Georgetown, living together in a historic place

Penang is one of those industrial cities in Asia where microprocessors and other components are assembled, providing its residents with a standard of living similar to our own. The high-rise apartment buildings and modern vehicles attest to this. I would have loved to see these much-talked-about factories up close, but despite my efforts, no opportunity arose.

In contrast, Georgetown, the old Penang, is well-preserved, vibrant, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Malaysians, Chinese, and Indians live side by side there. A few buildings also recall our common occupier, the British. However, there are few traces of their past, except for driving on the left, which I'm still struggling to get used to.

These cultures coexist harmoniously. Each neighborhood is well laid out, apart from a few Chinese restaurants and Buddhist temples scattered throughout. I was there during the cultural festival celebrating the old city's recognition by UNESCO. For the occasion, several institutions had opened their doors to the public, and I took full advantage of it.

Hindu buildings are flashy and laden with sculptures piled high in an order I couldn't discern. This exuberance is offset by the discreet welcome.

However, upon arrival at the mosques, we are greeted with insistent reminders of all the prohibitions inherent in this monotheistic religion. Clothing is available to cover women and men's legs if necessary. Naturally, each gender goes to its designated area, and it is generally forbidden to enter the prayer hall if one is not Muslim. I won't dwell on it.

Among Chinese Buddhists, it's the opposite. You're welcomed warmly, and aside from the requirement to remove your shoes, you can film, photograph, and talk. Guides are available to explain things, as it's not always straightforward.

Each temple is essentially a social club whose purpose is to support the community and venerate their local hero. Local, because each community is linked to its region of origin in China or to a specific profession. I visited the carpenters' temple, where they vividly described the inventiveness and richness of Chinese traditions. Among other things, their mastery of mortise and tenon joints is astounding. Having been a carpenter myself and completed an apprenticeship in France, I was able to appreciate it. It's a reminder of the grandeur of Chinese civilization, a point I will return to later.

What's also surprising is that these communities are made up mostly of citizens who arrived here a long, long time ago—some as far back as 200 years. Multiculturalism is alive and well here, and cultural assimilation is a concept not translated into the local language.

These “social clubs” were transformed into places of worship for a very specific reason. Threatened with destruction by the British occupiers, who saw them as places of conspiracy, the ever-inventive Chinese had noticed that British law prohibited the destruction of places of worship. Since Buddhism is known for its flexibility, they seized the opportunity.

Malaysians are recognizable by their Indonesian appearance and the veils worn by women, sometimes in a very elegant way.

They all share a warm welcome, and if I'm disoriented or lost in a menu or anything else, they always come to my aid with disarming kindness. While there are a few white tourists, we're lost in the throng of Asian tourists, some in groups, others not. The young Japanese women stand out with their sometimes shabby, amusingly doll-like outfits.

I hate being in a touristy place surrounded by crowds of people, being in the minority helps to make it easier to swallow.