Protestant Cemetery image

Protestant Cemetery

Tourist attraction Cemetery

👍 Worth a visit if you're interested in British Colonial history as most of the graves relate to British colonists who died in the 19th Century. It's a real slice of history and a place of peace and tranquility. Always moving to read some of the epitaphs writing for loved ones lost. You will find the... People often mention cemetery, Penang, grave, Francis, Light, people, died, graves, interesting, young,


Address

Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Rating on Google Maps

4.40 (66 reviews)

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Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: cemetery (18) Penang (11) grave (10) Francis (10) Light (9) people (9) died (8) graves (7) interesting (7) young (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 4/5 Miles M. 4 years ago on Google • 1301 reviews
    Worth a visit if you're interested in British Colonial history as most of the graves relate to British colonists who died in the 19th Century. It's a real slice of history and a place of peace and tranquility. Always moving to read some of the epitaphs writing for loved ones lost. You will find the grave if Captain Francis Light here, the Founder of the British Colony.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Javier K. 3 months ago on Google • 1856 reviews New
    Small and peaceful historic cemetery. Very green.

  • 3/5 Ayush B. 7 years ago on Google
    A quiet place, not many visitors here. Made for an interesting stroll through this place, reading the headstones. Some of those resting here passed away very young.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jesse T. 5 years ago on Google
    Our favorite head was of a white man who was supposedly murdered by a "band of Asian robbers". Colonialism at its finest.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Isaac 1 year ago on Google • 309 reviews
    It’s a beautiful cemetery with rich heritage. Most locals aren’t even aware of this site, pls conserve it for future generations. Landscape is well maintained!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 KW L. 6 years ago on Google
    Very atmospheric. A piece of history of Penang. I have visited quite a few historic cemeteries, this is my favourite so far. the cemetery is brighter now after a recent spruce up.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Helen D. 7 years ago on Google
    Tranquil and thought provoking corner of the city; well worth an hour or so on a hot afternoon. Enjoy the scent of the frangipanes as you wander through the headstones and ponder island life before air con and insect repellent. Many of Penang's founding fathers rest here, including Captain Francis Light. Highly recommended but avoid late afternoon - lots of mozzies!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Linda M. 1 year ago on Google • 30 reviews
    Nice original cemetery of Penang. Interesting reading the headstones on this cool space amongst the trees. Famous people of the island buried here. Not all of them are Westerners. So many of them died so young in teens 20s and 30s. Some made it to their 80s. An amazing feat for the time.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 maans le r. 8 years ago on Google
    I loved walking through it. A lot of history there. Shocking to see how young people died. Also found a grave were they still referred to unmarried older woman as a spinster.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Fern G. 1 year ago on Google • 301 reviews
    A fascinating piece of history and a special sight to see. Just be aware that it is a bit overgrown and I saw a snake, putting an end to my exploring of the cemetery! It could use some upkeep, especially since it's such an important historic site
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Classiarii 5 years ago on Google
    Here you can see the last resting place for many of the people who helped create the great place of Penang, including the great man Sir Francis Light himself who come up with the idea of firing cannons full of gold coins into the impassable jungle to get people to cut it down to find the coins
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Boon Seng Y. 1 year ago on Google
    This should be a to-go spot for sociological and historical enthusiasts. It is a conglomeration of the pioneer colonial members in the island of Penang. The diverse group of permanent residents in this cemetery is an interesting evidence of the cosmopolitanism of Penang. You can complement your trip with the expensive 2-volume book by Marcus Langdon (available in bookstore around the town). You could develop better understanding after dwelling into the bibliography & historiography former Penang. Apart from Francis Light, the Scottish journalist JR Logan also caught my attention. Founders of heritage school in the island rest here too.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Philip S. 5 years ago on Google
    Very interesting visit. We decided to come because all the museums were closed due to CNY. Worth a visit. Sad to see that so many people buried here were so young when they died.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 David B. 4 years ago on Google
    Nice place with a very special atmosphere. You can read the story of some people on the graves and can even find the grave of Francis Light, the first settler on Penang.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Liam K. 4 years ago on Google
    nice little cemetery only marred by the loud highway and dead imperialists. doors were locked without any notice when I went, but there are a number of easy spots to step over the wall, and no disturbance once inside
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 κεηηγsκ 5 years ago on Google
    Here contains, among others, the tomb of Captain Francis Light, who founded colonial Penang in 1786 and died from malaria at 54, in 1794.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Paddy O. 2 weeks ago on Google • 427 reviews New
    Fascinating to walk around this cemetery of mainly British people with smattering of German or Dutch as well as Irish (Westmeath) burials. When I visited there were flowers left at a grave by a great great grandson of someone who died in the late 19th century. One gate is locked but another is open as well as a hole in one of the walls.

