George Town World Heritage

George Town World Heritage Incorporated is the site manager established by the Penang State Government on 21 April 2010 to spearhead efforts in safeguarding the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The team of George Town World Heritage Incorporated is dedicated to managing, safeguarding and promoting George Town as a sustainable heritage city. We are a diverse, multiracial group of professionals with different areas of expertise, with the aim of conserving and safeguarding our tangible and intangible heritage.

We encounter daily challenges in conserving over 5,000 buildings within the site, the adaptive reuse of spaces and the safeguarding of living heritage, including those outside the World Heritage Site.

We work on cultural heritage promotion in schools, youth participation in programmes, disaster risk management, regeneration of residency within George Town, paper and object conservation, and first aid for cultural heritage in emergencies.

To promote cultural heritage education and boost capacity building, we collaborate with a wide range of partners to conduct workshops, conferences, exhibitions and heritage celebrations, and at the same time encourage public participation in World Heritage Site conservation efforts.

These tasks are conducted through some 50 programmes and projects annually with sponsorship from the Penang State Government, in collaboration with UNESCO and its Category 2 Centres.

We also provide complimentary consultations to owners of heritage buildings, architects and builders on the appropriate restoration methods, conduct skills development workshops, and provide resources on George Town and its heritage. Apart from our outreach efforts, the team also facilitates and conducts inventory, documentation and research projects.

Visitors from local and international educational institutions, and city authorities from other states and heritage cities are welcome to visit our office to learn more about our management of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site.