Penang Hills - Penang

I was born and raised in the little village of Air Itam, and it was fortunate that my parents owned a house just a stone's throw away from Penang Hill. Although it was nearly a kilometer away, we could still see the entire railway line, from the top station to the bottom station, along with some of the bungalows on the hills.

As a child, Penang Hill always appeared as a mysterious place to me. The atmosphere was said to be cool and pleasant. We had friends living and working in the bungalows up on the hills, and they often spoke of the serene environment. When I reached an age where I could explore freely, during my secondary school years, I recall those adventurous days when we explored the small hill paths that led to isolated farms on the hill slopes. We went on many such trips, but we never dared to test our endurance by reaching the hill's summit. It seemed too far and complicated for us to make the return journey.

It was only after I got married, and my wife hailing from Taiping, that I took her on a train ride to the hill's summit for the first time. It was an exhilarating experience after having heard so much about it. The cool air, manicured gardens, and the abundance of flowers in that limited hilltop area created a serene and peaceful atmosphere. In those days, the hilltop had very basic amenities, just a Tea House and a small children's playground. Simply being there was a good enough experience. The needs of yesteryears were indeed basic. We had no expectations of fantastic attractions to keep us busy or impressed. I cherish those fundamental human needs of peace and serenity.

Now, over 50 years have passed, and I've read that an international survey rated Penang Hill as being oversold. Unbeknownst to the public and many seasoned travelers, there are still a couple of hill stations like Maxwell and Fraser's from the old colonial British era that have remained untouched. To me, these are places where you need nothing more than a book and an armchair to pass the time. It's disheartening that our modern society has developed expectations and values without understanding our basic needs. Relaxation and peace in a natural setting are incomparable to those artificially created and publicized.

I'm sharing this introduction with another topic in mind. I've collected a significant number of pictures showcasing the old Penang Hills that I didn't have the chance to explore myself, but I've now had the opportunity to piece together information about them. I won't be sharing the pictures on this page, but if you don't mind my writing style, please click on this link to view them.