Ipoh Town | IpohWorld's World

We thank Wai Ming Kuah for this picture. Does anyone remember this Grand Cheap Sale?

Here’s another two pictures from Mun Chor Seng. Does anyone recall this float parade? Or, perhaps you remember these unique floats?

We thank Wei Ning Kuah for sharing this picture with us. We were told that this shop was founded in 1939, and that the photo dates back to the early days before the Japanese Occupation. It is said that the original premise was along Brewster Road.

According to The Yamato News, back in February 1942 a new hospital was opened in Ipoh. Based on the above article, this move was started by the Indian Committee (assisted by Dr G. S. Venketesan) and backed by the local representatives of the Nippon Government. Could this have been the General Hospital in Ipoh (Hospital […]

We thank Mun Chor Seng for this photo. Here we have Ipoh’s black-and-white Amahs walking in a Wesak Day Parade. This is of course Brewster Road…and one of the shop houses in the background is none other than Lean Kap Seng’s photographic studio (which many of you may know as Scoop photo studio).

No prizes for guessing where this was taken. However, we do thank our donor – who prefers to be called “Canning Garden” – for sharing this picture with us.

The activity appears to be centred around the England Dobi Shop where the procession may well have stopped to give a demonstration, and there are large numbers of spectators in attendance. Numerous vehicles in the street are probably being delayed by the festivities and have formed a traffic jam. I wonder which part of […]

Here’s a relatively easy one. I’m sure you can guess where this is 🙂 We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this photo.

Yes, you read the words right. This gazebo was once part of the Ipoh Club. [see here for a different angle of the Club, with the gazebo on the right] We thank Edwin Seibel for sharing this picture with us.

Yes, folks. From the above receipt, we once had a soap factory. The office was at No. 80 Hugh Low Street (which is now Kedai Emas Kah Weng, if I’m not mistaken), while the factory was at New Pasir Puteh. Wonder what’s become of the soap factory…

We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this picture, which is part of a postcard. Here we have Market Street, from Court House Road. You can also see FMS Hotel. Incidentally, we have this postcard in our collection (along with a little history to it).

Here’s another gem from our donor Harvant Lisa Harper. Do you recognise the buildings in the background?

No prizes for guessing…but I’m sure MANY of you recognise this familiar street corner!

Here’s another one from Harwant Lisa Harper. This was Ipoh, back in 1988.

What’s this funny looking contraption, you ask? Why, it’s a one-man battery-operated street cleansing vehicle! Back in the 1960’s Ipoh had a well deserved reputation of being the cleanest town in the Federation of Malaya….

No, I’ve not taken up architecture 🙂 This is in fact a drawing of the proposed multi-storey car park, at Station Road.

No, this isn’t part of a circus troupe. Neither is this a Chinese New Year celebration (yes, I know some of you spotted the ‘lion’ in the background). This is actually part of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival parade. We thank our donor – Ann Kesselring Hamon – for sharing this with us. Here’s another […]

Can you believe this is Cowan Street? Hardly any traffic, save for that lone vehicle on the right. Can’t find such clear roads now though…

Is it a bird…is it a plane…..? No, they are most likely staring at the Birch Clock Tower. The gentleman (holding some papers) is none other than Rev J Appaduray. The boys in the background are students from St Michael’s Insitution. Here’s another picture of the group: (read the full story here)

I’m sure many of you recognise this corner building 🙂 Do you remember the tea stall outside (as pictured above)? (picture courtesy of Hovid)

This is said to be a Staff Photo, from 1955. We thank Gary Au Yong for this gem 🙂

This photograph shows Fujiwara Iwaichi with Captain M. Akram, adjutant to General Mohan Singh, at Fujiwara Kikan headquarters at the Anderson School, Ipoh, on 5th January 1942. The military headquarters was established by Fujiwara Kikan, the military intelligence agency, on New Year’s Day 1942. The building also served as the headquarters of Indian Independence League […]

This photograph reproduced from ‘Imperial Patriot’, shows a ceremony at the Ipoh Club to mark the first anniversary of declaration of World War I on 4 August 1915.

The month of August is usually known as “bulan Merdeka” (Merdeka/Independence Month). But did you also know that the earliest cinematograph first came to Ipoh in August 1906? Initially the cinematograph market was monopolized by one company, the Matsuo Japanese Cinematograph Company, who used to hold nightly shows in a tent for 7-weeks running, moving […]

We’ve always featured old photos of this famous bridge. Here’s something new – from V Radnell. Yes, it’s non other than the Hugh Low Bridge (now known as the Sultan Iskandar Bridge). This is a recent view, probably a year or two ago.

We thank Eugene Lee for this picture. Can you guess which street this is (maybe also the year)? 🙂

We’ve heard of Elvis impersonators. Some of them sound almost like the late King of Rock and Roll….almost. Here is a Yul Brynner impersonator.

I’m sure you know which street this is 😉

We thank Edwin Siebel for sharing this picture with us. Yes, it is none other than the E W Birch Fountain 🙂

Does this street look familiar? Well, if it does…do let us know WHERE in Ipoh this is 🙂 The above picture was taken from “Ipoh: The Town that Tin Built”

The above picture shows the Ipoh Town Council’s new cleaning lorries. These lorries were used back in 1960s, of course. The advertisement below may give you a better view of them. These pictures were taken from Ipoh: The Town that Tin Built (1962)

They say it’s rude to ask a woman her age. This “lady” pictured above, however, is proud to announce her 115th birthday 🙂 Yes, Ipoh’s HIJ Convent is a hundred and fifteen years old today!

Yes, folks! An 8km foot trail, with 32 stops, is expected to be launched in two months. This trail will be called the Ipoh Cantonese Heritage Trail. (read more here)

This Order Booklet, dated 19th December 1954, from The Wesley Church in Ipoh contains a list of lessons and carols. A small paragraph reads that the church is thankful to the members of 15/19 The King’s Royal Husssars and their Commander for their wonderful musical display.

Here’s another puzzle for you – Sharikat Lam Chuan Co. Was it a textile store? Or, an emporium?

Here’s an eco-friendly tip: Use paper bags (such as the one shown above) or bring your own reusable bags when shopping. 🙂 When was the last time you saw a Whiteaways’ bag like this one?

…well, belated birthday actually. Nevertheless, birthday greetings to St Michael’s Institution (SMI) – born on 4th December 1912. Here’s a 1920s drawing of the school, which was in an old Malay bungalow.

