Penang may not be known to many friends, but in fact, this place is still very interesting. For those who are lucky enough to come here to play, this small series will tell you what interesting attractions there are. What are the interesting attractions in Penang?
It takes one and a half minutes to drive from Ipoh and cross the majestic Penang Bridge in Malacca, and then you arrive at Penang, a seaside city named after betel nut.
When you enter the city, there are trees along the way. Under the straight coconut trees, there are patches of green grass. The houses on the street are red and yellow. Most of the buildings in the city center are two or three stories high. In the open distance, there are many high-rise buildings that have been built and are to be built. It can be seen that the development of Penang is changing with each passing day. As the sun sets, birds flock back to their nests, leaving a silhouette. Penang has put away the noise of the day and gradually becomes quiet. Occasionally, there are several stadiums where children are playing football happily, all in the open street, and the sounds of chasing and greeting come and go, prolonging the momentum of the day. When I first arrived in Penang, I kept looking at her like a curious child, trying to integrate into her arms as soon as possible.
I'm here to visit some local friends of sound therapists, and I'm received by Mr. Fu, President of SW Sound Therapy Malaysia. General Fu, who is in his early fifties, is honest and simple, and speaks slowly, showing the unique traditional heritage of Chinese in Southeast Asia. In the evening, I invited the sound therapists in Penang to have dinner at a Hakka restaurant next to a swimming union. Penang Swimming Union is full of all kinds of trophies won by the players. The conditions of the swimming pool are very general, but many excellent players have been trained. Next to the swimming lane is the open-air old Hakka restaurant, with several round tables lined up in turn. The first time I tasted Hakka dishes, I only vaguely remembered that they were all home-cooked dishes, and two of them were impressive: stuffed tofu and braised pork. The bean curd is smooth and delicious, and it melts in the mouth. The legend of Hakka bean curd originated from the habit of wrapping jiaozi in the Central Plains, and came up with a way to eat bean curd because it moved to Lingnan without Michael wrapping jiaozi. Braised pork is slightly salty and very biting. It is said that it is made from the meat of eight parts of pigs, which is the most "essence". It is accompanied by some green vegetables and pickled Chinese sauerkraut, which is rich in nutrition. I can't remember the others clearly. It seems that the local bean sprouts are much shorter than those in Chinese mainland, and the taste of fried rice noodles is a little sweet, fresh and crisp. During the dinner, the sound therapists asked many professional questions, and they were meticulous in getting to the bottom of it. Without careful preparation, they would really be stumped.
Chinese in Penang account for almost half of the population. Since Zheng He's voyage to the Western Ocean in the Ming Dynasty, Hakkas from Chaoshan and other places have moved here. With the unique diligence and wisdom of Chinese people, they quickly spread their branches and took root in the local area. Chinese is everywhere in the streets and alleys, both traditional and simplified, just like being in a city in China. In the morning, we came to an open-air stall, and the scene was spectacular. In the open space surrounded by several high-rise buildings, there are many round tables and low stools, and hundreds of people have breakfast in a sparse way, some chatting loudly, some burying their heads in bitter food, and the ground is a mess. Xiao er kept shuttling among them, picking up leftovers and ordering food. He was very busy. We ordered several portions of bean sprouts and rice noodles, accompanied by sugary black tea. When in Rome, do as the Romans do and eat with relish.
