Chew Jetty Penang Challenges in Conserving the Historical Site and Architectural Identity of the Cultural Heritage
Chai Phey Chiat Ho Pei San Joslyn Siew Zi Tong Poh Weng Chuan Serene Lim Jia Yi Wesley Wong Teck Won
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Introduction 1
In 1998, World Heritage Site (WHS) for George Town was nominated and it was in the waiting list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Center.
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In July 2008, George Town got approval and achieved a WHS status (The Star Online, 2008)
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historical site in George Town Penang, Chew Clan Jetty is one of the longest and best preserved clan jetties located along Weld Quay.
Introduction 4 In the past, the jetty was just a port, where fishermen use it as a place for loading, trade and disembarking for boats.
5 Today, Chew Jetty has been established as a commercialize place due to tourism and activities. The site itself has become sustainable due to economical benefits in return from mass tourism.
Abstract Objective of Research By doing this research, we are able to identify the causes of problems in conserving the heritage place, such as tourism impact, sustainable management, quality of maintenance and lack of involvement With lack of documentation, people in present days will begin to neglect its historical values, thus it will diminish and its knowledge will not be educated and appreciate by future generation
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document the conservation on a cultural heritage site that has been stood for decades
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Benefit of Researching on These Issues in Conserving Cultural Heritage lead to understanding of its characteristic of contextual site
how its past and present affected its contextual quality and under appreciate by modern society
Methodology Case study: ● The beginning of the procedure was to study the programme and factual data happen in the core zone(George Town), then started to research on conservation methods on the historical site. ● The case study also lead to issues in conserving Chew Jetty, which responsible to its context.
Extraction: ● The retrieved informations are skim and scan thoroughly before it is extracted and put to the content.
Data collection methods: ● By using a reliable resource such as internet we are able to access to different resources based on conservation issues on cultural heritage. ● All the supporting evidence are retrieved based on references from different authors through electronic-book, reports and scholarly articles. The data was analysed and collected before hand.
Literature review Guidance on Heritage Impact Assessments for Cultural World Heritage Properties Conservation is about managing sustainable change. Every reasonable effort should be made to avoid, eliminate or minimise adverse impacts on attributes that convey Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and other significant places. Ultimately, however, it may be necessary to balance the public benefit of the proposed change against the harm to the place. In the case of WH properties this balance is crucial. (Clause 6-2, Publication of International Council on Monuments and Sites)
Cultural Heritage Tourism Cultural heritage tourism means traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. It includes irreplaceable historic, cultural and natural resources (Cultural Heritage Tourism 2010 Fact Sheet, National Trust for Historic Preservation)
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What is the issue concerning on conserving a heritage site while maintaining its own identity?
Question of issue: As part of WHS under UNESCO, the development brought huge impact into economical gain, which increase of demand towards human behaviour need.
This allows attraction towards visitors which in turn creates different impact in conserving a heritage site.
Key Issue: Human Behaviour Towards Cultural Heritage Where human behaviour influence the most and leads to various issues such as: Mass Tourism • Fading of History and Cultural Identity • Destructive Effect •
Solutions: 1
Communicate the Outstanding Universal Values (OUVs) of the WHS to increase broader understanding and appreciation, and thus ensure conservation and safeguarding of the WHS.
2 Ensure broad stakeholder participation in the management of tourism activities at the site.
2. How Does Cultural Heritage Tourism Bring Impacts in Sustaining Heritage Site?
The development of cultural heritage tourism could play a major differentiation in sustaining a heritage site such as that begin with negative economic impacts could include 1 2
low multiplier effects
increase in prices of goods and services 3
increase of property prices
Moreover, the local population would feel disturbed by visitors if the site were designed especially to cater to the needs of the foreign tourists and domestic visitors.
Tourism development could increase in traffic and congestion was found to be a common problem such as creating conflicts in historic towns.
Researchers have also found that highly popular tourist sites could have advantages Tourism could also help to better their life-style through improved intercultural knowledge and encourage the local community to upkeep their traditions, legacy and customs by learning, understanding and socializing in their cultural activities.
Tourism has been known to help protect the natural and cultural heritage, to bring about preservation values in learning and research. Moreover, an important role for cultural tourism to play was to generate revenue that could flow back to the heritage resources and bring about economic benefits to the host communities.
3. How does the Involvement of Communities and Partnerships Contribution bring about in Conserving the Heritage Site?
Lack of collaborations between communities and the local authorities
Issue on Conserving the Heritage Site by the Communities and Partnerships
creates a financial issues in funding through managing cultural heritage assets Some stakeholders are working independently without having a shared interest with local authorities, which proven challenging to find sufficient financial support so that the management process will not unfairly burden the stakeholders
General Solutions 1
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The local communities should get better understanding in public knowledge about the working authorities. Communities should be consulted with the tourism management, developer and operative of the heritage site. Proper civil society organizations could be included to assist the coordination between local communities and authorities
Partnership The state government and Penang Heritage Trust (NGO) took responsibilities in implementing restoration works towards derelict buildings.
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This project is used by the Penang Heritage Trust to showcase the importance of protecting significant historic buildings.
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It offers training opportunities to learn traditional construction techniques.
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Information boards were set up for better understanding on benefits of restoration.
Local communities Local communities involve in and support actively government`s modus operandi in conserving the heritage site. 1
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George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) encouraged shared effort among shop owners (stakeholders) from local communities in restoring dilapidated buildings. Operate business stores to create an income for the stakeholders Continuous maintenance to improve the infrastructure and yet the destroyed parts by using the shared assets between the stakeholders and the local groups
4. How does the Community of the Jetties Respond Towards Heritage Tourism with the Name ‘Cultural Heritage’ as Representation?
Confusions and Issues Towards Heritage Conservation
1 privacy is affected due to the listing of Jetties as the heritage site better to be preserved than to be wrecked as Jetties fell into disrepair 2 revitalized communities attraction of the tourists towards the heritage site results in changing the identity of the site
Responses from the Community 1 Commercialized transformation of the Jetties by most of the communities as a result from increased tourism 2 Create different rules and regulations to reduce destructive effects by the tourists.
3 Setting up dividing fences to avoid intruders to their homes “We used to live here without fences but now we feel the need to have them to prevent visitors from trespassing our property.� Chew Siew Pheng,38
Commercialised business alteration
A resident is fencing up her living quarter
Mass Tourism
5. What is the Imminent Dilemma Experienced Before and After Chew Jetty is Enlisted as the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site?
Before Positive Side Authentically inherited as the typology of Chew Jetty remains as single-storey with triangular shaped zinc roofs and slightly elevated porch. Negative Side Developers intend to sabotage the iconic waterfront settlement.
single-storey with triangular shaped zinc roofs
After Positive Side Encourage job opportunities such as food and beverage business,souvenir selling and homestay.
Negative Side
Fisherman with his traditional fishing tool in Chew Jetty
Tourism growth eradicates its identity and authenticity as a fishing village. Many food stalls are set up for business purpose
Conclusion This documentation is to spark awareness to the communities and different organizations on the importance of protecting significant historical buildings. Appreciate by the communities and the partnerships by different means of solution. It is recommended that the related organizations should take drastic actions to reduce the total impact by the human towards the heritage site to protect its identity as part of the world heritage, and use it as a source of knowledge to nurture the upcoming generations.
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