Here’s one from 1985, taken at the opening of Wisma Taiko in Ipoh. I’m sure many of you recognise the VIPs in this photo 🙂

Yes, this is part of the famous Ipoh Padang. And the building in the background is of course the Ipoh Club. This was taken off a postcard, which seemed to date back to 1912. Hence, we believe this picture was taken around 1910.

Those of you who are familiar with Armistice Day (or Poppy Day) would know that it falls on the 11th of Nov. The Armistice, an agreement to end the fighting of the First World War as a prelude to peace negotiations, began at 11am on 11 November 1918. Armistice is Latin for to stand (still) arms. As […]

We thank Charlie Choong for these photographs. These were taken during a parade in Ipoh. Could it have been during the Nine Emperor Gods festival? Can you guess the year?

According to this advertisement (from 1988), this place offered a “City Day Special”. Does anyone remember where Cowboy’s Inn was? And, perhaps what’s become of the place?

Dated 1st July 1983, this article mentions the Sun Cinema making its way for a skyscraper. Do any of you remember that fateful day?

This picture needs no introduction. Wonder what happened to the cars once this business ceased operation….

Fancy owning a bungalow near Fair Park? Or, perhaps one along Kampar Road? If you’re on a tight budget, maybe you could go for one of the “440 cheap dwelling houses” in Kepayang. What really caught my eye was the last line: “You can buy and live in a comfortable home in the Cleanest Town […]

Here we have the Mercantile Bank building, all lit up for the big day back in 1963. I’m sure you history-buffs know WHAT the big event was 🙂 Photo courtesy of: Ruth Iversen Rollitt

…Ipoh was declared a city! Here’s one memorable newspaper cutting of the celebrations. (more samples can be found here)

This photograph shows a view of the first timber building of the Anglo-Chinese School (Ipoh) at Lahat Road. Completed in May 1896. Amazing, innit! 😉

This photograph shows the Federated Malay States Hockey Quadrangular held at the Ipoh Club Padang on 26, 27 and 28 January 1941. Abdul Hamid Aroop is standing tenth from the right.

We were told that this building was along Togo Street. Our donor (Ruth Iversen Rollitt) also told us that this photograph dates back to 1933. Do you know what building this is? 🙂

No, I wasn’t talking about Chan Sam Lock. I was referring to Majestic Photo Service (130 Brewster Road, Ipoh). According to the above receipt, the customer bought one set of R. C. A. 23″ Newport television for $1,030. A photo studio seling televisions? Hmm……

The Ipoh Bodega was the first European restaurant to open in Ipoh. Its doors opened on the 6th August 1904. Initially catering mainly to the lunchtime crowd, it began serving dinner shortly after and a month later began to stay open until 11pm, with music to entertain the liquor-drinkers. The weather was the death of […]

In keeping up with the Halloween theme, here’s a familiar landmark that may have had its fair share of spooky tales… Somewhat triangular in shape the Odeon is adjacent to St Michael’s Catholic graveyard and like the post-war Rex Theatre, rumours that it is haunted abound. One popular rumour is that if you ever take off your shoes […]

Looks familiar? Then perhaps you could tell us where in Ipoh this place is. We’d like to thank Ruth Iversen Rollitt for this gem. Ruth, if you’re reading this…SHHHH! Don’t give the readers the answer yet 🙂

This ‘Ipoh Supermarket’ opened on 1st September 1960. Anyone remember where it was? Is it still there?

Your ‘homework’ for today: Which street is this? Do you recognise the car? (What about the man driving it?)

Our donor (Charlie Choong) took this photograph from the office of the late Dato K K Lim on 31 August 1978. What a view, eh? 🙂

Yes, there was a mass gathering in Ipoh back in 1942. According to the article, demonstrators numbering 17000 marched through the streets of the town carrying banners and shouting anti-British slogans…. Wonder what happened after that?

Does anyone remember Tong King Coffee Shop? Apparently they were at No.34 Cockman Street…

Today’s “celebrity” is not a politician or statesman. Our famous personality once performed as a solo artiste in 1977 at the Green Fern Coffee House, Ipoh. The Green Fern Coffee House is, of course, no longer around. I’m sure some of you recognise him (pictured above). Yes, this is none other than Joe Chin, formerly […]

The Cenotaph came into being as a memorial for those from Perak who died in World War 1. Initially planned to be erected shortly after the war ended in 1919, building was delayed; only to be unveiled in 1927 in a ceremony organised by ex-servicemen. We believe this photograph shows that unveiling ceremony on Armistice […]

Those of you who’ve guessed it already know this to be part of the Elim Gospel Church. But what was this building used for?

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, and is commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year. It now more broadly commemorates all those who died and served in military operations for the country. The picture shows a remembrance parade in Ipoh, back in 1957.

Here we have a ceremony at the Ipoh Town Hall, to observe the Japanese Emperor’s birthday. It is said that Emperor Showa (better known as Hirohito) was born on 29 April 1901; and the Emperor’s Birthday celebrations are always carried out on the actual day of birth. We estimate this photograph was taken in the […]

No, we’re not in a morbid mood this Friday. In fact, tomorrow (21st March) will mark 71 years since the burial of WW II heroine Sybil Kathigasu (nee Daly). We have here a photograph taken at St Michael’s Church, way back in 1949. The hearse can be seen arriving at the tree-lined Church Road. Also […]

This press cutting reported that on March 1st 1983, a new $14 million central market (Super Kinta), was expected to be fully opened for business. Also, this was said to be the largest in South-East Asia!

This is a Sunday School Class, which was part of the Elim Gospel Hall. We don’t know the exact date this photograph was taken; however, do you recognise anyone in the photo?

The word Thaipusam is a combination of the name of the Tamil month, Thai, and the name of a star, Pusam. This particular star is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a Vel “spear” so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman. We at IpohWorld would like […]

Taken from the Straits Times, dated 25th Dec 1959, it states that many have complained about the long waiting hours at the Taiping District Hospital. One of the patients, who went to the hospital at 9a.m., was not admitted until 5.30p.m. I guess we’re still having the same issues today, aren’t we? 😉

We thank Muhammad for sharing this photo with us. His grandfather – Mohd Ali bin Pitchay – is the gentleman on the extreme right. Can you identify the others in this photo? 😀 We were told that this photo was taken inside the Lam Looking building…

We thank Sai Chew Yin for sharing this with us. In his words “Lee Heng is synonymous with the Yin family living in Ipoh for three generations, had many fond and happy memories growing up in our home/shop“. With reference to our previous blog, Sai added “The receipt was made out by one of our […]

In previous blog posts about the former Yau Tet Shin Round Market, many of you talked about the stall(s) you frequently visited. Well, for those who knew the Round Market like the back of their hand….here’s a ‘quiz’ for you: Do you recall what was sold at Stall No. 12?

