THE CLAN JETTIES
Be sure to visit this unusual neighborhood to round off your historic tour of Georgetown. Located along Weld Quay, this collection of houses on stilts was built in the late 19th century. Originally, the shoreline was littered with the detritus of wood, planks and firewood from various construction sites. In 1882, the local council undertook the construction of Weld Quay. Wooden piers were added for docking and delivering goods. Very quickly, houses were built around these pontoons, controlled by different clans. Each clan had control over the work (and workers) that took place on each pontoon. There were originally 7 of them, but one burned down and was never rebuilt. Comfort was extremely modest, and running water didn't arrive until 1957. Until then, the inhabitants fuelled up by filling old kerosene cans and rolling them from the town to the piers. Even today, the six wooden pontoons belong to different clans. It's pleasant to wander through these mazes of wooden lanes, lined with houses, shops and Chinese temples, where a nonchalant atmosphere reigns. Chew Jetty is the most unspoilt, but also the most touristy. Venture instead to the other, more picturesque piers. Families have lived here for generations, and thousands of tourists pass through every year. Ask their permission before photographing them.
