One might mistake Weld Quay as one of the original roads of Penang when Captain Francis Light first established George Town, as the road was built approximately 100 years after Light’s discovery. In reality, the quay – named after Sir Frederick Weld who was key in the construction project – was built over reclaimed land, in an extensive operation aimed to create a deeper port, which continues to serve ships to this very day.

The completed new land area made way for the Chinese Trades Neighbourhood in the southern portion of the quay. If one were to take a quick walk up the quay back in the day, labourers who also developed their own living quarters would patronize them with numerous wholesalers and Chinese warehouses, also known as godowns, set up. Today, most of the wholesalers are long gone, and in their stead lie instead plenty of restaurants and food stalls. Their living quarters have become a renowned tourist spot – the famous picturesque Clan Jetties, where one will find the occasional tourist or aspiring photographer/filmmaker taking a shot. The southernmost part of the quay also houses numerous modern-day high-rise apartments, automobile repair shops, boat engine shops, and anchor making shops, among a few other services.