Tanjung Tokong

Tanjung Tokong
Suburb of George Town
Other transcription(s)
 • Chinese 丹绒道光

Aerial view of Tanjung Tokong, looking towards Gurney Drive, George Town

Location of Tanjung Tokong on Penang Island
Coordinates: 5°27′0″N 100°18′0″E / 5.45000°N 100.30000°E / 5.45000; 100.30000
Country  Malaysia
State  Penang
District Northeast Penang Island
Government
 • Local Government Penang Island City Council
 • Mayor of Penang Island Patahiyah Ismail
 • State assemblyman Cheah Kah Peng (PKR)
 • Bukit Bendera Member of Parliament Zairil Khir Johari (DAP)
Time zone Malaysian Standard Time (UTC+8)
 • Summer (DST) Not observed (UTC)
Postal code 10470
Website www.mbpp.gov.my

Tanjung Tokong is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. It is located along the northeastern coast of Penang Island, next to Pulau Tikus and 7km away from George Town proper. Over the recent decades, the former fishing village has been transformed into an upper class residential suburb of George Town, with high-rises such as Straits Quay lining the coast.[1][2]

The area had already been inhabited for decades prior to Captain Francis Light's founding of Penang Island in 1786. Tanjung Tokong was believed to be the site of the first Chinese settlement on Penang Island.[1] Up until the 1970s, Tanjung Tokong was a fishing village and the sea was certainly much cleaner in the past.

At present, the reclamation of land is ongoing off the shores of Tanjung Tokong, creating a new township - Seri Tanjung Pinang.[3][4]

Due to its location along the northern coast of Penang Island, Tanjung Tokong was hard hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.[5]

History

An 1818 painting depicting the coastline of what is now Tanjung Tokong. Mount Erskine is also visible to the right.
The skyline of Gurney Drive and Tanjung Tokong, as seen from the Esplanade in George Town.

In the mid 19th century, a Chinese by the name of Zhang Li founded a fishing village at what is now Tanjung Tokong.[1] He had actually intended to sail from China to Sumatra, but the rough seas pushed him to Penang Island instead. His arrival at Tanjung Tokong preceded Captain Francis Light's landing on Penang Island by about 40 years. To this day, Zhang Li, whose grave still lies at Tanjung Tokong, is worshipped by ethnic Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore as Tua Pek Kong, a local deity.

Tanjung Tokong remained a quiet fishing village until the 1970s, when the urbanisation of the area began. Low-rise apartments were followed by higher condominiums that were constructed along the shoreline. In addition, land reclamation is currently being carried out off the coastline as part of the Seri Tanjung Pinang project.[3][4] The new Straits Quay marina was created at the newly reclaimed land and opened to the public in 2011.[6]

These developments have led to an increase in the standards of living, as Tanjung Tokong grew into an upscale suburb of George Town, similar to neighbouring Pulau Tikus. However, the land reclamation projects were also thought to have caused the siltation of nearby Gurney Drive, one of George Town's famous seaside promenades. As of 2016, another land reclamation project is being conducted off Gurney Drive itself to create Gurney Wharf, thus rectifying the siltation issue.[7]

Tanjung Tokong was one of the hardest hit areas during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that ultimately claimed a total of 52 lives in Penang.[5]

Condominiums at Tanjung Tokong as seen from the Penang Chinese Swimming Club.

Landmarks

Neighbourhoods

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Tanjung Tokong, Penang / Pulau Pinang". Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  2. ↑ Quay, Straits. "Straits Quay". www.straitsquay.com. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  3. 1 2 "E & O gains more time to finish Seri Tg Pinang reclamation - Business News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  4. 1 2 "Seri Tanjung Pinang". www.seritanjungpinang.com. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  5. 1 2 "Victims of 2004 tsunami back on their feet in no time thanks to Govt's prompt action - Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  6. ↑ "Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang - The Official Opening of Straits Quay". www.penang.gov.my. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  7. ↑ "Penang's Gurney Drive bund turns brown waters jade green". AsiaOne. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  8. ↑ "Tanjung Tokong Tua Pek Kong Temple, Penang / Pulau Pinang". Retrieved 2016-11-11.
 Malacca Strait
Tanjung Bungah Penang Strait
   Tanjung Tokong  
Pulau Tikus

Coordinates: 5°28′N 100°18′E / 5.467°N 100.300°E / 5.467; 100.300

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/16/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.