Penang Hill

Penang Hill
Bukit Bendera பினாங்கு மலை 升旗山
Night view from the top of Penang Hill.
Highest point
Elevation	735 m (2,411 ft)
Coordinates	5°25′28.50″N 100°16′8.08″E / 5.4245833°N 100.2689111°E / 5.4245833; 100.2689111Coordinates: 5°25′28.50″N 100°16′8.08″E / 5.4245833°N 100.2689111°E / 5.4245833; 100.2689111
Geography
Location	Penang Island

Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks in Penang, Malaysia. It is located in Air Itam, which is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the city centre of George Town. Penang Hill is also known by the Malay name Bukit Bendera, which refers to Flagstaff Hill, the most developed peak. The name Penang Hill covers a number of hills, with the highest point at Western Hill which is 833 metres (2,733 ft) above sea level. The hill stands out prominently from the lowlands as a hilly and forested area. It was used as a retreat during the British colonial period, and is now a popular tourist destination in Penang. The top of the hill is accessible via the Penang Hill Railway from its base station at Air Itam.

Captain Francis Light, founder of the colony in Penang, first plotted a horse track from the Penang Botanic Gardens waterfall up to the top of the hill in 1788. He cleared an area in order to grow strawberry, and it therefore became known as Strawberry Hill. Its official name however was Flagstaff Hill, which is still reflected in its name in Malay, Bukit Bendera (literally "Flag Hill"). The name was a reference to the flagstaff outside "Bel Retiro", which was the residence of the Governor of Penang built by Francis Light c. 1789. The area is however widely known as Penang Hill which is in fact a collective term covering a number of hills, and the other names such as Flagstaff Hill, Strawberry Hill are still used for specific peaks in the area. The hill became a cool retreat for the British colonists from the heat of the lowlands and threat of malaria, and many bungalows were built on the summit of Penang Hill for government servants and army. A Convalescent Bungalow was built in 1803.

One of the earliest buildings was built by David Brown on Strawberry Hill which was given to Brown by Francis Light. The house however burnt down and then rebuilt in the 19th century, and it is currently used as a restaurant. The post office was first opened in 1894, and a hotel, the Crag Hotel, was established in 1895 (closed since World War II). The first police station was built in 1929, and the building is still standing here on the same site.

In the early days the only way to the top of hill was to travel on foot or horseback, or be carried on a dooly (sedan chair). The first attempt at a mountain railway on Penang Hill began in 1897 but it proved unsuccessful; it was built between 1901 and 1905 but had technical faults. The Straits government then organized a new project to construct the Penang Hill Funicular Railway at a cost of 1.5 million Straits dollars. The railway was first opened to the public on 21 October 1923 and officially opened on 1 January 1924. The funicular railway led to a sharp increase in residential development as it become a location for the building of holiday villas and bungalows by Europeans and wealthy local Chinese towkays alike. It also led to its development into a major tourist destination in Penang. A major revamp was initiated in 2010, with the overhaul of the railway that allows for faster access to the hill, as well as construction of facilities for visitors, walkways and viewing decks. It receives well over a million visitors a year by 2012.