Penang’s iconic bright blue mansion was constructed in the Chinese courtyard style by businessman Cheong Fatt Tze by 1904. The design included 38 rooms and five open courtyards (a Straits architectural style) for Cheong and his burgeoning family. He had eight wives spread around Asia, although this mansion was where he raised his six sons. The mansion served as his business headquarters as well, and so many fittings and fixtures were sourced from across China and the British empire to wow visitors. Cheong became known as the “Rockefeller of the East”, with the Chinese, British, and Dutch governments all paying tribute upon his death in 1916.

The mansion was rescued from demolition in 1989 and turned into a 16-bedroom boutique hotel, museum, and most recently, restaurant. If you aren’t staying at the hotel, you’ll need to book a place in one of the tours (see details below) to access the “Blue Mansion”. Tours last 45 minutes, and you are free to explore the front of the mansion afterwards.