The joint inscription of the Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca, Melaka and George Town, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 7 July 2008 was a momentous occasion. The inscription was based on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of cultural diversity embodied and embedded in living heritage and built heritage.
The Historic City of George Town, as nominated by the Malaysian Government for World Heritage Listing, covers a 109.38 hectare site on the north-east of Penang Island. This is what is regarded as the core zone.
Surrounding the core zone is a 150.04-hectare band not including sea buffer called the buffer zone bounded by a stretch of sea area around the harbour, Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong and Gat Jalan Prangin to the south-west corner and Jalan Transfer to the north-west corner.
The UNESCO Buffer Zone in Penang is a protected area surrounding the George Town World Heritage Site. It is designed to protect the area from the adverse effects of urban development and to preserve the cultural and architectural heritage of the area.
Campbell Street in Penang refers to the Buffer Zone where it is an area in the city that has been designated as a safe place for members of the public to walk, run, and cycle.
Come and take a look at this Iron Caricature cartoon located at Campbell Street, designed by Sculptureatwork (M) Sdn Bhd. Their incredible work of art had won the competition in 2009, where our local authorities asked artists to pitch ideas on how the city could be decorated. This fun eye-catching sculpture stands proudly amongst the many other sculptures around George Town, and is sure to take your breath away.
