Originally known as Penang Fort, Penang’s War Museum is not just for war history buffs—anyone who appreciates atmospheric historical sites may find themselves spending more time here than planned.
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Atop Bukit Batu Maung at the southern tip of Pulau Penang, the privately run museum is far from a dry brick and mortar display of artefacts in glass cases, but a former British bastion built in the 1930s and later occupied by the Japanese and utilised as a POW camp during WWII. For decades the sprawling eight hectare complex was largely forgotten, reclaimed by jungle and local tales of ghosts kept folks away until it was cleared to reveal a network of tunnels, bunkers and barracks that visitors can now explore.
Plenty of exhibits. Photo: Sally Arnold
After twisting your way up the serpentine road to the top of the hill and paying your entrance fee, you are left to investigate the area following a series of arrowed paths. A map with numbered relics (although the numbers are in a nonsensical order for exploration) and signage with short explanations in English offers some insight into what you are seeing and the quiet shady grounds provides a respectful ambience to a gloomy history.
You are able to enter underground bunkers and crawl through the tunnels (“7 metres crawl, 9 metres climb” one sign warned) although we deemed them too narrow after indulging on Penang’s gastronomic delights. On the headland, gun firing bays and ammunition stores are interesting to investigate, and further along the path an observation tower offers views of the strait.
Creepy in places. Photo: Sally Arnold
We found the barracks that had previously housed British, Indian and Malay ranks and later commandeered as torture chambers by the Japanese the most moving. Be warned some of the displays are very graphic with shades of S21 in Cambodia showing violent photographs and torture equipment and another informs of the plight of “comfort woman”—local ... Travelfish members only (Around 500 more words) ... please log in to read the rest of this story.
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By
Sally Arnold.
Last updated on 27th September, 2017.
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How to get there
Rapid Penang buses 302 and 307 (4 ringgit) leave from the Jetty and Komtar to Batu Maung and takes around 1.5 hours, but it’s a steep 20 minute uphill trek to the War Museum. A Grab car from Georgetown to the museum is 20—30 ringgit and takes around 30 minutes.
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