CHEONG Fatt Tze Mansion’s recent recognition as one of the world’s top 10 greatest mansions and grand houses by popular travel guide Lonely Planet should spur others to invest in conservation.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng hoped others would be as passionate in restoring heritage buildings so that they too would receive similar international accolades in future.
“We are very proud of this recognition because it proves that this heritage attraction is world-class.
“The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion has made Penang and Malaysia proud — it is an unparalleled honour that recognises what the people of George Town have done.
Old charm: Visitors touring the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion at Lebuh Leith “I hope this will be the start of others following suit,” he when presenting the Lonely Planet certificate and a financial contribution to the mansion owners on Friday.
The grand dwelling, often dubbed the Blue Mansion due to its vivid colour, is one of only two buildings in Asia to make the list. The other is the Marble Palace mansion in Kolkata, India.
This latest accreditation follows several other prestigious awards already given to the mansion, including a Unesco ‘Most Excellent’ Heritage Conservation Award in 2000, an Asean Tourism Association Excellence Award for Best Asean Cultural Preservation Effort in 2004 and the Malay-sian National Architectural Award For Conservation in 1995.
The mansion was built in the late 19th-century by Cheong Fatt Tze, a self-made wealthy Chinese merchant.
It was bought and restored by heri- tage proponents Laurence Loh and his wife Loh-Lim Lin Lee in the late 1980s to 1990s.
In his speech, Loh said the mansion was a legacy for the generations to come.
“We thank those who have supported us even before people believed in conservation.
“When we embarked on restoring Cheong Fatt Tze, it was to set the benchmark for the government, public and private sectors in preserving our heritage,” he said.
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