Official name: Lebuh Armenian
English name: Armenian Street
Tamil name: ஆர்மேனியன் வீதி Ārmēṉiyaṉ Vīti
Hokkien name: 拍銅街 Phah-tâng-ke (West of Cannon Street), 本頭公巷 Pún-thâu-kong-hāng / 建元街 Kiàn-guân-ke (East of Cannon Street)
Story of the Street
Armenian Street is a narrow street within the city of George Town. It is located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has also gained popularity for its rich cultural offerings and street art. The original name for the street was Malay Lane, after a Malay settlement that used to exist around the area.
In 1808, the street was renamed as Armenian Street due to the influx of Armenian traders. The street was named after the Armenian Orthodox Church that used to be there in 1822. Early Armenian communities settled here but most of them had already left by the time the church was demolished in 1937. Then, the Chinese gradually took over most of Armenian Street in the mid 19th century and built clan houses. Hence, the area was important for its concentration of Chinese and Malay Secret Societies, Kien Tek Kongsi, Red Flag & White Flag.
Meanwhile, it was also a place where early Malay braziery made copper and brass products. Therefore, there are a few historical names for Armenian Street. For instance, 打铜仔街 Pak Thang-a Kay (Hokkien) / Ta Thung Kai (Cantonese) means coppersmith street, is the name for the section between Pitt Street and Acheen Street. The section also named 建元街 Kien Goan Kay (Hokkien), which means Street of Kien Teik clan. Additionally, 本头公巷 Pun Thau Kong Hang (Hokkien) / Tai Pak Kung Hong (Cantonese) that means Tua Peh Kong God’s Alley is the section between Beach Street and Pitt Street.
Today, Armenian Street is a home to the famous “Little Children on Bicycle” mural, Chinese clan houses, museums and art galleries. In addition, there are also shophouses that offer antiques and souvenirs, as well as various types of street arts along the street.
Significant Buildings
Penang Islamic Museum
Penang Islamic Museum is a museum that houses the role and contribution of Malay leaders in the development and propagation of Islam in Penang and Malaysia. The museum is housed in a mansion originally built in 1860, which was once the residence of a Acehnese pepper merchant, Syed Mohammad Alatas. Furthermore, this mid-19th century Straits Eclectic style building also displays a collection of 19th century furniture, antiques and a full-sized diorama of a dock scene. This museum is currently undergoing renovation and has not reopened to the public.
Sun Yat-sen Museum
Sun Yat-sen Museum is a privately managed museum that occupies the shophouse where Dr Sun Yat-sen had his base in Penang. Dr Sun Yat-sen is a nationalist from China who established the Chinese Republic in 1912 after his efforts in the Xinhai Revolution. The museum houses a permanent exhibition on Sun Yat-sen’s early revolutionary period in Penang when he planned a historic uprising of the China Revolution of 1911. Dr Sun Yat-sen lived in Penang for about 6 months with his family at his office in Dato Keramat Road (which has been demolished) while the house in Armenian Street was used as his base and his followers did live here.
Yap Kongsi
Yap Kongsi is the clan association of Hokkien Chinese in Penang of the Yap surname. The association building, Lum Yeong Tong Yap Kongsi has two adjoining buildings – the Straits eclectic-style building with the words ‘Yap Temple’ inscribed in the pediment and the Choo Chay Keong Temple dedicated to the Yap Clan’s patron deities.
The main structure was built in 1924. It is painted a distinctive shade of light green. It is not always open to the public, but visitors are usually allowed to enter the adjacent temple, Choo Chay Keong temple, which was built in a more classic kongsi style. The temple is also known as the Yap Ancestral Temple.
Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple
Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple, which is also commonly known as Poh Hock Seah, is a clan temple of the Hokkien people. Built in 1850’s, it was once the headquarters of a secret society named Kian Teik Tong. After the Penang riot in 1867, all the secret societies including Kian Teik Tong were permanently banned. The temple is dedicated to its patron deity, Twa Peh Kong (the Taoist God of Prosperity), which also goes by the name of Hock Teik Cheng Sin. Today, the temple has a large compound and a double-storey building.
Where to Stay
Armenian Street Heritage Hotel
Armenian Street Heritage Hotel is a 5-storey building comprising 92 air-conditioned rooms. This 3-stars hotel consists of 9 types of room choices, for instance, Standard Double Room, Family Room, Superior Twin Room and more.
