Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion: The Blue Mansion Tour Guide

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is the indigo-blue courtyard house on Leith Street that most people know simply as The Blue Mansion. Built between 1897 and 1904 for the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze, it follows a Straits Chinese eclectic style: mainly Chinese courtyard design, with some European elements. Today it is a boutique hotel, and visitors can see the public areas on a daily guided tour.

The house has 38 rooms, five granite-paved courtyards and 220 timber louvre windows. Its indigo-blue outer walls give the mansion its nickname.

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion tour

Guided tours run twice a day, at 11am and 3.30pm, and last around 45 minutes. Groups are capped at 24 people, so booking online in advance is strongly recommended, especially at weekends. The tour covers the reception hall, the main courtyard and a museum exhibition on the second floor, with guides explaining the layout of the house and the life of the man who built it.

There is also a self-guided audio tour, used on your own smartphone with your own earphones, which allows entry between 11am and 6pm in small hourly slots. It suits travellers whose schedule does not fit the guided tour times, though the guides’ stories are a large part of the appeal.

What to look for inside

Stand in the main courtyard and look up: the open roof lets in light and rain, which drains away through the granite paving. Notice how the rows of timber louvre windows control air and light around the house, and how the decoration shifts between Chinese and European details from room to room. If you want to linger, the Indigo restaurant on the first floor offers a chance to see more of the building over a meal.

A short history

Cheong Fatt Tze was a Hakka merchant with business interests across the region. After his death the house declined for decades, until a group of Penang residents bought it in 1989 and led a careful restoration. In 2000 the work earned a UNESCO heritage conservation award. The mansion has also appeared on screen, including in the French film Indochine and in Crazy Rich Asians.

How to get there

The mansion sits at 14 Leith Street (Lebuh Leith), at the northern edge of George Town’s heritage centre and close to the Esplanade and Fort Cornwallis. It is an easy walk from Love Lane and Chulia Street, or a short Grab ride from anywhere in the old town.

Best time to visit

Pick whichever tour time fits your day, then plan around it. The 11am tour slots neatly after a morning on the Penang street art trail, while the 3.30pm tour is a good way to escape the afternoon heat. Arrive ten minutes early to check in.

How it fits your trip

A visit takes about an hour, so it fits easily into a day in George Town. Our 3-day Penang itinerary includes it on the heritage day, and the Penang guide covers other sights. Check tour times and book on the official Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion website.