George Town’s street art has become one of Penang’s most recognisable attractions. Its modern chapter began in 2012, when Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic painted a series of murals for the George Town Festival, including his well-known image of two children riding a real bicycle on Armenian Street.
Our self-guided route links Zacharevic’s best-known murals with the wrought-iron caricatures fixed to walls across the heritage area, each one capturing a story from local history or street life. Covering about 2 km of flat streets, the walk costs nothing and takes two to three hours at a relaxed pace, including time for photographs and a coffee stop. For more on the surrounding streets, see our George Town guide.
Who made George Town’s street art
Ernest Zacharevic’s 2012 murals
Zacharevic painted a series of murals for the George Town Festival in 2012. The project is often called “Mirrors George Town”. His trick was to mix paint with real objects, like a bicycle, a motorbike or a chair, so you can step into the scene.
The murals aren’t permanent. Sun, rain and grime have faded them over the years, and the bicycle mural was vandalised more than once. Zacharevic touched up several in 2016 and again in 2019. In late 2024, the Penang state government asked him back, and he restored four pieces, including Children on a Bicycle, Boy on a Bike and Boy on Chair. He said his aim was to bring them back to how they looked in 2012.
Not every piece survived. Broken Heart on Love Lane has been removed. Children in a Boat at Chew Jetty faded away and was replaced in 2018 by another artist’s mural.
The “Marking George Town” iron caricatures
A few years before the murals, the state ran a 2009 design competition called “Marking George Town”. A company called Sculpture At Work won it in 2010. The result was 52 wrought-iron caricatures, drawn by local cartoonists Baba Chuah, Lefty, Reggie Lee and Tang Mun Kian.
Each one tells a small story about the history or culture of the street it’s on. Read the captions, because they’re half the fun and often explain things the guidebooks skip.
The walking route, street by street
This route follows the murals from north-west to south-east, ending at the sea. You can easily walk it in reverse if you’re starting from the ferry or the jetties. If you’re coming by bus, see our getting around Penang guide.
1. Penang Road: The Awaiting Trishaw Paddler
Start on Penang Road (Jalan Penang), opposite the car park of Red Garden food court. Zacharevic painted an old trishaw rider here, waiting for passengers. Trishaws (three-wheeled pedal taxis) still roll past, so you may get a real one in your photo.
2. Muntri Street: Little Girl in Blue
Walk to Muntri Street (Lebuh Muntri). On a wall facing the Penang Goldsmith Association, a girl in a blue dress stretches up the side of the building. Muntri Street also has three iron caricatures: “Jimmy Choo”, “One Leg Kicks All” and “Win Win Situation”.
3. Love Lane
Turn onto Love Lane (Lorong Love), a backpacker strip of cafés and guesthouses. Zacharevic’s Broken Heart is gone, but look for the iron “Cheating Husband” sculpture by Tang Mun Kian. It used to sit right across from the Broken Heart mural.
4. Stewart Lane
Detour into Stewart Lane for two caricatures. “Narrowest Five Foot Way” is by Lefty, and “Mahjong Bird” is by Tang Mun Kian. A five-foot way is the covered walkway in front of a shophouse.
5. Cannon Street: Boy on Chair
Head to Cannon Street (Lebuh Cannon). Here a boy stands on a real wooden chair, reaching up to a window. Some guides call this one Reaching Up. Zacharevic restored it in 2024. Nearby, look for the iron caricature “Cannon Hole”. Khoo Kongsi clan house is just off this street, so it’s a good moment to peek in (see our attractions guide).
6. Armenian Street: This Old Man
Walk onto Armenian Street (Lebuh Armenian). Look for Zacharevic’s portrait of an old man, sometimes called Uncle Ng, the clog maker. It was already at risk of fading a few years ago, so don’t be surprised if it’s faint. Two iron caricatures also sit on this street: “Procession” and “Then & Now”.
7. Ah Quee Street: Boy on a Bike and the Pet Dinosaur
Cut through to Ah Quee Street (Lebuh Ah Quee). This is where a boy sits on a real old motorbike parked against the wall. The boy, Mohammad Shahrul Aiman Mohamed, was 11 when Zacharevic took his photo. He now pedals tourists around Penang on a trishaw. The mural was restored in 2024.
A few steps away is Little Boy with Pet Dinosaur, another Zacharevic piece. Ah Quee Street also has three caricatures: “Ah Quee?”, “Kandar” and “Rotan”.
8. Armenian Street and Beach Street: Children on a Bicycle
Walk back to where Armenian Street meets Beach Street (Lebuh Pantai). This is the big one. Siblings Tan Yi and Tan Kern, then five and three, ride a real red bicycle. Zacharevic snapped them on an outing, painted them in 2012 and reunited with them after the 2024 restoration.
Expect a queue here from mid-morning. People take turns, and it’s polite to keep yours quick.
9. Chulia Street Ghaut: Brother and Sister on a Swing
Continue to Chulia Street Ghaut (Gat Lebuh Chulia). In a small alley off this road, marked by a “Step by Step Lane” banner, is a brother and sister on a real swing. It’s often credited to Zacharevic, but it was painted in 2012 by Louis Gan, a local deaf artist. The children are the kids of the warehouse owner who asked him to paint it. Two caricatures also sit on this road, “Double Role” and “Yeoh Only”.
10. Weld Quay and Chew Jetty
Finish at Weld Quay (Pengkalan Weld), where the iron “Too Hot” sculpture waits. Then walk out onto Chew Jetty, one of the wooden clan jetties built on stilts. The faded Children in a Boat is gone, but Yip Yew Chong’s 2018 mural Folklore by the Sea now stands nearby. Chew Jetty asks visitors to come between 9am and 9pm.
When to go for the best photos
Go early. Before 9am the light is soft, the streets are cooler and the queues at Children on a Bicycle are short or gone. By late morning, tour groups arrive, and from noon the sun is high and harsh on the walls.
Late afternoon is the second-best slot, once the heat drops. Weekends and school holidays are busiest, so a weekday morning is ideal. If you’re planning around the weather, check our best time to visit guide, since heavy afternoon rain is common in some months.
A few practical tips:
- Wear comfortable shoes and a hat. There’s little shade on some streets.
- Carry water. You’ll pass plenty of kopitiam (old-style coffee shops) to top up.
- Look up and around corners. Many caricatures sit high on walls and are easy to miss.
Street art etiquette
George Town is a living city, not a theme park. Most murals are painted on homes, shops and offices, and the people inside still have to get to work. In 2019, Zacharevic himself said the crowds had turned Armenian Street into a “circus”.
Please keep these in mind:
- Queue and share. Take a few shots, then step aside for the next person.
- Don’t block the road. These are working streets with cars and motorbikes. Keep an eye out behind you.
- Respect private property. Don’t sit on doorsteps, lean on shop goods or walk into homes for an angle. Ask before you photograph residents.
- Go easy on the props. The bicycle, motorbike, chair and swing are real, but they’re part of the art. Pose gently and don’t climb on them.
- Keep the jetties quiet. Families live on Chew Jetty. Keep your voice down and stick to visiting hours.
- Buy something local. A drink or snack from a nearby shop is a small thank-you to the street.
George Town World Heritage Incorporated now reviews new mural proposals through a public arts review panel. So the art you see should fit the heritage zone, and new pieces still appear from time to time.
Is the street art trail free?
Yes. Every mural and iron caricature on this route is on a public street, and there’s no ticket or pass. You only pay if you stop for food, drinks or an attraction along the way.
Pair the walk with our hawker food guide for lunch, or use our 1-day George Town itinerary to fit it into a full day.