What a view!
Reliving her childhood visit, Loong Wai Ting takes the new electric-operated funicular train up Penang Hill
I LISTEN intently as the unsmiling woman behind the ticketing counter at Penang Hill or Bukit Bendera speaks rapidly about joining the queue for the funicular train at the far end. I follow her finger as she points past me, where a group of people — local and foreigners — are fanning themselves as they wait in line.
I thank her, grab my change and join the crowd. It is a Tuesday morning. The sun is shining brightly in clear, cloudless blue skies. The sound of the crowd is occasionally punctuated by the screams of excited kids on school excursions. Their teachers struggle to control them as some stray away from their line.
Further up the line, someone shouts that the train has finally arrived. The fully electric-operated funicular train will take us up to the peak of Bukit Bendera, Penang’s highest point.
The one-section funicular coach travels from the lower station to the top in five minutes. Back in the old days, the old coach - 80-FUL coach - made stops so that passengers had to switch trains to reach the peak. When the 80-FUL coach made its final trip in 2010, it was replaced by the Swiss-made 100-FUL coach.
FUN RIDE
I still remember going to Bukit Bendera with my family many years ago to escape the heat and enjoy the cool hill air. As a kid, I remember sweating in my dress as I joined the adults while waiting for the train to arrive.
Service was slow then and the air stuffy. There were no air-conditioners to keep visitors comfortable. Occasionally when the train experienced trouble, passengers were left stranded in between stations, waiting for help to arrive.
After a series of breakdowns, an idea to overhaul the Penang Hill railway system came in 2010. After operating for more than eight decades, the funicular railway was closed for a major upgrade and new tracks were laid.
The new train can accommodate 100 passengers at one go in its fully air-conditioned setting. In April 2011, the new railway resumed its service and visitors have since doubled.
Revisiting Bukit Bendera as an adult brings back pleasant memories from yesteryears. As I sit on a bench in the new train, I look around to find many visitors from abroad including China, Germany and Saudi Arabia; while locals make up the majority of the passengers.
The brakes are released and the train lurches forward. I grab the side of the bench to keep from falling forward as the train stops at an angle. The train then picks up speed and we’re on our way to the peak.
There are a number of stations along the way: Middle Station, which is opened to residents only, as well as the Lower and Upper Tunnel Stations. Since its upgrade, the train goes directly to the top, without stopping.
It takes us five minutes to reach the Upper Station. As passengers disembark from the train, I take in the fresh, crisp air. The Upper Sation has gone through a major upgrade. The walkway now extends to a viewing platform called Skywalk.
Here’s a fun fact: the Penang Hill Funicular Railway has the steepest tunnel track in the world and is known to be the longest track in Asia. In some parts, the train runs on an elevated brick viaduct that crosses the valley below.
Hordes of visitors crowd the centre of the Skywalk to take pictures of Penang’s skyline. It’s almost mid-morning and the mist is finally lifting to reveal a clear view of the city. I join the crowd to take pictures.
At a glance, Bukit Bendera has changed a lot since I was a kid. From the Skywalk, there is an elevated walkway that leads to a food court, cafe and museum gallery.
On the foot of the hill, a newer building houses the ticketing counter, with a retractable roof. A multi-storey carpark is adjacent to the main building. Another significant change is the tiny roundabout in front of the station has been removed during the upgrading process.
One of the oldest buildings on Bukit Bendera is Convalescent Bungalow, which dates back to 1803. Another old building in the area is Bel Retiro built in 1789 for the Governor of Penang. Back in the day, it was the most prestigious property on Bukit Bendera, where it served as a resort for high-ranking government officials and visiting dignitaries.
In recent times, a Viaduct Trail that connects the car park and the funicular train station is opened to the public. Another alternative way down from the middle station, the Heritage Trail Since 1890 is also opened to the public, especially for those who enjoy leisure walks. Just last year, three nature trails were launched so that visitors have more opportunities to explore the hill.
JETTY TO JETTY
From the top of Bukit Bendera, I head down the same way via the funicular train. Taking one last look at the comfortable train, I join the crowd as we move out of the station and into the hot sun again.
From Bukit Bendera, I drive to the other side of the town to the clan jetties, particularly the Chew Jetty, one of the more wellknown jetties at Pengkalan Weld. Each jetty is named after a Chinese clan surname like the Chews.
The popularity of Chew Jetty rose in recent years after it was featured in numerous television shows and movies. Its popularity continues to grow after it was one of the mural sites for Ernest Zacharevic’s Mirror George Town project in conjunction with George Town Festival 2012.
The mural depicting a boy in a sampan is no longer around but it doesn’t stop throngs of tourists from visiting the picturesque jetty. Squeezing through the tight one-way lane, flanked by houses on stilts on both sides, I come across the wider section of the jetty, where the crowds hang out.
Locals have transformed their houses into art galleries and shops selling souvenirs depicting scenes of Penang, T-shirts and memorabilia.
I skip all these and go further into the village until I reach the far end of the jetty. A red-coloured temple devoted to local deities is on the right. Devotees offer prayers there and seek protection from the deities.
For non-believers, this particular spot is great for photos. The view gets better in the late evening when the air is cooler and fishing boats return. The sky turns purplish and fiery orange while the water recedes to reveal muddy flats.
The scent of frying fish soon wafts across the walkways and it is soon dinner time. But before that, I have one more jetty to go to before leaving.
Less crowded than Chew Jetty, Tan Jetty is perfect if you want to sit by wooden stilts and take in the scenery. I choose a spot at the end of the jetty for some quiet moments. My sit-in is occasionally disturbed by happy couples who ask to have their photos taken.