Penang mansion wins Unesco heritage prize

[Dixie Dixie <dixie1999_2000@yahoo.com>]

Penang mansion wins Unesco heritage prize 

Building touted best of Chinese architecture 


PENANG - The historical Cheong Fatt Tze mansion in
Penang became the pride of Malaysia - beating 26 other
international entries to secure the Unesco
Asia-Pacific's Most Excellent Heritage Project Award.

  
The magnificent Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion was restored
by architect Lawrence Loh. The man behind the
building, Mr Chrong, was a Hakka from Tai Pu in
China's Teochew district. -- NEW STRAITS TIMES 
 
 
The man behind the building, Mr Cheong, was a Hakka
from Tai Pu in China's Teochew district.

He migrated to Java in the 1850s where he prospered
and moved his base to Penang in the early 1890s.

Hailed as a first-class Mandarin in the Manchu
government and a powerful Nanyang industrialist, Mr
Cheong was appointed consul-general in Singapore and
economic adviser to the Empress Dowager.

He had eight wives and owned many houses through his
business empire. He made Penang his base, where he and
his group of Hakka people settled in one enclave.

When Mr Cheong died in 1916 at the age of 76, British
and Dutch authorities ordered flags be flown at
half-mast.

The magnificent structure was restored by architect
Laurence Loh and is also known as 'La Maison Bleu' or
the Blue Mansion and touted as the best of 18th and
19th century Chinese architecture in Penang.

Other winners of the Heritage Project Award included
Vietnam's Hoi An Town Preservation Co-operation
Project and India's Restoration of Chanwar
Palkhiwalon-ki-Haveli, which were accorded the
Excellent Project awards.

The five Outstanding Project award winners were
China's Ohel Leah Synagogue, India's Hotel de
l'Orient, Hongkong's Hung Shing Old Temple, China's
Residence of the late Dr Zhang Yunpen and Australia's
St Patrick's College. --New Straits Times, The
Star/Asia News Network 


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