Ayer Itam
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2015) |
Air Itam
亚依淡 | |
|---|---|
Suburb | |
| Country | Malaysia |
| State | Penang |
| District | North-East Penang Island |
| Government | |
| • Local government | Penang Island City Council (MBPP) |
| • Member of Parliament (Bukit Bendera) | Zairil Khir Johari (DAP) |
| • State assemblyman | Wong Hon Wai (DAP) |
| • Penang Island City Mayor | Dato' Patahiyah binti Ismail |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (Malaysian Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | Not observed |
| Postal code | 11500 |
Air Itam (sometimes also written as Ayer Itam) (Chinese: 亚依淡, Penang Hokkien: ai tam) (Malay for black water) is a suburb of George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
Geography
Located in the valley between Bukit Batu Lanchang (Batu Lanchang Hill), Bukit Penara and Bukit Bendera (Penang Hill), this suburb of George Town is connected to the city by two main roads, i.e. Jalan Air Itam and Lorong Batu Lanchang. It is also connected to Paya Terubong and the south of the island via Jalan Paya Terubong. The town covers a broad area that incorporates Farlim, Thean Teik Estate, Rifle Range, Kampung Bahru, Kampung Melayu, Hill Railway Road, Hye Keat Estate, extending as far east as the junction with York Road.[1]
History
Captain Francis Light had established agriculture on the island which was based on growing pepper. Pepper was first cultivated in Air Itam valley. Today, flowers, fruits and vegetables are still grown on the surrounding hills. Nutmeg is a popular fruit found in this part of Penang Island.
A wealthy monk by the name of Fa Kong, which means "Empty Dharma", had built a zoo here . He was said to be a practitioner of Zen Buddhism. The Penang Zoological Gardens, which was open in the 1920s, houses different kinds of animals and was the earliest zoo in the country. It was closed down in the 1940s due to excessive high maintenance. It was located in a plot of land which today is known as Jalan Zoo (Zoo Road).[2]
On February 3, 1935, a gust of wind scattered burning incense papers, and resulted in a fire that destroyed more than 100 wooden house and attap houses. Only two buildings remained standing afterwards. This incident was known as the Great Air Itam Fire.[3]
Eastern Garden Amusement Park which has a large public swimming pool was established in the 1950s used to be located there. It was forced to close down when it became unpopular after several incidents of drowning.[4]
Kek Lok Si
The Kek Lok Si Temple is said to be the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia.[5] The temple is arguably one of the most popular attractions in Penang, attracting visitors with its views across most of Ayer Itam towards Georgetown, in addition to the impressive pagodas and architecture of the site. The Temple complex was built between 1890 to 1930, with new additions consistently being added to the present.[6]
References
- ^ "Air Itam Village, Penang".
- ^ "Penang Free School has a long history with St. Xavier's Institution".
- ^ "Roaring times in old Air Itam".
- ^ "Roaring times in old Air Itam".
- ^ "Buddhism in Malaysia | Nalanda Buddhist Society". www.nalanda.org.my. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
- ^ "Kek Lok Si Temple » About". kekloksitemple.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
External links
Air Itam travel guide from Wikivoyage
Capital: George Town | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Topics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Society | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Administrative divisions |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
_Logo.png){kind=logo}