We thank Barat Kumar for sending us this picture. In his own words, Barat explains: “As we bear witness to the passing of a great man I would like to share this picture of Our beloved Mr Selvamany. Picture was taken on 14 July 1972 at a farewell assembly. This was when he went on […]

Here’s an advertisement from an Old Michaelian magazine. Most of us have heard of French Bakery. But what about Swatow & Co?

…when Lido Theatre had its grand opening. Thanks to Hong Soon Keong, we have here a photograph taken outside the cinema before the opening. It shows the Band of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment of Taiping by the kind permission of the Commanding Officer, Lt Col S G Doulson performing outside the Lido […]

When was the last time you saw THIS street (pictured above) so quiet? We thank the Yeoh family for sharing this nostalgic photo with us.

This news article (dated 10 June 1985) reported that the Ipoh Municipal Council planned to turn a length of Jalan Osborne into a pedestrian mall temporarily for three months. The mall will be a permanent feature only if there is not much objection from the traders. If made into a permanent feature, the mall will […]

On this date, in 1948, the movie “The Boy with Green Hair” played at Ruby in Ipoh. Anyone watched this movie? Did Peter’s hair turn back to its original colour? UPDATE: The year is in fact 1949, not 1948 as stated. 13th May back in 1948 was a Thursday, not a Friday; hence, with reference […]

Heard about the Ipoh Food Festival? Check out the posters below: Here’s a message from the organisers: We have many exciting workshops and experience for tourist to sign up. Some are also free. Including 1) Dine in the Dark (rm15 per pax) Register via WhatsApp name > 012-4128038 Rattan Basket Weaving Workshop [1 seat left] […]

These brothers need no introduction. The very fact that they are standing in front of a famous landmark already gives it away. Yes, in the background is part of the parking lot of Jubilee Park.

Yes, here’s another aerial view of Ipoh. This time, we have Brewster Road and of course the iconic Odeon Cinema. ps: Did you know that this cinema was once called “Rex Theatre” ? 🙂

We have here two views of Belfield Street, with the HSBC building in the background. The one on the left (from Ruth Iversen Rollitt) dates back to 1958; the one on the right (from SK) was taken recently.

Have you heard of Aylesbury Street? What about Chee Tuck Medical Hall?

How sharp are your eyes? Can you identify some of the familiar/popular buildings in this aerial view photograph? Some of you experts out there may already know which part of Ipoh this is too 😉

Thanks to Ipoh Remembered, we have the above photo to keep you entertained this weekend. Some of you may have already guessed WHERE this place is. Can you also guess the year? And just for fun, we’ll let Ipoh Remembered keep tally of your score….. 😉

Don’t know what to do the coming long weekend? Well, why don’t you head on out to Ipoh Old Town. Lots of exciting events will be happening on the 19th and 20th of January 2019 – you wouldn’t want to miss it! Curious? Want to know more? Visit the Sama Sama Perak Facebook […]

We were told that this photo was taken at Jubilee Park. Could it be so? You tell us 🙂 In the meanwhile…does anyone know WHO this pretty lady is?

If they ever came to life (like in those Disney cartoons), perhaps these vehicles would have been good friends 😉 Here we have a bicycle, a car and a van; all three of them ‘worked’ for Ho Yan Hor. We’d like to hear from the car-lovers out there – can you identify the type of […]

Many of you managed to ‘solve’ our Monday puzzle. Let’s see how many of your can guess THIS one. Ruth, if you are reading this…don’t give up the answer too soon 😉

Take a good look at the building in the picture below. Looks familiar? They used to be at No. 84 Hugh Low Street. Anyone know what they traded? 😉

Remember this memorial? Any idea where in Ipoh Town it stood? Or…maybe you might know WHO built it?

Ever wondered what was at the back of the Ipoh Railway Station? Well, here’s a late 1930s view (picture courtesy of Winson Saw):

Remember the Times of Malaya? Well, here’s a photo of their second building; probably around the 1930s (we could be wrong though). Last we heard, this building was rented out to the Yayasan Perak company.

We’ve all heard (and seen videos) of shopping-adventures (and misadventures too). For those of you who’ve been to Emporium Perak, do share some stories with us 😉

Many of you may have seen the Kuomintang Parade photos on our database. Here’s another one, from Ann Kesselring Hamon’s collection. What’s so special about this, you ask? Well, it’s in colour! ps: Recognise the street?

Where were YOU back in 1979? Did you witness the Castrol ASEAN Rally? Do you remember seeing this car (picture above) in action? Although the photo is not too clear, but do you recognise the driver? 😉

What’s so rare about this one? If you look closely, you can see the words “Chan Sam Lock Photo Service” on the blinds (below the large Chun Mee signboard). Yes, Chan Sam Lock started out as a half-shop along Brewster Road once upon a time….

“Fancy travelling down the memory lanes in Ipoh? Commander Ian Anderson would bring you through the tourist trails of Old Ipoh, to allow you to relive the good old glorious Ipoh. The speaker will guide the audience along the first published tourist trails of Ipoh in 1914, continuing with a look at the differences created by […]

Some of you may remember Fung Lum Restaurant – at 118 Brewster Road, Ipoh (they also had a branch KL). But what about Maple Leaf Coffee Court? Have you been to this cafe? Was it run by the same people who ran the Fung Lum Restaurant? Or, maybe it was part of Rendezvous?

Yes, folks. This is Ipoh back in the early 1990s. Compared to the skyline of today, not many tall buildings were around back then.

Heard of Hotel Bali? It was located at Jalan Ali Pitchay. This picture was taken from their business card. On the back of the card is the following description: “Stylishly furnished modern hotel; all rooms with telephones and bathrooms; ample parking space; air conditioned bar and restaurant with beautiful waitresses in attendance; excellent Chinese and European […]

Here’s another one from the Yeoh Family album. I know…it’s a funeral procession (no, we’re not feeling morbid today). What caught my eye was the signboard on the extreme right – ANY Co Gift House. I’ve certainly never heard of it (perhaps too young to remember… 😉 ). Do any of YOU remember this shop?

Yes, those in the leading car in this parade were the Perak State Table Tennis Team. Incidentally, the team won the National Table Tennis Championship back in 1967. The winners went on parade through Hugh Low Street – passing the premises of the Oversea Chinese Banking Corporation. The President of the Perak Association, Towkay Chong […]

Synopsis GE14 marked an end to half a century of a “one-party state” paradigm, which started with a Malay Tsunami (not a Chinese Tsunami!) in 1969. Tun Razak’s “one-party state” paradigm came with two heavy drawbacks. First, UMNO/BN’s unchecked power bred corruption and abuse of power, which culminated in the 1MDB global scandal. Second, by […]

In this 1959 photograph, our donor (Charlie Choong) can be seen posing on the steps of the Birch Clock Tower. Note the bust in the background 😉

Anyone remember this parade? Special thanks to Charlie Choong for these photographs.

