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"It is believed that the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is one of only three Chinese architectural buildings built outside the Republic of China."
Introduction
Built in the 1890's, this famous indigo-blue Chinese Courtyard House in George Town was the residence of Cheong Fatt Tze, a prominent Chinese figure in the newly established Penang straits settlement during the 19th century. The mansion was built by master craftsmen brought in especially from China, who used their skills to fashion the mansion with 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows.
Rescued from the perils of development in the 1990's by a small group of Heritage preservationists led by Laurence Loh, the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion possesses splendid Chinese timber carvings, Gothic louvre windows, russet brick walls and porcelain cut & paste decorative shard works, art nouveau stained glass panels, Stoke-on-Trent floor tiles and Scottish cast iron work. With a built-up area of 3,000sqm, its layout is based on feng-shui principles, and filled with rare collections of sculptures and carvings, porcelain, tapestries, embroideries, lacquers, bronzes and other antiques.
In 2000, the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion received the inaugural Unesco Asia Pacific Heritage Conservation Award, selected as the 'Most Excellent Project' in the Asia Pacific Rim following its RM7.6 mil restorations works.
Today visitors have the chance to stay at the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion as its doors are open for visitors who wish to experience and drink-in the aura of 19th century architecture. Tours of Cheong Fatt Tze mansion are available at 11.00am Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays (please contact the Penang Tourist Centre at +604-261 6663).
People
This majestic 19th century Chinese mansion belonged to Cheong Fatt Tze, a Hakka businessman from Tai Pu in the Teochew district of China. Cheong Fatt Tze left China when he was only 16 years old, fleeing from the civil war that broke around 1856.
Establishing a base in Indonesia, Cheong Fatt Tze managed to attain success and accumulate wealth with his trading company. His business grew over the years and by 1886 expanded with trading in Penang. Through hard work and perseverance, he became a powerful Chinese trading and shipping tycoon in the late 19th century.
In 1890, Cheong Fatt Tze moved his base to Penang, upon his election as the Chinese Consul in Penang. At the end of the 19th century, Cheong Fatt Tze built the famous mansion on Lebuh Leith where he resided in between his travels around the region. The mansion was constructed over a seven-year period from 1896 to 1904.
For more information, please contact:
The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Tel: +604-262 0006
Fax: +604-262 5289)
Email: cftm@tm.net.my
Last viewed - July 19, 2008
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