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Mandarin, more widely used by youths, has been the medium of instruction in Chinese schools throughout Penang. In recent years, there have been more efforts to maintain the dialect’s relevance in the face of the increasing influence of Mandarin and English among the younger populace. Originally a variant of the Minnan dialect, over the centuries, Penang Hokkien has incorporated a large number of loanwords from Malay and English. However, Penang Hokkien serves as the lingua franca of George Town. It is spoken by many Penangites regardless of race for communication purposes.
In addition to these, the Employees Provident Fund, run by the Malaysian federal government, operates an office at the road as well. Throughout history, the city has even welcomed some of the most influential personalities, including Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, Noël Coward, Lee Kuan Yew and Queen Elizabeth II. The Church of the Assumption is the oldest Catholic church in northern Malaysia. George Town has always been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Malaysia. The Rainbow Skywalk at the top of Komtar Tower is the highest outdoor glass footwalk in Malaysia.
Another example of a hybrid Asian architecture is the Kek Lok Si Temple at Air Itam, which merges Chinese, Siamese and Burmese influences. Just south of the UNESCO World Heritage Site stands the Komtar Tower, the tallest skyscraper in Penang at nearly 250 m (820 ft) tall. Since the mid 20th century, modern urbanisation has transformed much of George Town. The second Central Business District at Northam Road and Gurney Drive, which lies along the city’s northern shoreline, is also home to some of Penang’s tallest skyscrapers, including Setia V, Gurney Paragon and BHL Tower.
As the Malaysian federal government continued to develop Kuala Lumpur and nearby Port Klang, Penang began to suffer considerable brain drain. In a bid to revitalise George Town, the Komtar project was launched in 1974. Hundreds of shophouses, schools and temples, as well as whole streets, were demolished in order to make way for the construction of Penang’s tallest skyscraper. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit the northern coastline of George Town. In 1974, the George Town City Council was merged with the Penang Island Rural District Council to form the Penang Island Municipal Council, sparking a decades-long debate over George Town’s city status.
Both the 13.5 km (8.4 mi)-long Penang Bridge and the 24 km (15 mi)-long Second Penang Bridge link George Town with the rest of Peninsular Malaysia. George Town was once a pioneer of public transportation in British Malaya. The former bridge was completed in 1985, while the latter, opened in 2014, is currently the longest bridge in Southeast Asia. While the tram lines have since been disused, another colonial legacy, the trishaw, remains in use throughout the city, albeit catering primarily for tourists. Today, buses form the backbone of public transportation within George Town.
More investments were also made on the city’s health care and public transportation. The city became a magnet for well known English authors, Asian intellectuals and revolutionaries, including Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham and Sun Yat-sen. With improved access to education, a greater level of participation in municipal affairs by its Asian residents and substantial press freedom, George Town was perceived as being more intellectually receptive than Singapore. At the start of World War I in 1914, the Battle of Penang occurred, during which SMS Emden, an Imperial German Navy cruiser, sank two Allied warships off the coast of George Town.
