GEORGE TOWN: When it comes to heritage and historic buildings, Sandra Nasir is always in the front row.
So upon reading about the George Town Heritage Celebrations 2026, she packed her bags and headed to Penang.
Sandra, 47, took an Electric Train Service train from Kuala Lumpur last weekend and persuaded two relatives from Kedah to come along and explore the city’s heritage sites.
They were rewarded with access to historic buildings not always open to the public.
Sandra, who is a freelancer, spent two days visiting historic buildings while collecting commemorative chops in an A5 journal she had brought along.
Among the buildings she visited were Nam Hooi Wooi Koon, Makam Dato Koyah, Thean Hou Temple (Penang Hainan Association), Soon Tuck Wooi Koon and Loo Pun Hong.
Sandra, when met at Loo Pun Hong, the Cantonese carpenters’ guild house in Lorong Love built in 1801, said she enjoys documenting heritage buildings in her journal.
“I like architecture, so this is the kind of trip I enjoy.”
The Historic Building Open House, which began yesterday and ends tomorrow, is one of the highlights of the George Town Heritage Celebrations, giving the public access to 12 heritage buildings across the city.
Among them was content creator Joyce Leong, 45, from Bukit Mertajam, who said attending the celebrations had become an annual family tradition for her and husband Darren Woong, 45, as well as their five-year-old son Chester.
“I want my son to experience George Town’s history and culture. I don’t want him to just be engrossed with devices.”
Japanese expatriate Hirohide Sato, 48, who has lived in Pulau Tikus for two years, visited Masjid Melayu Lebuh Acheh with his wife Asuka, 49, and their 10-year-old son Osuke.
“It was our first visit to a mosque. My son has Malay teachers at school, so today we learned more about the religion,” he said.
Organised by George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), the four-day celebration marks the 18th anniversary of George Town’s inscription as a Unesco World Heritage Site, which is a state public holiday tomorrow.
GTWHI general manager Dr Ang Ming Chee estimates that about 30,000 people would attend this year’s celebrations.
“Our priority audience is children. We want the younger generation to come and create new memories,” she said.
