Ng Fook Thong Temple at Chulia Street, George Town
Ng Fook Thong Temple is a Taoist temple at Chulia Street within George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built by the Cantonese, it was initially located at Church Street, before being relocated in the late 19th. century.
The temple was built at a time when Chinese immigrants began moving into Chulia Street, gradually outnumbering the original Indian Muslim inhabitants here.
History[]
Ng Fook Thong Temple was originally built at the spot where the Pinang Peranakan Mansion now stands at Church Street.
In 1898, the site at Church Street was bought by Chung Keng Kwee, one of the richest men on Penang Island then. In exchange, the temple was relocated to its present location at Chulia Street. At the time, Cantonese migrants were flooding into the area around Chulia Street, thereby changing the street's characteristics from an Indian Muslim part of town into a Chinese one.
The temple features exquisite Chinese craftsmanship and architectural features, which were probably the handiwork of artisans from southern China who had been brought in by Chung Keng Kwee to build the his mansion. A forecourt stretches out in front of the temple's entrance, while inside, there is also an inner courtyard surrounded by granite pillars. The roof and gables are lined with porcelain figurines, while ancestral tablets flank the main altar.
To this day, the temple is owned by the Cantonese Districts Association.
Political Representation[]
Penang State Government[]
N.26 Padang Kota State Assemblyman : Chow Kon Yeow (Democratic Action Party)
Malaysian Federal Parliament[]
P.049 Tanjong Member of Parliament : Ng Wei Aik (Democratic Action Party)