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Penang needs little introduction to many visitors
to Malaysia, having long been known as one of
Southeast Asia's finest destinations. Penang's
outstanding beaches and exotic sights have made
it one of the most popular destinations in the
region.
As fabulous as its beaches are, some of Penang's
deeper mysteries should also be experienced. According
to local folklore, the Snake Temple, dedicated
to a Buddhist healer-priest, was inhabited by
snakes who crawled out of the jungle on the night
of the temple's completion. The snakes are still
there today. The Kek Lok Si temple, at Air Itam,
is reputed to be the most beautiful and largest
temple complex in Southeast Asia.
Penang was established by Francis Light in 1786
as the first British trading post in the Far East.
Light had persuaded the Sultan of Kedah to cede
Pulau Pinang ("Island of the Betel Nut")
to the British in exchange for military assistance;
though Light occupied the island, he withheld
a commitment to aid Kedah until the Sultan had
ceded additional territory on the adjoining mainland
coast.
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