Weld Quay is a coastal road along the eastern shoreline of the city of
George Town in
Penang,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. One of a handful of places worldwide that was named after a
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017.
The prime minister (inform ...
, the road connects the
Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu Expressway with
Light Street and
Beach Street in the heart of the city.
Weld Quay was created as part of a massive land reclamation project in
George Town in the late 19th century, which pushed the coastline further east.
During the heyday of
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
rule, Weld Quay was home to the
Port of Penang, which was then one of the major ports in
Malaya. The famous Chinese Clan Jetties at the road was originally built to house the Chinese labourers employed at the harbour.
Now part of the city's
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
, major transportation hubs are still located along Weld Quay today, such as
Swettenham Pier and the
Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal, the latter being used for the cross-strait
Rapid Ferry services.
A public bus terminal adjacent to the ferry terminal allows ferry passengers to board
Rapid Penang
Rapid Penang (styled as ''rapidPenang'') is a public bus brand in the Penang, State of Penang, Malaysia. Formed as a subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia in 2007, to date it is the main public transport operator within Penang; its bus network serves ...
buses to various parts of
Penang Island
Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...
.
Etymology
Weld Quay was named after
Frederick Weld
Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld (9 May 1823 – 20 July 1891), was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand, sixth Prime Minister of New Zealand, premier of New Zealand, ...
, who became the
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017.
The prime minister (inform ...
in 1864. He also served as the
Governor of the Straits Settlements between 1880 and 1887. During his tenure as the
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
, a large-scale land reclamation project was carried out in
George Town in order to extend the city's eastern shoreline and create more land for the
Port of Penang.
In Tamil, this place is known as Kitangu Street(கிடங்கு தெரு). Kitangu Street translate as street of Warehouses. As it was a major port during the British period, many warehouses are located in this place
History
Weld Quay was laid out during the land reclamation project between 1883 and 1889 that was carried out to provide more land for harbour activities. Prior to the land reclamation, the sea had reached right up to
Beach Street.
Subsequently, a number of piers, as well as warehouses, were built along Weld Quay to facilitate harbour trade.
Notably,
Swettenham Pier,
Penang's first deep wharf, was completed in 1904 and now serves cruise ships berthing at the city.
The old railway building still stands to this day as the most imposing colonial building along Weld Quay; it was built in the 1900s to allow train passengers from
Penang Island
Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...
to purchase their tickets before boarding one of the cross-strait ferries to
Butterworth, where the
train station
A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing s ...
is located.
Meanwhile, Chinese coolies working at the harbour also built clan-based seaside settlements at the southern section of Weld Quay. Now known as the Clan Jetties, the wooden piers built by the Chinese were divided between the different surname-based clans, such as Lee, Yeoh and, the most famous of all, Chew.
The Chew Jetty has become one of the focal points of the
Chinese New Year celebrations in
Penang in recent years.
In the olden days, the development of the
Port of Penang into one of the most important
entrepôt
An ''entrepôt'' (; ) or transshipment port is a port, city, or trading post where merchandise may be imported, stored, or traded, usually to be exported again. Such cities often sprang up and such ports and trading posts often developed into c ...
s in
British Malaya made Weld Quay one of the more bustling areas in
George Town. Cruise ships and coastal steamers either docked at
Swettenham Pier or anchored in the
Penang Strait
The Penang Strait is an 11 kilometre-wide strait that separates Penang Island from mainland Malay Peninsula. Penang Island is to the west of the channel, while Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang, is to the east. The norther ...
, while lighters and merchant vessels loaded and unloaded their cargo at Victoria Jetty.
Human passengers boarded the cross-strait ferries at the FMSR Jetty (now
Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal), while cars embarked from Church Street Pier. Mercantile firms and traders, including
Yeap Chor Ee, also sited their offices within the elegant colonial buildings along Weld Quay.
Today, only the
Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal and
Swettenham Pier remain in use, with the latter becoming one of the main entry points for tourists into
Penang.
Landmarks
*
Swettenham Pier
*
Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal
*
Federated Malay States Railways Building (currently Wisma Kastam)
* Wisma Yeap Chor Ee
* Chinese Clan Jetties
See also
*
List of roads in George Town
*
Architecture of Penang
The architecture of Penang reflects the 171 years of British presence on the island, coalescing with local, Chinese architecture, Chinese, Indian architecture, Indian, Islamic architecture, Islamic and other elements to create a unique ...
References
{{GTRoad
Roads in Penang
George Town, Penang