There is no Chinatown in Penang.......the majority of the population is Chinese. There is a street with the name of China Street or Lebuh China(大街/路头), located between Pitt Street and Beach Street. Pitt Street now renamed Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, is the harmony street of Penang, with money changers, religion institution, jewelry shops, and association. It is a busy street. Beach Street is a financial hub of Penang, all the financial institution and wholesalers are there. It is situated within the core zone of George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. China Street is intersected by Queen Street,King Street and Penang Street. Land reclamation extended the China Street to Pengkalan Weld(Weld Quay) at the end of 19th century.
It was reported that the street was established by the Chinese community leader from Kedah Capitan Koh Lay Huan(辜礼欢). He was the pioneer Chinese settler arrived with Captain Francis Light from Kedah in 1786, Light appointed him as the first Capitan China of Penang. He was also known as Che Wan in the official document.
The road was laid out not long after the earliest street,Light street and Beach Street. It is one of the oldest street in Penang, which is named after the Chinese inhabitants. Chinese Street was once facing the sea, when the shoreline was at Beach Street. It was commercial street for the Chinese, the goods from the boats and ships can download at the jetty nearby. It is called Tua-kay or main street by the local Chinese. The Beach street , from junction of China Street to traffic light junction of Chulia Street(where the fire station is located) is called Kang-a-khau(港仔口), which means harbour entrance, where the main shipping business was carried out.
At the head of China Street where it meets Pitt Street, is the Kuan Yin Teng Temple (Godess of Mercy Temple(廣福宮), jointly established by Hokkien and Cantonese, the oldest Chinese temple in Penang. The other end of China Street will continue with China Street Ghaut (Toa-ke-lo-thau,大街路頭 )where it was landing place for the China Street, it continues to Weld Quay.
Map of China Street
View Larger Map
View toward the Beach Street at the King Street junction, the Yin Oi Tong building can be seen at the Penang street junction at the far end.
The view at King Street junction
This shop located at 83, China Street with the name of Ching Hoe Ser(清荷社), used to be a bicycle shop even before the WW2, it was owned by my great grandauntie family. The shop has been renovated and used as Ching Loctus Humanist Space(清荷人文空间).Now it is an art studio, Alpha Utara Gallery.
Apha Utara Gallery画廊就设在大街83号清荷社。
The view toward Pitt Street, after Queen Street junction, at the end is the Kuan Ying Teng temple.
This old name board is unique, blue color.
The view at the Queen Street junction
View toward Pitt Street(left row of shop houses)
Yeang Cheng Hin or C. H. Yeang(杨清添医生)1908-1983
He is a doctor that I will never forget, and he is the only doctor that I visited whenever I was sick. Dr Yeoh is a good doctor in the old Chinese community of Georgetown, he opened a clinic in 1937 at 88, China Street(大街八十八号创杨清添药房),just opposite the Kuan Yin Teng Temple(廣福宮/观音亭). He named the clinic after his name, Yeang Cheng Hin Clinic(杨清添药房). The clinic is a popular clinic, as the clinic charged low consultation fee especially for the poor, at time it was given free for the case to case basis. I still remember he is not only a good doctor, he also give encouragement to the young patients from the poor community, motivate them to work hard, and do well in their study. He will collect stamps for his little patients. If you are lucky, some time you will get a foreign stamps. There were also sweets given to them. The most remarkable part is the doctor practiced discriminating pricing(a marketing concept by the marketing guru)long before Marketing was a subject in university. He charged less or even provide free medical service for the hardcore poor. I always remember him....a good doctor.
