| Connected to the island
by the Penang Bridge, Prai is a thriving industrial premise on the
mainland. While her island sister hogs most of the limelight, Prai
has her own share of attractions.
 Penang
Bridge
The Penang Bridge, which links Penang Island and the mainland was
officially opened on September 15, 1988. The spectacularly beautiful
bridge spans 13.5km across the channel, offering a beautiful view
of the open sea, ships and the sprawling coastline.
Mengkuang Dam
The biggest dam in Penang which has a storage capacity of 23, 639
million litres of water is located in the Mengkuang Valley north
of Bukit Mertajam on the mainland. Jogging tracks and walking trails
are available for the fitness buffs. The dam was recently host to
the Penang International Dragon Boat Festival.
While the vibrant hues of Penang’s native
fauna is the prominent feature, the star attraction is the large
number of macaque monkeys that greet visitors from the entrance
right to the heart of the garden. Walkers, joggers, runners, picnickers
and lovers frequent this gem of a garden for its spacious and blissful
settings.
 Penang Bird Park
A five-minute drive from the Penang Bridge, this 2-hectare bird
park is home to more than 800 birds of 300 species from all over
the world. Be prepared to see the huge birds of prey, pelican and
the gigantic cassowaries, emu, and ostriches, all housed in large
aviaries in simulated natural surroundings.
The park also boasts beautifully landscaped garden
with cascading waterfalls and ponds with lotus, water lilies and
water fowls which swim freely.
St. Anne’s
Church
From a small chapel built atop a hillock by visiting priest Fr.
Adolphe Couellan in 1846, it grew to become a center of pilgrimage
in the region. Hence a bigger church was built next to the old one,
now called the Shrine. The dedication of the new church with its
multi-tiered Minangkabau roofs and Gothic architecture was held
on the 26 July 2002. The church was named after St Anne, mother
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and has a sitting capacity of 1,800.
Celebrations are held on a grand scale annually in conjunction with
the annual St Anne's Feast (in the month of July) which is usually
followed by two nights of candelight procession by thousands of
devotees at the church grounds. |