According to the business card (above), this photo studio operated from No.7 Chamberlain Road, Ipoh. Does anyone remember this studio?

A long time ago, a featured two sketches from a local artist (who’s also an alumni of ACS). Some of you may recognise his work (see picture below). Yes, this is another drawing from Amiruddin Mohd Daud’s collection. Together with his wife, they are quite involved with charity and fund raising activities; 10% of the sale […]

This photograph was taken high up from a nearby building. Yes, it’s the Yau Tet Shin Market. You can also see some of the shophouses in Cockman Street.

This picture is a follow up to a previous blog entry. We thank Ipoh Remembered for his untiring efforts (and creativity!) in producing this picture – complete with labels of the various landmarks in Ipoh Old Town. More details (also provided by Ipoh Remembered) can be found on the database entry.

Remember the time when palm trees lined up Club Road? Neither do I 😉 Jokes aside, I’m sure those trees stood there for quite a while, before bowing to ‘development’. Since the Town Hall can be seen in the background, I’m making a wild guess as to the date of this postcard; I’m thinking…1920? Perhaps […]

Those flats look familiar, don’t they? Also note the river…back in the late 1980s, the water was still clear 😉

Yes, we’ve featured this famous bridge and street numerous times. But what I’m curious about is the building next to the Lam Looking building. In the tinted photo, it looks like just another shophouse. In the 1989 photo however, this same building seems to have undergone a massive makeover. Can anyone tell us more about […]

Today’s blog picture is from Sybil de Roquigny (via email). She tells us that this is the embankment (with a flight of steps) in front of her grandmother’s house; if you stand at the top, you get a good view of the Kinta River. Sybil’s grandmother – Chow Yoon Soo – was the second wife […]

Before you ask, yes…we’ve checked on Google maps, and this shop doesn’t seem to exist now. Perhaps it has been replaced by another business….or maybe it now goes by another name. If so, do you know what happened to Heng Kee Paper Merchants?

Yes, this IS Clayton Road – named after Mr R J B Clayton who retired as British Adviser in Kelantan, in November 1930. He was also the brother of Tubby Clayton, founder of Toch H during the Great War.

I think this street sign speaks for itself, don’t you think? 🙂

Heard of the Grand Hotel? It opened on 16th December 1909 and was Ipoh’s first European style hotel. But who was the Founder of this hotel? None other than Mr Pierre Z Creet. Here he is pictured with his daughter, Mignon Betty, in the early 1940’s.

Come visit us at Sarang Paloh. Our exhibition will be from today 5th Sept till 10th Sept 2017, 5pm – 9pm. This exhibition is part of the festivities of The Other Festival, organised by Kakiseni. ps: bring along your cameras 😉

Here’s another NST picture, showing the ‘hello girls’ (as they were called). These girls worked at the Ipoh Telephone Exchange once upon a time. Dewi (wearing a checkered dress), and her sister Jamilah (face towards to camera) both worked 6-hour shifts at the Exchange. This picture is dated 1st November 1953.

Does anyone recall there being a photo studio along Market Street, Ipoh?

How many of you remember The Drifters? How many of you saw them perform at the Rex Cinema? How many of you remember the dragons on the walls, which ‘watched over’ the cinema goers?

Here’s a fun fact: This building was opened by the British Resident of Perak, Mr R W Thomson, in 1928. This building was also the 3rd Ipoh Court House (read about the others here).

Not a fashion-buff, but perhaps Kian Fatt was one of those modern-day clothing stores back then. Does anyone remember this place?

Today, if you want to know the schedule at your local cinema all you need is the Internet 😉 Yes, everything is available online now – you can even buy your tickets online too! What about back then in the 1930s? Here we have a flyer from 1938, advertising movies showing at the Sun Cinema […]

click to enlarge We thank Ruth Rollitt for this 1957 photograph. The lady in the trishaw is Mrs Iversen – yes, the same Iversen who built a number of iconic buildings in Ipoh (like the Telekom building along Cockman Street, the Geological Museum, as well as quite a few cinemas). Do you see the […]

Calling all you nimble-feet folk! How many of you remember the Celestial Dance Bar?

No, not our website….but this beautiful icon of Ipoh is said to be turning 100 years old this year! This special heritage building was even mentioned in the Star recently (read the article here).

We have here a postcard from V. Radnell, showing an Indian trader at the wet-market, former Super Kinta. Anyone remember him..or this stall?

These two postcards show a Then and Now view of the famous Hugh Low Bridge, which connects New Town and Old Town in Ipoh. We know such pictures often lead to a debate between preserving the ‘old’ and embracing the ‘new’. However, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this 🙂

I’m sure you’ve heard of Robin Hotel. Do you know the history behind this place? Looking forward to reading your comments 🙂

Have you heard of this company before – Sharikat Sim Lim (M)? It used to be along Brewster Road (as seen in the picture above). For those who are still staring at this picture in disbelief, yes…Brewster Road used to be a two-way street once…. We thank Chan Kok Keong for the above picture.

…that the YMCA Ipoh building used to be along Cockman Street? Check out the pictures below 🙂 Apparently, this premise later became the home for Lido Cinema. Does anyone remember this building? Here’s a group photo of the YMCA members, taken outside the Cockman Street building.

photo from: Lay Jin Chew Here’s another river scene, from one side of the Hugh Low Bridge. Can you see the wooden bench near the lamp post? I doubt there’s such a thing there today. Even the bridge is different now. But don’t let all the changes discourage you from enjoying this nostalgic photograph.

