endocrinology treatments. Tourist attractions The Tow Boo Kong Temple is a Taoist temple which is dedicated to the Taoist principal Deity, Doumu and the Nine Emperor Gods. Built in stages between the 1970s and 2009, the temple at Jalan Raja Uda now serves as a focal point for the grand celebration of Nine Emperor Gods Festival, which occurs annually on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the Chinese calendar. The Sree Maha Mariamman Devasthanam Temple, at Bagan Luar, is the oldest Hindu temple in Butterworth. Founded in 1853, the temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity, Mariamman, a goddess of rain. Urban legend has it that the temple was built when a statue of Mariamman was found by the seaside. As part of efforts to revive the fortunes of Butterworth, a number of alleys within the town centre have been decorated with wall murals, similar in style to the street art in George Town. In addition, the Butterworth Fringe Festival, inaugurated in 2015 as a spin-off to the George Town Festival, is an annual arts festival held within the town centre every August. Military A Royal Malaysian Air Force airfield - RMAF Butterworth - is located to the north of Butterworth proper. Completed by the British in 1941 just prior to the Japanese invasion of Malaya, the airfield served both the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force squadrons tasked with defending the airspace over Penang. However, the Japanese immediately gained air superiority, damaging the Butterworth airfield in the process. The station was then captured by the Imperial Japanese 25th Army on 20 December 1941. During the post-war period, the Butterworth airfield was put to use by the Royal Air Force, and subsequently, the Royal Australian Air Force, to combat the communist threat in Malaya at the time. The Australian squadrons based in Butterworth also saw action during the Indonesian Confrontation in the 1960s. In 1988, the Butterworth airfield was handed over to the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Now renamed as RMAF Butterworth, the airfield housed the headquarters of the Integrated Area Defence System that covers both Malaysia and Singapore under the Five Power Defence Arrangements. Neighbourhoods The following neighbourhoods are situated within Butterworth. See also Perai Seberang Perai Bukit Mertajam References External links North Seberang Perai District Towns in Penang