  • 5/5 chu x. 3 months ago on Google • 222 reviews New
    The burial of many europeans from the 1800s, including important political figures. Beware of mosquitoes! Oh my god I had like 9 bites in 30 minutes its crazy. Many of them are young wives and their infant children! Makes you wonder what happened. The cemetery is laid out as if people wanted to pack in as many graves as possible in the middle, then they realised there were way too much space and started placing them randomly around the whole place. Crowded in the center and fun to read all the headstones!

  • 5/5 Cao The Vinh �. 8 months ago on Google • 214 reviews
    Wonderful historical place

  • 5/5 Ariel J. 3 months ago on Google • 137 reviews New
    Roman Catholic cemetery where many of the early colonial settlers of Penang are buried. In hindsight, it is an odd place to go for a vacation but graveyards are high key fun to explore. There’s just something charming about reading gravestones and gleaning what you can from the inscriptions about their lives. There are a couple of interesting graves and engraved scriptures to look at, particularly those who died young. The graves of young mothers buried with their infants also ignite a sobering, sombre air. Occasionally we’d catch an old woman who lived beyond 60. Do note, while you’re traversing through the graves that there are TONS of mosquitoes around, so take repellent with you. And look out for the cool wildlife there.

  • 5/5 Rashid R. 5 months ago on Google • 68 reviews
    The most interesting and historical place I have been. Francis Light burial is here too. The place is well kept.

  • 5/5 Nicholas C. 3 months ago on Google • 57 reviews New
    Interesting to see that almost all of the crosses ✝️ have been destroyed. It would be interesting to know who by and when 🤔

  • 5/5 Никита �. 3 months ago on Google • 43 reviews New
    Atmospheric place. We were nearby, stopped by, and it was interesting to take a look.

  • 1/5 Agathe A. 1 month ago on Google • 38 reviews New
    Not maintained at all unfortunately 😭 make an effort!

  • 5/5 Hikmi D. 4 years ago on Google
    It's cold at night. The best place in the world to meet Count Dracula and his friends.

  • 5/5 Tú Nguyễn A. 5 years ago on Google
    A peaceful place in the centre of GeogreTown!

  • 5/5 Minh Khai D. 5 years ago on Google
    A peaceful place! So good maintained cemetery in the city. Superisingly a grave of a german is to see here.

  • 5/5 Olya A. 3 years ago on Google
    atmospheric place

  • 5/5 Charis L. 4 years ago on Google
    Lovely, quiet cemetery next to the core heritage zone of George Town. You can walk in and wander among the tombstones and mausoleums. Despite its proximity to a main road, the cemetery has a sense of stillness and calm, no doubt thanks to the many trees that provide shade in the grounds. You'll find markers for graves of Foochow migrants, European merchants, administrators, children, soldiers, and more. See if you can locate Francis Light's grave!

  • 2/5 Angeles D. 9 months ago on Google
    This cemetery must be restored! Having here the only brave heroes of Malaysia who made penang development and Malaysia unity and advanced civilization. Penang use money for people who invented you forever

  • 5/5 Mikhail K. 1 year ago on Google
    Best preserved cemetery at SEA region

  • 4/5 Steve Chin (. 10 months ago on Google
    This cemetery has been there for almost 200 years now. Captain Francis Light was buried with an ordinary grave and the existing grave was reconstructed and built after one hundred years after. There is another popular figure where Thomas Leonowens husband of Anna Leonowens who left Penang as this sorrow island to Siam and take a job as teacher to the children of the Siamese King Mongkut. The Eastern Hotel was founded by the Sarkies Brothers in 1884. Within one year, the hotel had prospered and surged in popularity such that the brothers established another hotel, the Oriental Hotel, in 1885, leading to a merger of both hotels into the Eastern & Oriental Hotel in 1889. The Sarkies Brothers grave was there too.

  • 4/5 HH L. 2 years ago on Google
    A nice place with many historical figures of the Straits Settlements being buried here. Some tombstones and memorials are crumbling with age, but otherwise the majority are very well preserved. There is a map of who's who at the entrance. Notable figures include Francis Light, Rev Hutchings, James Richardson Logan and also Thomas Leonowens, the husband of Anna Leonowens.

  • 4/5 Derek W. 4 years ago on Google
    Very old cemetery some great history

  • 5/5 Captain H. 1 year ago on Google
    Native Britons can visit their dead here and the many living mosquitoes.

  • 5/5 Gregory K. 4 years ago on Google
    A wall separates the Protestants from the Papists. I've seen grave robbery in progress. Most if not all above ground crypts have been robbed and since restored. Great repository of culture. First colonists died in droves.

  • 4/5 Henry W. 5 years ago on Google
    Beautiful historic cemetery with gorgeous trees - worth a visit.


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