Drop us an e-mail at info@ipohworld.org if you are interested in joining our team of part-time guides at Ipoh World at Han Chin Pet Soo

Looking at this picture (from Lay Jin Chew), I couldn’t help but wonder how much Ipoh’s landscape has changed over the years. Could that bridge (far left) be part of the Hugh Low Bridge, or part of the Birch Bridge? I would also like to draw your attention to the area on the left of […]

The photo doesn’t really show this once famous bakery, but you can see the sign on the wall (extreme right). I vaguely remember this bakery, which was a family-run business. One of the daughters (or maybe the grand daughter) was my classmate in primary school. Sadly, we lost touch in later years. I never got […]

Of late, Ipoh old town has been getting increasingly popular — it’s great, but everyone also goes to the same spaces for the same experiences.We know there is plenty to learn of Ipoh old town, many more places and stories to explore and uncover. So we’ll be working with Doodle Malaysia to draw out a […]

From what we know, there was a parade in Ipoh town back in 1947 – in support of the Kuomintang. We believe the above picture (from Lay Jin Chew) was taken at the same parade, which ran through the streets of Ipoh. Can anyone guess which street this is? On that note, do you know […]

Recognise this place? Familiar, right? Perhaps the next two pictures will give you more clues. In case you’re wondering why we put these up, this is just to show you what’s become of those food stalls in the area. They have their very own food court now….and as you can see, the area […]

Everyone had a favourite hairstyle that they stuck to when they were younger….what look did YOU prefer? On that note, do any of you remember Hoong Ying Hair-Waving Saloon?

picture from: Gogan Singh According to our donor, he and his friends were part of the few non-Chinese devotees who took part in the 9 Emperor Gods festival back in 1970. If you remember this particular event, did you meet them at the procession?

From past blog posts, we’ve had Readers sharing their memories about some of the many smaller departmental stores in Ipoh. With the coming of hypermarkets and malls, these small businesses eventually folded. On that note, does anyone remember Angel Departmental Store? Do you remember where it was located?

We featured the above picture in a previous blog. Do you know what this looks like today? The pictures below are courtesy of Charlie Choong. Here’s more proof…that with a little hard work and determination (and love for heritage as well!), historical buildings like these CAN be restored (instead of being demolished).

We thank Duncan Paterson for the above photograph. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to tell us where in Ipoh this place is? Do the buildings look familiar? What about the street?

These young men belong to the St John’s Ambulance brigade. Do you recognise them? Or, can you identify the shop houses in the background?

click to enlarge Do you recognise this panorama? Can you guess which part of Ipoh this is? While you’re trying to name the buildings and streets, can you also give us a rough date? We look forward to your comments 🙂

Anyone remember this store? According to the label, Hup Hing Shoe Store was along Laxamana Road. I wonder what happened to the place….

On the morning of 30th April 2016, Treacher Street was all abuzz with activity. That day marked the grand opening of the Ho Yan Hor Museum – a museum which tells the story of Ho Kai Cheong, who began as an operator of a humble tea stall and later became a famous entrepreneur and philanthropist. […]

On a car-free morning in Ipoh, I just happen to pass through Hugh Low Street and noticed this building. It’s at the corner of Hugh Low Street and Jalan Che Tak. I’m not sure what building this is…but I’ll say kudos to their restoration work! Does anyone know who / which company owns this building? […]

Do you recognise these panels? They can be found on the four sides of the Birch Clock tower. Still wondering what I’m talking about? Well, the next time you pass by the clock tower, take a closer look 🙂 THE J W W BIRCH MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER PANELS The Growth of Civilization. The following is […]

Some go for sweets, some go for salty snacks. Yet there are others who crave something like this (picture above) – Dry Curry Noodles! Our photographer had this (at RM 5.30 per serving) from the Ma Jie curry mee stall in Restoran Yee Lock, opposite Bridal Collection along Anderson Road. So, dear Readers……what’s YOUR […]

Yes folks…this building is now home to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). This photograph was taken in the 80s. I wonder if much of the outer facade has changed over the years….

Sometime ago, we featured this building – the former Oriental Hotel, which was turned into an electrical store. One of our readers, Charlie Choong, sent us the following photographs recently. Looks like the electrical store is closing down….or perhaps they are relocating….we don’t know. Does anyone know what’s going on?

I’ve been living in Greentown all my life…but I have to admit, this building (picture below) does not ring any bells 😉 Can our Greentown-experts help us out please?

I’m sure you have driven past this building in New Town Ipoh. This is the side view of a former hotel – which is now an electrical store. This building is opposite the Kamdar textile store, just in case you’re wondering. I’m sure some of you already know which building I’m talking about. What we […]

It was a solemn and heart-wrenching occasion, as the people of Ipoh (and even from others towns in Perak) came to pay their last respects to D R Seenivasagam. Some estimate the crowd of mourners to be well into the tens of thousands! click to enlarge We’d love to hear from anyone who witnessed this […]

Could this be part of a floor tile? Or perhaps painted on a wall? Or…could it be part of a signboard? We have no idea, that’s why we’re posing this question to YOU! I know someone out there recognises this ‘globe’….

Recognise the wallpaper? What about the reception desk? Well, keep looking for clues….and tell us WHERE you think this place is 🙂

Sometime last year we gave all of you hints about a project of ours – at No. 1 Treacher Street (Jalan Bijih Timah) in Old Town. Yes, the blue building next door to Han Chin Pet Soo. The story is in today’s Star Metro (15/1/2016) – “Telling A Tale Of Tea”. This new exhibit will […]

source: Road to Nationhood, NSTP In September 1955, the Malayan Traffic Policemen rode on new 120mph motorcycles. Here we have a group of them at the Ipoh Railway Station. Talk about ‘riding with style’ !

source = Charlie Choong Do the shops look familiar to you? Yes, this is none other than Brewster Road. Note that traffic was not as heavy as it is now….back then you could still have parades and processions on the streets!

picture courtesy of Star Publications We admit that it was not easy, but through much hard work and determination we managed to restore the Han Chin Villa (Han Chin Pet Soo) and turn it into a museum. As can be seen in the above picture, the restored Villa stands proudly amidst the other shops. Our […]

ONE NIGHT ONLY!Tapestry performs for the first time in Ipoh at the Event Hall of the Sarang Paloh Heritage Hotel. Come experience an evening of songs in this beautiful and striking heritage space.Friday, 9 October 2015 @ 8:30 PMTickets are priced at RM35 (free seating), and can be purchased from Sarang Paloh, and also […]

This book provides a fresh perspective and deepens previous studies of his [Charles Compton Reade] town planning ideas…..Charles Reade’s obscure and unattributed position in the history of Malayan town planning is now accorded its due recognition…a pioneer and founder of the town planning service in British Malaya (1921-1929). Here’s a book by […]

We thank Marea Smith for sharing this photograph with us. Incidentally, this view is from a car which was following an armed vehicle. Driving on Brewster Road back then seemed to be a breeze…..