Georgetown in Penang is a world intangible cultural heritage protection zone, which is close to the Straits of Malacca. We came to a seaside fishing village named "Zhouqiao". At noon, I had dinner in a Hunan restaurant. The boss immigrated from Changsha, Hunan, China because he married a Malaysian wife. The shop was covered with tourist posters from Hunan, and it could be seen that "relatives and friends in Luoyang are like asking each other
a piece of ice is in the jade pot". As the name implies, "Zhou Qiao" is a village composed of people surnamed Zhou. In those days, expatriates came to foreign countries from the mainland of China, and life was very difficult. Only by holding a group can they survive and develop better, so many villages named after their surnames spontaneously formed in this land. At that time, there was no place to stay on the land, so the villagers had to build simple scaffolding at sea, which has continued to this day. There is a strong Taoist culture in the village, and there is a large Laojun Hall, which is dedicated to the statue of Taishang Laojun. Every household will dedicate a small statue of Laojun to protect the safety of fishermen. The archway across three arches is a small bridge less than five meters long, which is the famous "surname Zhou Qiao". After crossing the bridge, there are dozens of families' hanging houses on the left and right sides. The houses are simple and simple, and they are all low-rise houses with ancient wood structures. They look narrow and narrow. The road is paved with strips of wood, and there is seawater under the gap, which is self-sufficient. Every household sells local small objects, including betel nuts and coconut trees. There are celadon bowls and lamps in Haida, so it may be that the boatman has to prepare more meals when he goes out to sea to eat too much. There are all kinds of pendants, key chains, combs and other daily necessities; There are coconut juice, Sugar-Coated Berry, asparagus sugar, etc. The local durian ice cream is the most popular. It smells a little smelly, but it tastes fragrant, melts in the mouth and has a long aftertaste.
Red lanterns are hung on both sides of the village, and people are always happy until the Spring Festival Lantern Festival. We were also infected, and the atmosphere became lively. Although we met the music therapists in Penang soon, we started a hot chat with each other, and the laughter was endless. Coming to the deck at the head of the village, what a blue sea! You can have a panoramic view: the water is as clear as sapphire, reflecting the white clouds in the sky, like a freehand painting, and like a rippling satin. I want to hold her in my arms, but it is so vast that I have to open my arms and let my thoughts fly. In the middle of the sea, a 1,-ton oil tanker passed by, which was as high as several floors, like a palace at sea. The tall buildings opposite are indifferent and towering, but somewhat unreal, more like a mirage. There is a breeze in the air, my skin is numb, not salty, a little sweet, my body is light, and I have the urge to shout loudly. How can we live up to such a beautiful scene? We took a picture of Zhang Zhang Zhengui, either like a bird, like a diving fish, or like a goddess of mercy with a thousand hands.
President Fu strongly recommended three local specialty snacks: Lesha, fried strips and Niangjia dishes. In the morning, I came to a trade market called "PASAR". The road is not wide, the front is a stretch of peaks, the sun is still shining, and there are all kinds of small commodities and restaurants on both sides of the road. I found a roadside stall and called Lesha, which is a local characteristic spot. Grind the fish skin into powder as fine as gravel, sprinkle with onions, garlic cloves and spicy powder, and you can eat it in large pieces. I took a bite, but there was a fishy smell going straight to my nose and eyes, and I almost shed tears. It seems that it takes time to get used to it. After barely eating, we drove to a food stall not far from the sound therapy workshop to eat "fried _ strips" In fact, it was eggs and bean sprouts added to Xihe powder, but what impressed me was the chef and his grandmother. The chef is young but long-experienced, so that at first we all regarded him as the son of the grandmother, and we didn't know it was the grandparents until we asked him. This shop has been handed down by an old woman for more than forty years. It is said that the old man is the most authentic in Penang. Seeing her weather-beaten face, I feel respect. Sun Tzu is cooking, and there is a big pot on the mobile dining car, burning firewood, pouring oil, putting vermicelli, breaking eggs and sprinkling bean sprouts. Everything is so skillful that it is freshly baked in less than three minutes. What surprised me was not his cooking skills, but the back of his spoon: years of hard work and hot oil severely deformed that hand, and the protruding bony process was like a hill with countless spots on it, but it did not affect its function at all. I can't help feeling again, and I am in awe of this dish of "fried _ strips". As for Nyonya cuisine, I won't go into details. You can ask Du Nian, just to popularize it: Nyonya is the name of the offspring of Chinese and Malays, and Nyonya cuisine also combines the characteristics of Chaoshan Hakka cuisine and Malay local cuisine.