Armenian House
Armenian House is a guesthouse fitted with wooden flooring. Guests have access to shared bathroom and shared toilet facilities. However, some of the rooms come with an en suite bathroom and toilet. They have a total of 5 room types to choose from, which are Standard Twin Room with Shared Bathroom, Twin Room with Private Bathroom, Family Room etc. Its strategic location allows the guests to reach almost all the main attractions by foot in George Town.
Armenian Suite Hotel
With tile floors and wood furnishings, Armenian Suite Hotel offers 12 heritage style suite rooms designed for solo travellers, couples and families. The room types are inclusive of double rooms, quadruple rooms and family rooms. There is also a cafe providing coffee, variety of desserts to the guests on the ground floor of the hotel.
What to See
Teochew Puppet & Opera House
Teochew Puppet and Opera House is a fun little museum that compiles the stories from a retired Teochew-opera actress and her enthusiasm for the Teochew culture, together with the exhibition of her costumes and the puppets for opera performance. It is the first Teochew opera, puppet show museum and performance space in Malaysia. Visitors are allowed to go through the history of Teochew opera in Malaysia, to witness the valuable piece of an aged hand-copied script, or to experience the playing of the opera puppets.
Fuan Wong The Gallery
The studio is run by Wong Keng Fuan, specialises in stained and fused glass. Since 1985, Wong has dabbled in glass and his talented skills are largely self-taught. Prior to his art involvement with glass, he has tried his hands on watercolor painting and landscape design.
Batik Painting Museum Penang
Batik Painting Museum Penang is housed in a three-storey Straits Eclectic-style shophouse. The museum tells about the history and development of batik painting in Malaysia since the 1950s. There are around 80 batik paintings by 25 artists being exhibited in the museum. In addition, there is also a small international section.
Mural: “Little Children on a Bicycle” by Ernest Zacharevic
The mural is painted on the wall of a shophouse in the Armenian Street. It is painted by London-trained artist Ernest Zacharevic during the George Town Festival 2012. It depicts a little girl taking her younger brother on a bicycle ride. The street art was based on actual people and has become popular among both locals and visitors.
Street Art: “Too Narrow” Sculpture
The exact location of the sculpture is at Soo Hong Lane, on the wall near the junction with Armenian Street. The sculpture is a caricature by a cartoonist, Tang Mun Kian. It depicts a boisterous rickshaw man breaking away from his rickshaw, which is too wide to enter the lane, and the rickshaw man continued down the lane, leaving his passengers behind.
Street Art: “Procession” Sculpture
The “Procession” sculpture is a caricature drawn by local cartoonist Tang Mun Kian. The sculpture depicts the Grand Float Procession held in 1926 to celebrate the birthday of Twa Peh Kong. As it was the Year of Tiger according to the Chinese calendar, effigies of the tiger were carried through the streets.
Street Art: “Then & Now” Sculpture
This sculpture is based on a caricature by a local cartoonist, Tang Mun Kian. It depicts the morphology of Armenian Street. It was once a centre for the coppersmith trade, the street has evolved into an area for recycling of old newspapers, bottles, aluminium cans and other items.
What to Eat
Jawi House Cafe Gallery
Jawi Peranakan means the offspring of Indian, Arab, Turkish and Persian migrants who married local Malay women. The cuisine is known by the Malays as ‘food for feasting’. It offers Jawi-Peranakan dishes with a touch of Western-fusion. Some of their signatures include Jawi Bamieh, Lamb Biryani, and their desserts such as sago pudding, Malay caramel pudding cakes and more!
Penang Bird Nest Cafe – 92 Armenian
92 Armenian is a place to go for a bird nest dining experience. The owner incorporated bird nests into different food. For instance, egg tarts, cheese tarts, osmanthus jelly, porridge and even fresh cow milk. On a side note, the place is nice and cool and historical wood craftings with gold linings could be found all over the place.
Kedai Kopi Ban Leong Ean 万隆轩茶室
This is a coffee shop at the junction of Armenian Street and Cannon Street. It is a corner shophouse that was built in the Art Deco style. The layout of the coffee shop is small and has a limited number of tables. It only has a Hokkien Mee stall, Curry Mee stall and a pau kiosk. Besides, diners could also order Roti Bakar with half-boiled eggs directly from the coffee shop.
Edelweiss Cafe
The cafe was initially set up as a showcase for the owners’ collectable antiques. They serve Swiss German comfort food such as sausages with rosti, crispy pork belly sandwiches, cheese fondue and more. Housed in an 1860’s shophouse, the cafe offers a menu of German and Swiss specialties.
