George Town has a well-preserved old part of the city that stands out for its beautiful colonial architecture. Its main attraction is large Fort Cornwallis, built in the shape of a star.

Its construction on the coast of the island began at the end of the 18th century. The place was not chosen by chance: in 1786, Francis Light (a British explorer who discovered the island and founded George Town) landed on the territory of Penang right here.

The history of this fort is rather unusual. Since the British needed fortifications as soon as possible, and there was almost no time to search for building materials – because pirates attacked the island almost daily – the colonialists decided to build a small fortress of palm trees. But the work was still slow as there were not enough workers: few military personnel had to take care of their ships and repel raids, and locals were not very eager to help. Therefore, Francis Light played a trick: he loaded one of the ship's guns with silver coins and fired at the island. This became a great motivation for the islanders: in search of money, they cleared the site and cut down lots of trees. So two months later, construction was in full swing.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the palm fort was rebuilt, the walls were covered with brick and stone, and a barracks, a chapel, warehouses and a small prison were built inside. Surprisingly, built to protect the island, the fort has never been sung. As soon as it was built, the need for fortifications disappeared. For many years in a row, it served as the administrative complex of the British Empire, which ruled this part of Malaysia. Today, the fort is an interesting museum of the island and the city.

Inside the fortress, there is a beautiful park where you can spend time in the shade of trees. Besides, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the sea and the city from the high walls of the fortress, where ancient cannons are still located.