As you can guess from the above photograph, something is definitely happening at No. 1 Treacher Street (Jalan Bijih Timah). Look out for updates on our website / blog / Facebook page 🙂

courtesy of Charlie Choong Whenever the subject of cafes and coffee houses enter our blog-sphere, many of our Readers mention Green Fern. Well, here’s an old receipt from Green Fern. Does anyone remember their signature dish/dishes?

special thanks to Ruth Iversen Rollitt Believe it or not, this was what Ipoh looked like back in the 1930s. The area under construction is none other than the Mercantile Bank!

courtesy of Ruth Iversen Rollitt Here’s another angle of a once famous hotel. I’m sure most of you recognise this building (and Iversen-design, if I’m not mistaken). Does anyone know what shops occupied the left part of the photo?

This book, by J. J. Chen and L. Y. Chung, is currently being sold at Han Chin Pet Soo – at RM 80 per copy. See Ipoh’s authentic beauty and charm through the camera lens of the authors!

receipt courtesy of: Charlie Choong Back in the 1980s, there was a place called The Nautilus Inn along Leong Sin Nam Street. As shown in the receipt (above), a seafood cocktail cost $3.90 – it’s probably 3 times the price today! Does anyone remember Nautilus Inn? Who owned this place? What was their specialty?

Yes, folks. This trap door opens up to a tunnel! The door can be found in the court room floor of the Ipoh High Court building, and it leads to the Town Hall. During the Emergency, it was used to moved prisoners in temporary lock ups in the Town Hall (which at that time was […]

“Lady Justice is most often depicted with a set of scales typically suspended from her left hand, upon which she measures the strengths of a case’s support and opposition.She is also often seen carrying a double-edged sword in her right hand, symbolizing the power of Reason and Justice, which may be wielded either for or […]

Remember these insurance agents? They used to operate at No. 168, Brewster Road, Ipoh. Wonder what’s become of this business…

We received this (one of the MANY) from Ruth Iversen Rollitt. Do you recognise this row of shop houses? Do you know which street this is? Well, we think it’s somewhere along Cowan Street…but then again, we could be wrong.

Once an exclusive place meant only for the higher class tin miners and triad members, the Han Chin Pet Soo (Han Chin Villa) at Jalan Bijeh Timah in Ipoh is now opening its doors to the public. The villa underwent a 15-month restoration work and has been turned into an exhibition centre that showcases the […]

I remember eating at this place. I loved the interior decoration – which was made to resemble the inside of a mine (complete with dim lighting too!) It’s gone now, replaced with another cafe. Anyone know HOW Miner’s Arms began?

Our Donor (Mohd Taib) tells us that there are St Michael’s boys in the crowd. This is said to be part of a Chinese Funeral procession. Do you recognise the road they are walking along? What about the building in the background?

We all know Elvis Presley had his share of impersonators; some were almost as good as the ‘King’ himself – with the deep voice AND the gyrating hips! Frank Sinatra (or Ol’ Blue Eyes, as some know him) had his share of impersonators too. Speaking of which, does anyone remember the Frank Sinatra singing contest […]

‘As Indians prepare for Ponggal, which falls today, earthen pots were snapped up at Little India in Jalan Lahat recently.’ Shoppers had the choice to either buy the plain pots or those with colourful designs. Besides the pots, other essential items for the harvest festival that shoppers bought were sugarcane, milk, brown sugar, firewood, cashew […]

Yes, believe it or not…..this is the Lahat Roundabout, taken from the junction of Jalan Datoh. Can you spot any familiar landmarks? (click picture to enlarge)

Much has been said about preserving our heritage buildings in and around the Kinta Valley. But alas, profit always seem to over ride conservation efforts. The following photos (taken this afternoon) is yet another incident whereby pre-war shop houses are forced to make way for more modern structures…. One of our local dailies covered this […]

Back then, some folks in Ipoh counted the cinema halls and the famous Ipoh Race Course as part of their usual hang-outs (of course this was before Parkson and Aeon/Jusco came about!). What I found interesting about the above photo – of the race course nonetheless – is the outside of the Grand Stand. Note […]

We’ve featured pictures and articles from various clubs and associations before. This time, we’d like to present (what we believe to be) a page from the Rotary Newsletter. The picture below is a close-up view of the Ipoh Branch meeting details. Rotarians out there might recognise some of the names. We thank Nicholas Jennings for […]

picture courtesy of Ruth Iversen Rollitt We’ve featured this Club on our blog before, but here’s a different view of it. Notice the structure on the far left. I wonder what’s happened to it. And if your eyes are sharp enough, note the vehicle on the far right too!

I know we’ve featured this house before. But this photo (from Larry Sawyer) is a coloured version- yes, it’s the same beautiful house which is now (sadly) abandoned along Tiger Lane. The Sawyers lived here for a while, from what Larry told us.

Ruth Iversen Rollitt sent us this some time ago. It shows part of a funeral procession near the Ipoh Club. It must have been a funeral of someone important – judging by the large crowd. Does anyone remember this?

This is not an “artist’s impression”…it is the real thing 😉 This is indeed the Ruby Cinema – all done up for a recent advertisement by Petronas. For those of you who didn’t know, this is what the Ruby Cinema used to look like once upon a time. Also take note of the old movie […]

This stall is along Cowan Street….some of you may be familiar with this place. It’s known for their desserts – or thong sui, as the locals call it. One of them is the famous Bubur Cha-cha (pictured below). Our photographer paid RM 1.70 for this 🙂

Not much is known about this park. We’re wondering if anyone could fill us in on its history. Of course, the Memorial Park is not there anymore – this picture (from Angie Yeow) was obviously taken before the park made way for the state mosque. Does anyone know more about this?

According to our photographer (Leong), this place is near the Birch Memorial Clock Tower. Judging by the crowd, I’d say this is a very popular stall 🙂 Could this be the same Nasi Kandar stall which once started out under a shady tree in the same vicinity? We’ve heard stories about the old stall; one […]

Could this be the once famous Ipoh Padang Rojak stall? We think it is….perhaps the Foodies out there might know better 😉

According to the address, this restaurant was behind the Star Theatre. But is it still there? Or, perhaps the name has been changed. Judging from the phone number on the matchbox, this wasn’t that long ago…

Yes, you really never know what you might find to surprise you on our heritage trail. This delight was more than a little surprising just after we passed Concubine Lane at the Treacher Street (Jalam Bijeh Timah) end. Yes it is, it really is – a water meter right in the middle of the […]

Some of you out there may remember this restaurant. I wonder if it’s still there….or, perhaps it’s been replaced by another business? According to the images on this souvenir matchbox, Tai Seng Restaurant had two branches within Ipoh – one at Theatre Street and another at Green Lane. If anyone know more, we’d love to […]

Some years ago this site held two of the original Panglima Lane homes from 1893. Then one literally fell down into a pile of bricks. Fortunately no one was hurt. Then because the second one was considered dangerous it was also taken down. For a while it became a sort of recreation site but […]

We thank Angie Yeow for this “blast from the past”. This 1964 photo, taken at the Town Padang, shows Angie and Lee Hock Mee – the Municipal Sports champions for Badminton (mixed doubles). Of course, the gentleman presenting the award is none other than the late S P Seenivasagam.

