What has changed at Fort Cornwallis?

Fort Cornwallis in George Town, on the island of Penang, Malaysia, reopened on 25 July 2026 after a decade of conservation and regeneration under the North Seafront Programme. Its southern and western moats now hold water for the first time in over a hundred years, alongside 10 new interpretation galleries, restored vaulted storerooms and reinstated courtyards. The reopening reflects a long-term commitment to strengthening George Town's heritage, public spaces and future.

Fort Cornwallis was built the same year George Town was founded, in 1786. Its moat was filled in during a malaria outbreak in the early 1920s and later served as a car park, disappearing from the landscape for more than a century. Today, the reinstated moat also contributes to stormwater management, urban cooling and biodiversity. Read more about the history and restoration of Fort Cornwallis.

George Town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 for its multicultural trading heritage. Since 2013, the Penang State Government and Penang Island City Council have led its conservation and regeneration in partnership with Think City and with support from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which provides technical advice and conservation expertise.

The North Seafront Programme has since renewed the historic waterfront, including the Esplanade, public gardens, promenades and Astaka Kota Selera, where all 26 hawker businesses were retained. Across George Town's historic city centre, arts, culture and craft establishments have nearly doubled and tourism-related establishments have grown by almost three-quarters since 2013, with more than 1,300 jobs added. In 2025, George Town's rehabilitated Esplanade seawall and promenade received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award.

These changes are reshaping daily life along the waterfront. Traders whose families have worked here for generations are seeing more customers than ever. Children play by the water while their families picnic and watch the boats go by. Street performers draw crowds of visitors, and locals return simply for the sea breeze and the shade of the trees. Hear from the esplanade users.

The renewal of Fort Cornwallis and George Town's North Seafront shows how heritage conservation can strengthen public life, support economic opportunity and contribute to more resilient cities.

Watch the video of the reopening of Fort Cornwallis.