Dr Yeoh was born in Penang in the year 1908,eldest of two sons from the family of a merchant. His early education was in Penang Free School, a premier school in Penang. He worked with Guthrie for a while,then entered Hong Kong University to study medicine. At the age of 29, he graduated as a doctor.After 6 months housemanship in a hospital at Hong Kong, he returned to Penang and opened a clinic. The clinic was located opposite the Kuan Ying Teng Temple or 88, China Street, Penang. His clinic was popular due to his love and kindness for his patients, charging low fee or even provide free medical services for poor community. He married the daugther of Kapitan Chung Thye Phin(1879-1935)and his first wife Lee Sau-yeng，Chung Yuet Kuen or English name Louise.(郑大平元配李秀英女儿月娟（露丝）适杨清添医生)
He is also known as " Doctor for the trishawmen"(三轮车医生), he is one of the doctor who helped the hardcore poor of Penang community, the trishaw man,and as panel doctor for their association.
His clinic was later sold to Dr Ting Hock Nan(丁福南医生),who later become a popular politician in Penang. Dr Ting was once practiced at a 24 hours clinic in early 80s, I was once visited his clinic in the mid-night due to food poisoning. I cannot remember where is the clinic,seems to be either Perak Road(near Padang Brown) or Macalister Road(Seow clinic?), at that time 24 hr clinic was rare. Dr Ting must had bought the clinic from Dr Yeoh after leaving the 24 hr clinic, it may be early 80s.
杨情添医生（1908一1983），祖籍广东开平县，一九0八年在本屿诞生，父茂胜，本屿商人，母翁氏。兄弟二，清添居长。大英义学卒业後，被聘为牙得利洋行书记。七年後往香港大学念医科，经过六年勤学，获硕士，且考得首名，受赠金徽章，时年廿九。不久（一九三七年）进香港马来亚医院任实习医生半年，返本屿，在大街八十八号创杨清添药房，因医德医术精良，每日门庭若市，退休后，药房承让予丁福南医生。。历任平章会馆协信理、台山卫生所医生、中华游泳公会副会长、肇庆府会馆信理员、辅友社宣传主任、大英义学校友会执委、青年商会赞助人、侨生公会、星马神智学会组织秘书等职。妻郑月娟（洋名露丝），乃郑大平女。（郑永美）
The following are some comments on Dr Yeoh, extracted from some Chinese articles:
首先丁福南在锺灵中学毕业后，就负笈印度攻读医科，学成归来后曾在槟城中央医院当医生。那个时候，他对政治还不是十分热衷，但喜然与报社的人交朋友，开始了他对政治的关注。
当 他在70年代准备自行创业时，他首先想到的是顶下一间药房，而不是自行开业。结果皇天不负苦心人，刚好那个时候就在观音亭对面的杨清添荮房要出让，因为杨清添医生年纪大了，准备退休颐养天年，我曾问丁福南为何要承顶杨清添药房？他这样说：杨清添负素盛誉，尤其是为下层人民看病或收低廉费用或不收钱而赢得好名声。他愿意接收这一传统。
如果没有记错的话，杨清添药房也是三轮车夫看病的诊所之一，因而有所谓「三轮车医生」的美誉。
当丁福南成为药房的主人后，他什么都没有改，只是在内部作一些小装修，门口的招牌依然是杨清添药房。他说这样子做，老顾客照归来，没钱的人也照来，他就依据杨医生的规矩看病。
慢慢地，他的药房生意好了起来，每天都有大把病人，用“门庭若市”来形容也不为过。直到多年以后，才见出现丁药房的牌子。他继承了杨清添的衣钵，也给他带来幸运。
(extracted from 焦点人物丁福南, 謝詩堅, 24.7.06, http://seekiancheah.blogspot.com/2006/07/blog-post_24.html)
一位年青人，要操三輪車行業並不困難，首先需要學會踏三輪車。檳城的三輪車是座位在前，踏位在後，因而比較吃力，駕駛較為沉重。
接著向醫生申請健康證明書。在檳城，杜祥耀醫生與楊清添醫生義務給三輪車夫診視，然後向註冊局（檳榔律消防局處）申請禮申，每年1元。經考試合格後，可獲 一個永久手牌，3元1枚，以後每年只需1元的更換禮申費。至於車輛禮申費為一年卅元，擁有車者要繳納，作為當局每年3次的檢驗費。
(extract from 檳三輪車辛酸史,謝詩堅《採訪外集》‧2001/09/19)
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