Fort Cornwallis — Attraction in George Town

Fort Cornwallis is the oldest standing fort in Malaysia and a member of the UNESCO World Heritage attraction for the city of George Town, Penang. There is relatively little to see within the fort but it represents an important link to Penang's colonial past and history. Unfortunately, entry fee is quite high compared to other sightseeing attractions in and around George Town.

Historically, Fort Cornwallis was built by Captain Sir Francis Light in 1786 after taking over possession of Penang from Sultan of Kedah, the fort is named after 18th Century Government of Bengal, India, Charles Cornwallis. Fort Cornwallis never saw battle and seems to have serves as much a centre of colonial administration as it was as it did a military function.

Today, you can walk the upper parameters of the fort, see its ammunition storage, old cannons, statue of Captain Sir Francis Light, a lighthouse area, small prison, gallery section and some open grass. The most interesting thing to see is the Dutch canon called Seri Rambai (1603), which faces the harbour. You can comfortably see everything in 15-20 minutes.

Overall, Fort Cornwallis felt too expensive to us. With relatively little to see within its walls, making the value for money of the attraction rather poor compared to most historical sightseeing around Georgetown. If you are traveling on a tight budget, you'll want to give this one a pass. Otherwise, if you don’t mind the high spend and enjoy seeing colonial era forts, then go on and have...

For people love about the historical place it is a great place for you. Entrance by ticket. But remember this historical please still on restoration phase. Will take some time to fully explore this area.

Facts:

Fort Cornwallis is listed as a national heritage site under the Malaysian National Heritage Act of 2005. The Fort is notable for being structures built in Penang. The Fort stands on the same spot where the English East Indian Company (EIC) set up a trading post in 1786. The Fort's wall, roughly 10 feet high, are laid out in a star shaped formation. While Fort Cornwallis was built as a military installation, it was never involved in conflict. It once housed the Supreme Court of Penang in 1808 and was reputedly a base for the Sikh and European police force after that. The largest and most well known cannon is the Seri Rambai , a 17th- century Dutch artillery weapon that was originally presented to the Sultan of Johor. According to old folktales, ' Seri Rambai ' is the largest bronze cannon in Malaysia and is believed to possess magical powers. It is said the women place flowers in the cannon barrel to wish for children. Twin cannons, which are believed to be at least 200 years old, were discovered during the excavation of the Fort's moat and outer defensive structures in 2018. The excavation work was part of an effort to reinstate the historical moat, that was backfilled in 1922, dramatically altering the landscape of the side.

Credit article facts...

Being one of the most popular attractions in Penang, Fort Cornwallis is the largest standing fort in Malaysia. Set close to the Esplanade and Penang Clocktower, the star-shaped bastion is one of the oldest structures in Penang. Named after Marquis Charles Cornwallis, only a set of ten-foot high outer walls remain, with an enclosed park within.

Situated on Penang’s north-eastern coast, a stroll along the privately-managed Fort Cornwallis’ perimeters will take you about 10 minutes. It is a surreal experience to hear the 1812 Overture playing over the speaker system while a Malaysian man dressed in full British regalia stands at the gate. Inside the fort is a variety of vaguely-informative exhibits.

Built in 1786, Fort Cornwallis was intended as a defensive structure against pirates, Kedah forces and even the French during the Napoleonic Wars. However although it was initially built for the Royal artillery troops and the military, it served an administrative function rather than an actively defensive one.

Spanning 4490sqft it was built as a stockade with no permanent structures. The fort stands on the site where Captain Francis Light first set foot in 1786 on the then virtually-uninhabited Penang and took possession of the island from the Sultan of Kedah. He then established a free port to lure trade from Britain’s...