Treasure hunters discover beauty of George Town
GEORGE TOWN: They had to dig into bushes and tree bark under the scorching sun, searching for clues from one place to another.
But it was all worthwhile for some 100 local and foreign participants as they got to explore the hidden beauty of George Town along the trail.
Held as part of the George Town Heritage Celebrations 2017, “The Forgotten Memoirs” treasure hunt saw 31 teams completing 16 tasks starting at Armenian Park.
Britons Sen Jayaprakasam, 32, and Lizzie Freeth, 31, who teamed up with two other participants from the Philippines, said the most difficult tasks were to guess the ingredients of Yu Yee Oil by smell, and to buy five items with different colours using only RM2 at the Chowrasta Market.
“But that was also the fun part. As we walked around the market looking for the items, we ended up with flowers and a lime.
“We also took a lot of photos of the street art. It was noncompetitive, so we just took our time to enjoy the sights,” they said after the hunt in Acheen Street yesterday.
Besides the Chowrasta Market, participants also visited the Acheen Street Mosque, the Beach Street fire station, Victoria Street, the Campbell Street market, the People’s Court in Cintra Street, Kuala Kangsar Road, the Meng Eng Soo temple in Rope Walk Road and a batik workshop in Acheen Street.
Kindergarten teacher Voon Phooi Yen, 40, who took part in the hunt with her sons Chen Tzi Herng, 11, and Tzi Xuen, 14, said exploring the inner city on foot was just magnificent.
“Young people these days like to rely on cars. I want my children to learn more about George Town even though we stay in Penang,” said Voon.
There was also a lot of laughter and fun for two other Penangites, Mabel Lim and Esther Ch’ng, both in their 50s.
“We got five types of curry spices for the five items of different colours challenge,” said Ch’ng.
George Town World Heritage Incorporated general manager Dr Ang Ming Chee said the event attracted a positive response.
“The aim is to get families and friends to walk around the city and take a look at our heritage,” she said.