If you visit Georgetown in Penang, one sight you shouldn’t miss is the clan jetties. The jetties were built by Chinese settlers starting from the early 19th century, and were formed by some people setting up home right there, on the jetties, with houses built on stilts. They are now known as the clan jetties, because each of them belonged to a certain family or a clan.
In the twentieth century, they lost their original role as merchants and other businesspeople, but the houses remained there. Until a few decades ago, these jetties were some of the poorest part of Georgetown, right in the historical centre on the shoreline. Then the city leaders decided to change the situation and made the area into a tourist sight: most of the jetties now look nice or even inviting, with pretty houses and even some shops. There is also one homestay in one of the jetties, but unfortunately, in the least nice one, and it gets mixed reviews on Google and other online communities.
Yo can easily walk to the jetties from Chulia street. It is very easy to include them in your typical tourist route, since some of the most popular street art locations are also very near the jetties.
Here are some photos I have taken there.
If you are a digital nomad, check out my rating of Georgetown as a digital nomad destination here.
