room to stay for I thought. The antique pots, bowls and kettles has been placed as one of the decoration of the room and the bathroom with bench inside it? Just so you know that it was placed so that it's easier for the old people to take their shower. What a thoughtful one.
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| Souvenirs |
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| Trishaws by the Blue Mansion |
Apart from the rooms, there were also a room for souvenirs. This is where the guests could buy souvenirs to take home for the friends and family if they happened to visit or stay in the Cheong Fatt Tze grand mansion. I am totally had a great time exploring the whole mansion and how I wish to have the book of "The Blue Mansion" so that I could understand more about the mansion.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
14, Lebuh Leith,
10200, Penang,
Malaysia.
Entrance Fee : RM 12 (Adult) , RM 6 (Child)
Business Hours : Open daily, 11am & 3pm with tour guide.
Tel : +604 - 262 0006
Fax: +604 - 262 5289
Email : cftm@tm.net.my
Website :
www.cheongfatttzemansion.com
