Built towards the end of the 19th century, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion or The Blue Mansion is a boutique hotel and a historical attraction with its own UNESCO Conservation & Heritage award.
Even if you don’t plan on being a guest at the hotel, you can still join daily tours of the mansion or try any of the 2 on-site eateries here.
We chose to join one of the daily tours and we think it’s worth the entry fees!
History
In the late 19th Century, Cheong Fatt Tze made plans to build a grand house for his family, having consulted a top Feng Shui master before doing so.
While the architectural trend back then might have Indian or British influences, Cheong Fatt Tze remained loyal to traditional Chinese architecture, complete with courtyards!
Note: To be specific the architectural style is known as Straits Chinese Eclectic.
If you visit the mansion, you will see prominent Hakka and Teochew-style Chinese architecture but there are still some elements of Western style architecture. Like the Scottish cast-iron balusters in the mansion!
Both styles were prevalent in Penang during the late 19th Century.
No expense was spared into building this home. This included importing building materials and master craftsmen from mainland China. Spectacular detail went into every inch of the building, as it served a dual purpose as both a home and meeting point for Cheng Fatt Tze to conduct his business ventures.
Formal gatherings took place at the center of the building, while back rooms remained private for family use. And outside the mansion were several stables and outhouses.
While the numerous staff who managed the mansion and household affairs stayed in separate buildings close by.
Despite its grandiosity, the mansion sadly fell into neglect years after Cheong Fatt Tze passed away in 1916. It was eventually sold to avid Penang conservationists who wanted to restore the mansion.
Carried out using Penang craftsmen and local materials, the lengthy restoration work strictly relied on traditional building methods and took 6 years to fully complete in 1995.
Fun fact: A catastrophe in 1996 damaged the Blue Mansion, which led to a ruling that no hammer piling is allowed in Penang or wherever there would be a risk of damage to any heritage building!
Entrance Fees
Price (For Guided or Self-Guided Tour):
- RM25 per adult
- RM12.50 per child (6-12years old)
Take note that tickets are nonrefundable and you can’t cancel them either.
Those that purchase the self-guided tour need to bring along their own earphones and be ready to download a SmartGuide app.
The benefit of taking the self-guided tours is that you won’t need to strain to hear the tour guide in a large group. And you get to explore the mansion at your own pace. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about being late for your scheduled tour session too.
Guided Tours (Our Experience)
Plan your visit for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at 11 am or 2 pm if you want to join the guided tours for Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion.
You can check the availability of tours on your intended date on the official website.
Note: If you get there too early, you can still enter the bar and wait for the tours to start.
We chose the 2pm slot and there was quite a big crowd. It is advisable to reach mansion at least 15 minutes before the tour session starts. The tour will start at the reception hall before moving on to the courtyard. The tour guide will bring you along upstairs too.
The roughly 1-hour tour stops at different exhibits and rooms before ending at the gift shop.
Our tour session was by an engaging middle-aged petite woman who had plenty of experiences to share – these she learned from previous guests to the mansion. Some of whom are Feng Shui masters or direct descendants to Cheong Fatt Tze.
You can learn about how Cheong Fatt Tze made his fortune and who ended up on his will (and who did not). Additionally, the guide will point out many examples of how the mansion meets many Feng Shui criteria.
One of the things she asked us was to observe the use of metal, wood, earth, fire and water in the architecture of the mansion; all of which represent the basic Feng shui elements. This can already be seen when you enter the building.
And as with many traditional Chinese residences with a courtyard, the main hall is central to the whole building with two wings on either side of it.
It is not easy to hear everything the guide says unless you stand close to them, but we found the history and anecdotes they include to be fascinating.
- Duration: ~ 45 minutes
- Tour Times: 11 am, 2 pm, Friday – Sunday
- Max Capacity: 42 pax per tour session
Note: While the tours are in English, you can specially request guides in other languages like Mandarin or Japanese too. But only with prior arrangement and private groups!
On-site Restaurants (& Bar)
If you’re a guest here, it’s convenient that the boutique hotel has its own restaurant and bar! But even if you’re just visiting for a day, you can pop in for a meal or drink too!
- Indigo – On the first floor of The Blue Mansion, this fine-dining restaurant is open every day for lunch until dinner. It is a suitable venue for private events too. They serve both Asian and Western food, and the menu rotates regularly. If you dine here, you can join the complimentary evening tours at The Blue Mansion too! These start at 6:30pm.
- The Bar – This lounge is open from 11am to midnight. They have a selection of cocktails, wine, coffee, and tea, and some food as well. During the weekends, there is a live evening performance by a guzheng player!
- Café Mangga – This is a more comfortable café below an old mango tree in the grounds of the mansion. They serve both traditional and modern comfort foods, alongside refreshing drinks from 8 am to 4pm, and again from 6 pm to 11pm daily.
Note: Opening hours are different on Monday – 8am to 6pm.
Getting To Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Rapid Penang has bus routes that you can take. As long as they head towards Chulia Street! These are the bus numbers you should choose, CAT, 103, 204 and 502.
You can also take your chances with Penang taxis or e-hailing services, which are more convenient but on the pricier side of things.
For those with their own cars, there may be space to park right in front of the mansion (we weren’t that lucky and had to park further away).
Conclusion
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is more than a pretty building. If you’ve always wondered what it was like to live in the world of Crazy Rich Asians, this is the place!
We highly recommend planning a visit here. Or staying here for a night if that’s within your budget!
Penang Peranakan Museum
If you can’t make it to Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, there’s a smaller and similar museum that you can visit instead. But the Penang Peranakan Museum is not as grand and focuses primarily on general Peranakan culture while Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion has a little bit of the original homeowner’s background too.
Museums In Penang
For those that enjoy museums, Penang has so many! We haven’t been to all ourselves, but these are the ones we have been too, and would recommend for their own specific reasons.
Things To Do In Penang
Maybe museums are not what you had in mind for your trip. And in that case, there are still a lot of other things to do in Penang that we think first time visitors should know about.
