Chinese immigrants who could not afford land in Penang built houses over the sea instead, organised by surname, and their descendants still live there.
About Clan Jetties of Penang
The clan jetties developed in the 19th century as Chinese immigrants, organised by surname associations, built stilt houses over the harbour. They functioned as self-contained communities with their own temples and social structures. The jetties are included in the George Town UNESCO World Heritage listing and are among the last surviving examples of this settlement type.
What Clan Jetties of Penang is
The Clan Jetties are a group of waterfront settlements in George Town, Penang, where 19th-century Chinese immigrant communities built wooden houses on stilts over the harbour. Each jetty is associated with a specific Chinese clan, and several remain inhabited today, making them one of the last surviving examples of clan-based waterfront living in Southeast Asia.
“The Clan Jetties are a group of waterfront settlements in George Town, Penang, where 19th-century Chinese immigrant communities built wooden houses on stilts over the harbour.”
Clan Jetties of Penang, Malaysia
Houses Over Water, Organised by Surname
In the 19th century, Chinese immigrants arriving in Penang settled in groups organised by clan, or surname association. Those who could not afford land built wooden houses on stilts over the water at the edge of the harbour, creating narrow plankway communities that extended out from the shore. Each jetty belongs to a single clan: the Chew Jetty, the Tan Jetty, the Lee Jetty and several others. The plank walkways function as streets, with houses on both sides, small temples at the end and fishing boats tied below. The Chew Jetty is the largest and most visited, with about 75 houses, but the smaller jetties are quieter and feel more like genuine neighbourhoods. Residents continue to live, fish and maintain their clan temples here. The jetties are part of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage zone and represent a form of urban settlement that existed across the Straits of Malacca but has largely disappeared elsewhere.
The Experience
You step onto the wooden plankway and immediately the city noise fades. The houses are simple timber structures on stilts, with laundry strung between them and incense burning at small shrine alcoves. Fishing nets dry on railings and cats sleep on the warm boards. The Chew Jetty has tourist stalls at the entrance, but walking further out you pass family homes and reach the clan temple at the end, where the planks end and the harbour begins.
Why It Matters
The Clan Jetties are among the last surviving examples of clan-based waterfront communities in Southeast Asia. They represent a social and architectural form that was once common across the Straits of Malacca Chinese trading world.
Why Visit
One of Southeast Asia's last clan-based waterfront settlements: wooden houses on harbour stilts, organised by Chinese surname, with clan temples at the water's edge.
Insider Tips
- 1
Walk past the tourist stalls to the quieter far end of the jetties.
- 2
Visit a smaller jetty (Tan or Lee) for a less commercial experience.
- 3
Be respectful; residents live in these houses.
- 4
Combine with the rest of George Town's UNESCO heritage zone.
