During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, George Town's Pengkalan Weld was the centre of one of the world’s most thriving ports and provided plentiful work for the never-ending influx of immigrants. Soon a community of Chinese grew up around the quay, with floating and stilt houses built along rickety docks; these docking and home areas became known as the clan jetties. The largest and most intact of these remaining today is Chew Jetty.
Today, Chew Jetty consists of 75 elevated houses, a few Chinese shrines, a community hall and lots of tourist facilities, all linked by elevated wooden walkways. It’s a fun place to wander around with docked fishing boats, folks cooking in their homes and kids running around. If you like the vibe, there is also a homestay option here.
If you're interested in the history of Chew Jetty, or want to learn more about George Town's other clan jetties, pick up the brochure 'The Clan Jetties of George Town', available at Penang Heritage Trust or the George Town World Heritage Inc. Headquarters .
