Malaysia is a constant paradox. Ancient temples stand next to skyscrapers; cars and motorbikes ride alongside rickshaws.
In George Town, the country’s second-largest city, another contrast is apparent: the clash of European and Malaysian cultures, brought about after the British occupied the island of Penang in 1786 and gave this city its name, after King George III.
George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a mix of cultures and religions – on the same street, you can find the Anglican St George’s Church, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy temple, the Hindu Sri Maha Mariamman temple and the Kapitan Keling Mosque.
The smells of the sea, food and exhaust fumes fill the air as you walk past the town hall, the city hall, the old city walls and the clock tower. But then there are the more modern parts of the city, like the original street art or the skyscrapers with their colourful lights.
According to the locals, if you haven’t been up Penang Hill, then you haven’t really seen Penang. The hill is 800 metres above sea level, behind George Town. When the British colonised the island, they built a palace and a sanatorium on the hill – a place of recuperation from illnesses like malaria and cholera.
Visitors can head up the mountain in a cable car. From the top, you can look down on the island, at the Penang bridge to mainland Malaysia, or at the beach resorts at Batu Ferringhi in the distance.
If you want to travel to the capital, Kuala Lumpur, then it’s worth stopping over at Ipoh, the smallish city known as the gateway to the Cameroon Highlands, with its strawberry fields and tea plantations. In the city centre, there is an art installation of colourful umbrellas swaying above the market place.
In Kuala Lumpur, the country’s sprawling capital, the minarets and temples have long been overtaken by skyscrapers on the city’s skyline. The 452-metre Petronas Towers are spectacularly lit in the evenings. The twin towers are connected by a Sky Bridge, where you can stand and look over the city. You can also go up higher – to the 86th floor.
Malaysia’s history is also apparent in the capital: there’s China Town, Little India, the central market, the Royal Palace, and Merdeka Square with its elegant colonial Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which is where Malaysia flew its flag as an independent nation for the first time in 1957.
Kuala Lumpur’s nightlife is in Changkat Bukit Bintang, with its many bars and clubs, and colourful lights draped over trees.
A final stop in western Malaysia should be Malacca City, another World Heritage site. This is a city that has changed hands many times.
The Portuguese left behind the Porta de Santiago, a gateway to a fort that was built in 1511. Dutch rulers built the red Stadhuys, and the Chinese built the city palace, which is used as a museum today. You can also find Chinese lamps hanging in the Anglican Christ Church, and a restaurant serving non-halal food just outside of the Kampung Kling Mosque. Nothing is unusual here.
The rickshaws in Malacca are especially grand, decorated with as much kitsch as possible: cuddly toys, tiny figurines, flags, masks, bunting and plastic flowers. On the road, the drivers play loud music that makes them seem like mobile discos. As long as everything is colourful and loud, the Malaysians of Malacca seem happy. – dpa
