Mount Erskine is a residential

neighbourhood A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural a ...

within the city of George Town in

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the M ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

. This hilly neighbourhood, northwest of the city centre, is situated between the

Tanjung Tokong Tanjung Tokong is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. It is located along the northeastern coast of Penang Island, next to Pulau Tikus and northwest of the city centre. Over the recent decades, the former fishing village has been transfo ...

and

Pulau Tikus Pulau Tikus is a northwestern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Situated between the city centre and Tanjung Tokong, this upper class suburb was named after a rock just off the coast of Penang Island. It is home to small minorities of ...

suburbs to the north and to the south respectively. Notable for its large Chinese cemeteries established by the

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...

, Teochew and

Hokkien The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...

communities on

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 ...

, the neighbourhood witnesses a considerable increase in activity during the annual

Qingming Festival The Qingming festival or Ching Ming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English (sometimes also called Chinese Memorial Day or Ancestors' Day), is a traditional Chinese festival observed by the Han Chinese of mainland China, Hong Ko ...

Etymology

Mount Erskine was named after John James Erskine, a member of George Town's committee of assessors around 1810; this committee would become the predecessor to the present-day

Penang Island City Council The City Council of Penang Island is the council that administers the city of Pulau Pinang, which includes the entirety of Penang Island, Malaysia. The city council, which has jurisdiction over an area of , falls under the purview of the Penang ...

History

The Chinese cemeteries in the area date back to the early 19th century. The southern cemetery, nearest to Gottlieb Road, is managed by the United Hokkien Cemeteries and serves as the final resting place for

community. Meanwhile, the northern cemetery is owned by the Kwangtung and Tengchow Association, a joint organisation that represents the

and the

Teochews The Teochew people or Chaoshan people (rendered Têo-Swa in romanized Teoswa and Chaoshan in Standard Chinese also known as Teo-Swa in mainland China due to a change in place names) is anyone native to the historical Chaoshan region in south ...

. The first tomb within this cemetery dates back to 1795. The two large cemeteries in Mount Erskine did not deter urbanisation from creeping into the area. In the 1970s, residential estates surrounding the cemeteries were created, particularly around Pepper Estate to the north and Hong Seng Estate to the west. Apartments, such as Taman Evergreen, were also constructed later. Among the more recent issues affecting this neighbourhood are the continuing development of the hilltop, which has been flattened for the construction of more residential properties, and the risk of landslides at Hong Seng Estate.

Transportation

Mount Erskine Road is the main thoroughfare within the neighbourhood, cutting through both cemeteries towards Vale of Tempe Road to the north. Residents within this neighbourhood are served by three Rapid Penang bus routes, namely 104, the Pulau Tikus Loop (PTL) and the Congestion Alleviation Transport (CAT) Tanjung Tokong route. The former links Mount Erskine with George Town proper, as well as the neighbouring

Tanjung Bungah Tanjung Bungah (also spelt as ''Tanjong Bungah'') is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. It is located along the northern coast of Penang Island between Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Tokong, and about northwest of the city centre. Tanjung ...

and

suburbs. The PTL and the CAT are free-of-charge transit routes within

and

respectively.

References

{{Penang Neighbourhoods in George Town, Penang