Magazine Road is a major thoroughfare in the city of
George Town within the
Malaysian state
Malaysia is a federation of thirteen states and three federal territories, which form the primary administrative divisions of the country. Eleven states and two territories are part of Peninsular Malaysia, while two states and one territory ...
of
Penang
Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
. The one-way road, one of the busiest in the city centre, runs along some of George Town's major landmarks, including
Komtar and
1st Avenue Mall
1st Avenue Mall is a shopping mall within George Town, Penang, George Town in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. It is located at Magazine Road, George Town, Magazine Road within the George Town Central Bus ...
.
The road was created towards the end of the 19th century as part of an urban residential quarter known as the Seven Streets Precinct.
Straits Eclectic-style shophouses can still be seen along the road, standing alongside more modern high-rises.
The western end of Magazine Road joins the similarly-named Magazine Circus, which also intersects four other major roads within the city centre -
Penang Road
Penang Road is a major thoroughfare in the city of George Town, within the Malaysian state of Penang. It runs between Farquhar Street to the north and Komtar to the south. It is a one-way road, with traffic directed southwards towards Komtar ...
,
Macalister Road,
Dato Keramat Road and Brick Kiln Road.
Etymology
Magazine Road was named after a gunpowder depot that once existed at the site where Gama Departmental Store now stands. The road is also known as ''Thaû-tiaû-lơ̄'' in
Penang Hokkien
Penang Hokkien ( zh, c=庇能福建話, tl=Pī-néeng Hok-kiàn-uā, poj=Pī-né͘ng Hok-kiàn-ōa; IPA: ) is a local variant of Hokkien spoken in Penang, Malaysia. It is spoken natively by 63.9% of Penang's Chinese community, and also by ...
, implying Magazine Road's geographical location as the first (northernmost) street within the Seven Streets Precinct.
History
Magazine Road was laid out in the late 19th century as part of the Seven Streets Precinct, a residential area inhabited by ethnic
Chinese
Chinese may refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China.
**'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
. The growing population of
George Town led to the expansion of the city in the southerly direction across the then Prangin Canal, compelling the British authorities to create grid-like streets within the Seven Streets Precinct. Straits Eclectic-style terrace houses were built within the precinct to cater to the working- and middle-class Chinese.
Up until the late 20th century, the Seven Streets Precinct, including Magazine Road, was rife with crime and triad activities, and generally shunned by the
Peranakans
The Peranakan Chinese () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (region), Nanyang (), namely the British Empire, British, Portugu ...
. It was only in the 1970s when the road witnessed more modern forms of development, starting with the construction of
Komtar.
Landmarks
*
Komtar
*
1st Avenue Mall
1st Avenue Mall is a shopping mall within George Town, Penang, George Town in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. It is located at Magazine Road, George Town, Magazine Road within the George Town Central Bus ...
Hotels
* Hotel Jen
* St. Giles Wembley Hotel
See also
*
List of roads in George Town
References
{{GTRoad
Roads in George Town, Penang