What makes the heritage of Georgetown unique and fascinating are the clan jetties that line up along the Weld Quay. And we chose to visit the first jetty from the north - the Chew Jetty...
Originally there were 8 jetties, of which only 5 survive to this day - Chew Jetty, Lee Jetty, Lim Jetty, Tan Jetty and the Yeoh Jetty.
These jetties are clusters of wooden houses which were built on the sea, on stilts, by Chinese poor immigrant port workers in the 1800s. Most of these immigrants came in from Fujian province, due to the hardships and poverty they faced there. Each of the jetties was for members of a specific Chinese clan, in our case the jetty was originally intended for members of the Chew clan.
The Chew Jetty is still home to hundreds of people living in the area today though many of them do not work at the docks anymore.
Entrance to the Chew Jetty...
A clan temple at the entrance...
This message sums it all...
The moment you step onto the wooden passageways of the Chew Jetty, it feels as though you've stepped back in time, oblivious to the modernity all around. Indeed the jetty does deserve its UNESCO World Heritage tag.
The jetty initially comprised of rows of planks supported by stilts - it was intended to serve as platform for passengers to board or get off from the boats. Later on, a number of these platforms were joined together to form a jetty, much like the rest of South East Asia.
The homes were built close to each other around a central passage-way to allow breeze to pass through for cooling. Despite being old, homes on the jetty very clean and tidy with modern amenities - water, electricity, airconditioners, television and fridges. Quite a few homes have been converted into souvenir shops and restaurants to cater to heritage-hungry tourists like us.
A souvenir shop...
The central alleyway...
Modern plumbing...
Sausages, fried tofu and eggs on sale...
Residents of the jetty...
Fruit and juice shop...
A small shrine...
Resting...
A view of the port area from the jetty...
Stilts that support the jetty...
A fruit seller...
Another shrine...
A time to sit and relax...
Fruit being sold...
Coconut water anyone...
Far end of the jetty and this home has been converted to a homestay...
Jelly in eggshells...
Tofu and meat fritters on sale...
Visiting the Chew Jetty was quite an experience for us, stepping back in time and especially to see how the place has evolved and how residents have adapted to change . And its time to head to another iconic feature of Georgetown - street art...
1 comment:
They've kept the jetty and the pot and water around so clean... imagine what it would be like had this been in India. It would've been filthy.
Post a Comment