Foo Tye Sin Mansion

Foo Tye Sin Mansion (4 June 2006)


The Foo Tye Sin Mansion (GPS: 5.41975, 100.34209) is one of the first non-European mansions to be erected along Light Street. Until the time it was built, around the mid 19th Century, Light Street was the preserve of the European elite. Foo Tye Sin was one of three Chinese tycoons who were given the honour of sitting on the Commission of Inquiry into the 1867 Penang Riots. Foo Tye Sin, whose name today graces Tye Sin Street, is one of those newly rich, British-educated Chinese.

Foo Tye Sin was a Hakka born in Penang and educated at the Penang Free School. His business partner was Koh Seang Tat, who built the Koh Seang Tat Fountain beside the Penang Town Hall. Together, they were two of the three Chinese Justices of the Peace in 1874.

Lantern, Foo Tye Sin Mansion (24 March 2014)


Foo Tye Sin Mansion, George Town (29 January 2005)


Although the colonial administrators think of him as a Hai San sympathiser, he was nevertheless the only non-partisan Chinese at a ceasefire conference called by Lt. Governor Anson at the height of the Larut war.

A charming feature of the Foo Tye Sin Mansion is the fourth storey lookout tower at the back, today unused. The mansion itself has since been converted to house a branch of a local bank.

Foo Tye Sin Mansion, windows (4 June 2006)


Side of the Foo Tye Sin Mansion where the 4th storey lookout tower is visible (4 June 2006)


Foo Tye Sin Mansion, Penang Street (12 November 2008)

Getting there

Foo Tye Sin Mansion is located along Light Street. There is a bus stop nearby served by Rapid Penang bus 103, 204, 502 and CAT.

Foo Tye Sin Mansion is on the Map of Light Street, Penang

List of Historic Buildings in Penang and Historic Buildings in Malaysia

Private Guided Tours of Penang

If you are seeking private guided tours of Penang, message Penang Tour Guides at penangtourguides@gmail.com and enquire with them.

 Buy, rent or sell properties in Penang

Do you have a property for sale or to rent out? Are you looking to buy or rent a property? Get in touch with me. WhatsApp me (Timothy Tye) at 012 429 9844, and I will assign one of my property agents to serve you. I will choose the agent for you, according to your property needs. So when you message me, provide me some details of what you need, whether to sell, to buy, to rent or to rent out, and what type of property, is it condo, apartment, house, shop, office or land.

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

Map of Roads in Penang

Looking for information on Penang? Use this Map of Roads in Penang to zoom in on information about Penang, brought to you road by road.

About this website

Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.