Bukit Mertajam - Places of Attraction

Places of Attraction

• St. Anne's Church

The historical St. Anne's Church is situated in Bukit Mertajam. The original chapel was built in 1846 by the French priest, Father Adolphe Couellan. The chapel was dedicated to Saint Anne, who is a very popular patron saint amongst the French.

• Bukit Mertajam Recreational Forest

A popular recreational park among locals and outsiders alike, the Bukit Mertajam Recreational Forest in Cherok Tok Kun, Bukit Mertajam is a tropical rain forest reserve sprawls over 37 hectars of hilly terrain including the Bukit Mertajam hill. The forest contains indigenous rain forest trees that could be over a hundred years old such as the Meranti Seraya (Shorea curtisii) and Meranti Rambai Daun (Shorea acuminate). For the adventurous hikers, there are numerous jungle trail branching out towards the peak and also accessible by jeep and cycling. Other activities include picnicking, swimming by the waterfall and camping.

• Mengkuang Titi

A small village of Mengkuang Titi provides homestay programmes for foreign tourists which is the opportunity to live with the local Malay family while experiencing Malay culture and the laid-back lifestyle of rural living. Among the activities during the programme were fruit picking in the orchard, visiting a handicraft centre, Mengkuang-mat-weaving demonstration, a trip cottage industry factories(Malaysian Muffins),bedak sejuk (traditional beauty powder made from rice flour) and soy bean products, visiting the Mengkuang Dam vicinity and the Air Itam Dalam mangrove reserve, a cultural performance, a stroll through a rubber plantation and an oil palm plantation.

• Mengkuang Dam

Mengkuang Dam is a man-made lake that has natural and scenic landscapes. It is home to various forms of wildlife including insects and reptiles. The park in the reservoir area serves as a popular recreation spot for local residents of Bukit Mertajam. Jogging, trekking and picnicking are the common activities in the recreational area. It forms the largest water catchment area in Penang.

• Auto City

Highway Auto City Juru which is located near the North-South Expressway is a popular hot spot among locals and tourists as an automobile, shopping, food and entertainment centre. Many outdoor events and celebrations like roadshows, concerts, carnivals, exhibitions, motor sports and cultural festivals are being held there.

• Pek Kong Cheng

Pek Kong Cheng, located along Pasar Road in Bukit Mertajam town centre, is a food haven with hawker stalls at the courtyard of the 120-year-old Pek Kong Temple. One of the top delicacies include white Wonton noodles, Koay Teow Soup, Loh Shee Fun and Hokkien noodles. There will be stage Chinese opera performances occasionally. The Hungry Ghost Festival is being held annually here on the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar and the town boasts the largest and tallest paper effigy of the King of Hades in the country, in which 10,000 devotees turn up to offer prayers every year.