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Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

Penang, Malaysia

A grand mansion conceived and constructed by a "Grand Man"; an eminent edifice which history calls Home; a peerless representation of the Paradigm Chinese Courtyard House – the Cheong Fatt Tze "Blue" Mansion has been perfectly poised for over a century on firm foundations of architectural, cultural and historic superlatives.

Essentially an 'heirloom with rooms', today, the mansion charms its visitors with exclusive heritage homestays, guided tours and tailored functions on its premises. Reputedly the favourite home of the "Last Mandarin and First Capitalist of China", the mansion is undoubtedly the favourite home of George Town, Penang.

Built in the 1880s, this famous indigo-blue Chinese Courtyard House was the residence of Cheong Fatt Tze, a prominent Chinese figure in the newly established Penang Straits Settlement during the 19th century. The mansion was built by master craftsmen brought in especially from China, who used their skills to fashion the mansion's 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows.

The Cheong Fatt Tze mansion possesses splendid Chinese timber carvings, Gothic louvre windows, russet brick walls and porcelain cut & paste decorative shard works, art nouveau stained glass panels, Stoke-on-Trent floor tiles and Scottish cast iron work. Its layout is based on feng-shui principles, and filled with rare a collection of sculptures, carvings, tapestries and other antiques.

In 2000, the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion received the inaugural UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Conservation Award, selected as the 'Most Excellent Project' in the Asia Pacific Rim following its RM7.6 million restoration works.

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