The Ipoh Railway station forecourt underwent a major renovation recently and one of the first things the tourist sees when he arrives is a large round fountain area surrounded by nicely constructed boundaries which hold engraved pictures and words about the delights of Perak. I took friends down there and here is a sample of […]

This is one dessert Ipoh has long been famous for……Tau Foo Far for those feeling a little peckish, and Soya Bean Milk for those who want something cold on a hot day. We wonder if Funny Mountain’s tau foo far is as good as the one Ipohgal’s father used to make 😉

Yes, this is indeed a Malay Funeral procession. This was taken, with kind permission, from the Imperial War Museum London. The photo was taken from a colour transparency, back in the 1950s. If you look closely you can see the Ipoh East Post Office in the background – that should give you a clue about […]

I’m sure some of you know this one. The next thing we’d like to know: Is Kooi Kee Fresh Fruits still in business today?

Did you know there was once a Japanese barber in Ipoh? I didn’t, but according to this early photo there was a “D. Wakaki Salon” along Hugh Low Street. Could anyone tell us MORE?

Study the picture below….carefully….. 😉 A signboard was supposed to have been erected above the shop house – 147, Brewster Road. Our question for YOU is: did the signboard go up at all? If so, what did it advertise?

From the pictures, we think that this float was one of the many at a Merdeka Parade back in 1967. Does anyone remember this parade? If you do, where was it held – at the Stadium, or along the main streets of the town? Also notice the old Malay used in the description and the […]

As mentioned previously, we have a postcard with ‘Ipoh East’ stamped on the top left corner. The date is stated as 1934 – meaning the Post Office concerned has been around for some time. When did they close then?

You guessed right! It IS Hugh Low Street…and on the far right is the row of shop houses which today have been painted in 7 different colours. Also note that Hugh Low Street was once a two-way street – minus the traffic jams 😉 We thank Alan Steel for this photograph from1956.

For those who didn’t know, Chung Thye Phin once had his own currency! No, I’m not joking….take a look (see below). We thank Jeffrey Seong for sharing this with us. If YOU had your own currency, what would it look like? 😉

We’re hoping some alumni from Sam Tet, Ipoh, would be able to help us out with this photograph (see below). This was taken from the 90th Anniversary Magazine of St Michael’s Church (which is next to Sam Tet School). Does anyone remember when this photograph was taken? We don’t seem to have a caption for […]

In our previous post, we had a reply from the brother of the pretty lady sitting on the sports car. We now know her as Joan Lau. After some searching, we found a picture of Lawrence Lau (see below). The caption for the above picture is as follows: “Adrian Boudville looking on, Barry Jansz acting […]

This was taken off a postcard, stating that this is somewhere in Hugh Low Street. I don’t recognise it at all, but do YOU? Does someone out there know where along Hugh Low Street this is?

I remember passing this building quite often on my way to St Michael’s Institution. But I never really paid attention to what it was. All I know is that this is the Sri Perak building. Any idea what’s inside? Was it one of those government offices? Or, was it like the present UTC (former Super […]

One look and most of you can already guess what this iconic building is. Of course, so much has changed now: the small field in front of this cinema is no longer there; instead there’s a row of food stalls. Also, right next to the cinema is one of the entrances of Sam Tet School. […]

Have you been to the Perak Emporium? Was it one of those high-end places like Whiteaway Laidlaw? Did it have an escalator/elevator? We’ve had Readers talking about this place, now we’d like to know MORE 😉 Picture courtesy of Stex Stev.

Just look at this grand old postcard from the 1920’s. Recognise the place? Well I guess most of you will not be able to pin this down, but as the postcard caption shows, it is the People’s Park, Ipoh. Historically the land was gazetted as the ‘People’s Park’, a gift from the government to the people […]

…and that ‘something’ is none other than the ‘ol Radio & General Trading Co Ltd! So, what’s happened to this store? Was it taken over by another company? Or, has this row of shop houses been demolished (like the many unfortunate ones around Ipoh Town)? This photograph was probably taken in the early 60s (but […]

Don’t worry about the markings on this photograph. They are for a proposed signboard for the realty company. Where do you think this building was? Anyone remember the name of the street? I’m sure there are sufficient clues for you to guess 😉

According to Tony Ooi, this is the Std. 4 class from Cator Avenue School. Like we mentioned in the title of this post – where are there boys now? Any of you in this photograph? By the way, Tony if you’re reading this….do you remember the teacher’s name?

One look at this photograph and you will notice that not only were the Ipoh Girls pretty, they also dressed in style 😉 If you look close enough, you can probably deduce where in Ipoh Town these buildings are. But we’d like to draw your attention to the sign behind the lady with the handbag […]

Sometime ago, someone mentioned the Green Fern Coffee House as one of the places Ipoh’s (then) youngsters used to frequent. Here’s a little ‘advertisement’ from Stex Stev. Anyone know what’s in place of the coffee house now?

For a change, we thought we’d feature a coloured picture from 2010 instead of the usual black-and-white ones. This was taken outside a temple in Old Town. Recognise the location? On that note, anyone know why these folks are seated by the gate?

A couple of days ago I happened by chance to meet up with a group of KL tour guides in Old Town. They were with a Perak member of our Tour Guides’ Association and I joined up with them for a while to tell the heritage story as per ipohWorld. When we were close […]

Yes here it is having just passed over the Hugh Low Bridge. Proceeding at a steady, somewhat leisurely, pace, the Trichair turned left and looked as if it was going to the nearby market. The photo was taken around 10.00 am on 23 July 2013 when I overtook them on the bridge and having pulled […]

We thank John McAuley – who was once part of the British Military serving in Malaya, back in the 1950s – for this photograph. Yes, folks it’s none other than the Majestic Cinema :). Although it doesn’t show up clearly, but if you zoom in you can actually see some vendors just outside the entrance […]

Yes, folks – this is none other than Anderson Road! Taken in the mid 1950s, you can see that not only is the traffic light…the skies are clear too! Here’s hoping that the haze situation resolves itself soon. By the way, anyone know what building that is on the far right corner? From the words, […]

“Sited at the key junction of Hugh Low Street, Gopeng Road, Tambun Road and Brewster Road it welcomes travellers to Ipoh from all directions.” Yes, we’re talking about the Sultan Yussuf Fountain (see picture below). While many of you have interesting stories about this unique landmark, we’d like to draw your attention to the plaque. […]

