George Town World Heritage Day Celebration
Celebrating our third anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this year’s festival serves to remind us that the city’s rich and fascinating history is the greatest treasure of George Town. Our cultures and traditions reflect the hopes and aspirations of the city’s pioneer settlers and represent their effort in shaping its evolution into the dynamic centre of culture and heritage it is today.
Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO under three Outstanding Universal Values, this year’s George Town World Heritage Day Celebration is themed according to the three criteria cited for its listing, with each day of the festival devoted to one of the criteria: tangible and intangible heritage, multicultural exchanges, and architectural landscape.
Day 1
Testimony to Multicultural Tangible and Intangible Heritage
George Town is a living testimony to the cultural heritage of various ethnic groups that have settled in the Malay Archipelago over the centuries. Events on this day feature performances and exhibition that express our living heritage in art and music, food, language, and religious practices.
Day 2
Trading Town Forged from Multicultural Exchanges
George Town has long been a place where people from different cultural backgrounds meet. Various talks and forums on this day will cover a brief yet useful introduction to the George Town’s multi-faceted history.
Day 3
Outstanding Multicultural Architectural Landscape
The distinctive architectural townscape of George Town displays a mixture of influences borrowed from the cultures of its varied community. Shophouse trails and open houses of heritage buildings will allow visitors to walk through the captivating history and experience the unique world of George Town.
