Air Itam

Air Itam
Suburb of George Town
Other transcription(s)
• Chinese	亚依淡
View of Air Itam (foreground) and George Town (left) as seen from Penang Hill
Location of Air Itam on Penang Island
Coordinates: 5°24′22″N 100°17′47″E / 5.40611°N 100.29639°E / 5.40611; 100.29639
Country	Malaysia
State	Penang
District	Northeast Penang Island
Government
• Local Government	Penang Island City Council
• Mayor of Penang Island	Patahiyah Ismail
• State assemblyman	Wong Hon Wai (DAP)
• Bukit Gelugor Member of Parliament	Ramkarpal Singh (DAP)
Time zone	Malaysian Standard Time (UTC+8)
• Summer (DST)	Not observed (UTC)
Postal code	11500
Website	www.mbpp.gov.my

Air Itam (also spelt as Ayer Itam; Penang Hokkien: ai tam) is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Nested within the central valleys of Penang Island, it is located approximately 7km southwest of George Town proper. Air Itam is one of the well-known places to sample Penang cuisine, and includes a handful of major tourist attractions such as Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple.^[1][2]

The area now known as Air Itam was first developed in the late 18th century, soon after the founding of Penang Island by Captain Francis Light in 1786. British officials intended to turn Air Itam, including Penang Hill, into an agricultural area and established spice farms. To this day, fruits and vegetables are still grown at the hills of Air Itam; fresh produce are then brought downhill daily to the wet markets throughout George Town.^[3]

Etymology

Air Itam got its name from the murky waters of the Air Itam River (Malay: Sungai Air Itam). The phrase 'Air Hitam' means black water in Malay.

Suffolk House in 1811

Kek Lok Si Temple is said to be the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia and among the more famous ones in the country.

The Chinese Anti-War Memorial at Air Itam is where some 800 victims of the Sook Ching massacres during World War II were laid to rest.

History

Soon after the founding of Penang Island in 1786, British East India Company officials, led by Captain Francis Light, began exploring and clearing the interior of the island for agricultural purposes.^[4] Pepper and nutmeg farms were then established at the hills of Air Itam, while Light also commissioned the planting of strawberries at Penang Hill.^[5] The Anglo-Indian Suffolk House, one of Light's residences, was also built within a pepper estate by the Air Itam River.^[6]

The agricultural village of Air Itam grew throughout the 19th century, populated by farmers who owned the fruit and vegetable farms at the surrounding hills. To this day, fruits and vegetables are still produced at the hills of Air Itam and then distributed daily to the wet markets all over George Town.^[3]

In 1890, construction of the Kek Lok Si Temple, now one of the largest Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia, commenced. Its main pagoda combines Chinese, Siamese and Burmese styles. The temple was finally opened to the public in 1905.

Air Itam was once home to the Penang Zoological Gardens, the first zoo in Malaysia.^[7] Supposedly opened in the 1920s by a monk named Fa Kong, the zoo was shut down for good prior to World War II due to the excessive maintenance costs.

The Great Air Itam Fire of 1935 destroyed more than 100 homes in the area. At the time, the residences in Air Itam were mostly wooden; this incident led to the construction of brick buildings in Air Itam.

A Rapid Penang bus passing by the Air Itam Market.

The area was also a hinterland which hid refugees fleeing from the episodes of violence that had occasionally erupted in George Town. For instance, the Penang Riots of 1867 forced some residents in George Town to evacuate to Air Itam.^[8] World War II, however, brought even greater numbers of refugees to Air Itam. During the war, when the Imperial Japanese Army implemented the Sook Ching purges, Air Itam became one of the sites where Chinese civilians were massacred.^[9]

The urbanisation of Air Itam since the 1950s has brought about a concurrent increase in living standards and transformed the landscape with more high rises, making Air Itam one of the more densely populated areas on Penang Island.^[10] A new township named Farlim was also developed to the southeast in the 1980s.^[11]

Suffolk House

Geography

Located in the valley between Batu Lanchang Hill, Bukit Penara and Penang Hill, this suburb of George Town is connected to the city by two main roads, i.e. Jalan Air Itam and Lorong Batu Lanchang. It is also connected to Paya Terubong and the south of the island via Jalan Paya Terubong.

It is said that Penang's most famous asam laksa is served at the Air Itam Market.^[12][13]

The peak of Penang Hill is accessible via the Penang Hill Railway, the only railway on Penang Island and the only funicular rail system in Malaysia.

The suburb covers a broad area that incorporates Farlim, Thean Teik Estate, Rifle Range, Kampung Bahru, Kampung Melayu, Hill Railway Road and Hye Keat Estate, extending as far east as the junction with York Road.^[14]

Landmarks

• Penang Hill
• Kek Lok Si Temple
• Suffolk House
• Penang State Mosque
• Air Itam Market, where some of the most famous Penang dishes, such as asam laksa and curry mee, can be sampled^[15][16]
• Chinese Anti-War Memorial^[17]
• Jade Emperor's Pavilion^[18]

The Jade Emperor's Pavilion is a Taoist temple located beside the Penang Hill Railway station.^[19]

Neighbourhoods

• Farlim

References

External links

• Air Itam travel guide from Wikivoyage

		Pulau Tikus
	Penang Hill		George Town
		Air Itam
		Paya Terubong

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Urban centres (City, suburbs and towns)	Penang George Town Air Itam Batu Lanchang Batu Uban Bukit Jambul Farlim Gelugor Jelutong Paya Terubong Pulau Tikus Relau Sungai Nibong Tanjung Bungah Tanjung Tokong Bayan Lepas Balik Pulau Teluk Bahang Butterworth Bukit Mertajam Nibong Tebal Kedah Sungai Petani Kulim Bandar Baharu Alor Setar

Coordinates: 5°24′22″N 100°17′47″E / 5.40611°N 100.29639°E / 5.40611; 100.29639