"Beca (Trishaw Paddler)" Sculpture, Chulia Lane

Trishaw Paddler Sculpture (30 March 2013)


"Beca" or "Trishaw Paddler" Sculpture (GPS: 5.41913, 100.33765) is a steel-rod sculpture installed on the wall at the junction of Chulia Lane and Stewart Lane, in George Town, Penang. It celebrates George Town's trishaw paddlers, a cultural asset that is still visible on the streets today.

The sculpture, based on caricature by cartoonist Tang Mun Kian, depicts a hapless skinny paddler having to propel a trishaw occupied by two rather obese and demanding tourists who want him to take them to many places around town. This is one of the few sculptures of the series where I detected a spelling mistake ("paddler" was spelled "peddler").

Getting there

The sculpture is not near any particular bus stop, though the nearest are the ones on Chulia Street (Rapid Penang bus 10, 101, 104, 201, 202, 203 and 206) and Pitt Street (Rapid Penang bus CAT).

List of Steel-Rod Sculptures by Tang Mun Kian, Marking George Town Sculptures and Penang Street Art