On the morning of the third day, Ms. Lai, the local music therapist and the first president of Penang, volunteered to take us to the famous Durian Mountain. When you come to Malaysia, not eating durian is equivalent to not visiting here. Ms. Lai is a native of Penang. She introduces the local customs and customs. Along the winding road up the mountain, the scenery along the way is excellent: along the way, there are tall and straight coconut trees, lush durian trees (English name "durian") and fruit trees unique to Southeast Asia, such as rambutan, Campoli and pod trees. Large tracts of virgin forest are endless, and the sun passes over the treetops like a golden coat, as if it were an Italian Renaissance oil painting; All kinds of birds jump in the forest, twittering and chirping, as if they were hospitable boys; In the distance, you can see the boundless sea, like a pearl at the foot of a mountain, and a boat like a bun on the head of a girl with bright eyes. Those islands are the girl's tall and straight breasts and intoxicated the world. Along the way, Ms. Lai asked us to identify all kinds of fruit trees and told us about her childhood climbing experiences, which made us quickly integrate into this mountain. When it comes to the difference between coconut trees and durian trees, it is not in appearance, but in spirituality: when coconut is ripe, it often falls and hits people, but durian trees have unique spirituality. When people pass under durian trees, durian never falls and hits people, and only when people are away will it quietly return to the embrace of the earth. And in case the durian tree hits someone, it will definitely die of guilt! I am amazed at her supernatural, and everything in the world is one. I think the durian tree must be a fairy in the sky. Her gentleness, forbearance and understanding are incomparable to other trees.
The top of durian mountain is like the Garden of Eden on earth: the fruit trees are everywhere, the blue sky is within reach, and the clouds maintain the past, present and future, and they are rushing in a hurry; The sea under her feet is bigger. She nurtures Penang people and grows from a girl to a mother. We are like greedy children, looking at all this curiously. There are too many fruit trees that can't be called out, and the fragrance is fragrant. The air seems to be washed by a beautiful girl, refreshing, like a fairyland on earth, and we have also become "fallen immortals". There is a manor on the top of the mountain called "Baosheng Mountain Villa", which is where durian is eaten. As soon as I reached the manor, I saw a huge net rope. I asked Ms. Lai to know that it was because I was afraid that durian would be damaged after falling to the ground, so I used a net bag to protect it. There are seven or eight tables in Baosheng Mountain Villa, which is famous for its small place. The owner of the villa is being interviewed by TV, and the TV screen in the manor keeps rolling and playing the video of the previous interview of the owner. The owner of the manor is about 5 years old, with a strong figure and a flat-headed old man's shirt. He is very simple and unpretentious. He smiles at everyone, but once he talks about durian, he is like a faucet that opens the floodgates, and his joy and hobbies are beyond words. I can't wait to order three best durians in season: Kunbao, Red Shrimp and Green Peel. The owner's son broke the skin, like a cobblestone durian, it was so bright, so soft and generous. Just take a bite, and the taste will go straight to the bottom of my heart, smooth and sweet. At first, the sour smell will turn into fragrance and sweetness. You need to close your eyes, take a long breath, and slowly stir your tongue, from the tip of your tongue to the base of your tongue, and then send it to your throat, and stay for a few seconds to swallow it. It's not eating durian, but more like kissing a fairy named durian and exchanging breath with each other. She brings the aura, essence and grace between heaven and earth. Peel off the first layer, and there is durian meat in the lower layer of the shell. At this time, she is like the girl next door who is playing hide-and-seek with you. She is naughty and innocent, and goes down without thinking, and her soul is already on cloud nine. Eating durian is like falling in love. Some people will fall in love at first sight, while others will initially feel disgusted and dislike its taste, but then they will gradually get better and like it more and more, and eventually they will be haggard for Iraq, and "durian" will forget to return to tea and rice. As for the difference between the three kinds of durians, we can't express the taste because it's the first time for us to taste them, and we can also go to the mother. I briefly remember that the red shrimp is a little smaller, the Kunbao meat is thick and full, and the green skin is bitter and sweet. Only when you feel it with your soul will you get its essence. After eating durian, he was about to throw away the shell when the owner suddenly came to stop it. It turned out that using durian shell to hold water can replenish vitality, such as drinking sweet spring. If you don't come to Baoshan, it is estimated that these little tricks will not be known.