Georgetown is the bustling and charismatic capital of the island state of Penang,
which lies just off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Sitting just across the bridge that connects the island to the mainland,
Georgetown has a population of 600,000 people,
making it one of the largest cities in Malaysia.
The past and present co-exist in this waterfront city,
where colonial architecture and gleaming modern buildings share the urban skyline.
Listed by UNESCO in 2008 as a World Heritage Site,
Georgetown's streets and avenues are lined with traditional shophouses,
colonial mansions, temples, and historic public buildings.
Bristling with cannons,
Fort Cornwallis sits at the place where the city's founding father,
Captain Francis Light, first stepped ashore in 1786.
Georgetown has much to offer visitors,
from botanical gardens and cable cars to incense-shrouded temples and mosques.
But it is Georgetown's atmosphere which has made it so enduringly popular.
With its street vendors, rickshaws, markets, and faded timber shutters,
Georgetown is often compared to a 1960s Singapore.
Georgetown is considered the capital of Malaysian cuisine,
making it a foodie's paradise.
By day, Georgetown relaxes beneath the tropical sun,
but as the cool evening descends,
the city springs to life as locals and visitors head to the hawker stalls
and night markets to enjoy this living treasure under the stars.