85. Chew Jetty

The first stop of the heritage tour was at Chew Jetty. Our trishaws parked nearby and we entered through.

History
Chew Jetty, or Seh Chew Keo, began in the middle of the 19th Century and is the largest of the waterfront settlements in George Town. The clan jetties have a small shrine to pay homage to the sea deities and Chew Jetty is the only clan jetty left that continues to observe the once a year annual worship of its Temple Deity and the Jade Emperor (Thnee Kong, or "god of the skies")

Sets of wooden piers make up the clan jetties and are home to the clans who migrated from China. Originally there were eight clans - the Chews, Koays, Lees, Lims, Peng Auns, Tans, Yeohs, and one mixed jetty.
Of these clan jetties the Chew Jetty is the most famous. The families here are the descendants from Xin Lin She village, Tong Aun District, Quan Zhou Prefecture of Fujian Province.

Above: Chew Jetty cafe along the main road of Weld Quay
The entrance to Chew Jetty's entrance is exactly in-between Chew Jetty Cafe and Chew Boon Sai Coffee Shop at Armenian Street Ghaut.

Above: Chinese altar
This farily large altar was at the beginning of the jetty and as you can see, the time was 10 past 3 in the afternoon.

Above: Along the walkway
The walkway of Chew Jetty is made from wooden planks over water. There is an assortment of fishing gear, bikes, plants, chairs, tables and Chinese lanterns. The homes are built on stilts along the wooden pier that extend to the sea or Penang Channel. The doors are kept open to catch any breeze.

Above: Lady sleeping
The elevated fronts indicate private areas. Two ladies were sleeping on their verandahs. It was a real eye-opener walking here - whole communities live, sleep and work on the jetty. These are their homes. People have lived in the same house for generations.

Above: Fishing boats docked at the jetty
Fishing is one of the major souces of income in the community.

Above: Boats in the harbour
There were numerous boats at the end of the jetty where it goes out to sea. You can see the harbour in the distance. In the top left photo you can see Penang Bridge in the distance. Top right shows the shoreline and the Langkawi ferry. Lower middle shot is of a fisherman.

I enjoyed spending time here and learning the fascinating history and how people lived and spent their lives.