No, I’m not referring to the famous cowboy series. I’m talking about this row of shops along Hugh Low Street. At present, seven of these shops have been painted according to the seven colours of the rainbow. This picture however was taken back in the 1950s. We’re not offering any prizes for guessing, but all […]

This isn’t a hard one to guess. Yes, it’s another photograph of Ipoh Motors Ltd. What I’m curious about is the street vendor – far right of this photograph (click to enlarge). What was he selling at that time? Can you also spot the petrol pump (below the sign Fargo Truck)? This photograph is part […]

Here we have a cigarette vendor somewhere around the Ipoh Market. This photo was taken back in 1972 by Cheang Kum Seng, ARPS, a local professional photographer who has kindly allowed us to publish it. Do you recognise this man? Perhaps someone out there has seen him back in the 70s. I wonder what’s become […]

Anyone remember the ‘Hai Heng’ Bar? The building does look familiar, but then again most of the shop houses in Ipoh had roughly the same design 😉 Perhaps someone out there frequented this bar… This photograph is from John McAuley, a former British serviceman who served in Ipoh from about 1956-1957.

“Hi. I’m the bicycle standing at the bottom left of the picture. I usually know my way around the streets of Ipoh – since I ALWAYS follow my owner around 🙂 But this time….I think I’m lost! Could you tell me which street I’m at?”

…no, we’re not talking about UFOs! Look closely at the shop house in the middle. Yes, the shop that says ‘Chop Thong Heng’… Are those petrol pumps? I’ve never come across such a scene before. Does anyone remember these? On another note, does anyone recognise the row of shop houses or the street? This was […]

This picture, courtesy of Ruth Rollitt, was taken in 1979. We’d like to draw your attention to the white building (far left). If you squint, you can make out the words ‘Good Luck’ on the wall. Anyone have any idea what this building was? Take a closer look…

For those not familiar with this building, this is the Pasar Besar (Main Market) along Cockman Street. And yes, the top floor is where Super Kinta used to be. It’s now the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC)…

Sometimes we’re so caught up with ourselves that we don’t ‘stop to smell the roses’ 😉 Here’s a look at what used to be a common sight in Ipoh – probably in the 1950s or 1960s. I do wonder if such a sight is present in this day and age…..but, like many of us I […]

Keith Nelson sent us this some time ago. Looks familiar doesn’t it? Well, I’m sure you all know where this landmark stands….. 😉

I have to admit – at first glance, I thought this was part of the Star Barber at Belfield Street. But no, this saloon was once along Jalan Laxamana. Is it still there now? What about the shop above it (Chow Hung Kee Storage)?

…what the Isis Theatre looked like? My generation have most likely never heard of this cinema hall. We’re more familiar with it’s ‘new’ name – Rex! Yes, for those of you who don’t already know, Isis was renamed Rex when the Shaw Brothers renovated it 😉

Based on feedback from our previous blog posts, we know some of our Readers know Ipoh SO WELL that they give us such detailed answers for every question we throw at them! Thank you for all the feedback and encouragement 🙂 Here’s yet another puzzle for you – do you know which street corner this […]

Yes folks! This IS another B M Iversen creation. This one ‘resides’ at Cockman Street….and it’s still standing proud today 🙂 I do wonder when the extension/new block of this building was done….(perhaps, Ruth could tell us…if she’s reading this)

This arch was put up by the Perak Chinese Celebration Committee (you can vaguely make out the fine print if you zoom in). Today, there’s still an arch above Brewster Road (roughly the same location as the above picture states). I wonder who decorates it now? Does the Celebration Committee still exist?

Despite Ipoh’s long romance with all things food-related and the abundance of hotels, restaurants and clubs in town, Ipoh has never before taken part in the international tradition of the waiters’ race. On the 25th of May 2013, that is about to change. Organised jointly by the Ipoh City Council (MBI), Perak Tourism Association […]

Here’s a nice one from a family album. We thank Alexander for this gem. According to him, the girl (standing) is his grandmother Madam Ursula. Behind her are her parents Mr Arokiasamy and Mrs Iruthayamary. The little one on the car is Ursula’s sister Kolanda Theresa. Incidentally, Mr Arokiasamy was involved in the textile & […]

We thank Nicholas Jennings for this one – yes, you all know this building 😉 Any idea what year this was taken? I do wonder what is on the extreme left of this picture (the partially blocked shop house).

Special thanks to Ruth Rollitt for the one – yes, you read it right….this is none other than the Eastern Hotel. This was taken in the 1940s; according the Ruth, he father (Danish architect B M Iversen) had an office here. Today, the facade seems so different – and the hotel is now known as […]

Well folkjs they were promised for the New Year and here they are, the last brush strokes being co,pleted just a few hours ago. They may be found between Hugh Low and Hume Streets across the road from the multicoloured shophouses in Hugh Low Street. Maybe this picture will give you a better idea of […]

See that little circle below the arch? If you look closely, you can make out the Freemason symbol. This was probably one of the buildings used by the masons before a permanent one was built (along Tiger Lane, next to the Royal Perak Golf Club). Last I checked, the building was still there….but I didn’t […]

We thank Nicholas Jennings for this panorama – showing the famed Times of Malaya building.

We’ve put up quite a few pictures of Brewster Road in the past. But this one caught our eye – notice the words Lam Looking Building written above the entrance. I wonder how many building Towkay Lam Looking owned here in Ipoh….

Some may call it artistic…some might say it’s just a badly angled photograph. But if you look closely, you will notice a fountain in the middle of a roundabout. Familiar? To those who are still squinting, this is none other than the Chamberlain Road Fountain 🙂 We thank Ko-chi Wai for this 1963 picture.

I have chosen to feature this photo today to honout the owner, Mr. Lim of the Lim Kopi kopitiam in Hugh Low Street, who has done an outstanding restoration job on this building, inside and out. For those of you who are not aware this is the de Silva building in Belfield Street, Old Town, Ipoh which […]

I’m sure many of you recognise this building – yes, it’s the St John’s Ambulance Hall! The design is rather unique, since most halls are rectangular (especially on the outside). I do wonder who built and designed this place…?

Noting the concern of some of ipohworld’s loyal followers about the apparent near-death state of the famous Ipoh Tree in the Station gardens(!) I contacted the Ipoh Echo with a request that they investigate. James Gough immediately swung into action and today (8 December 2012, posted a report on the Echo Website at http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/2012/12/08/dying-ipoh-tree/. Basically it […]

From what our donor (Ko-chi Wai) tells us, this is a “view from inside Choon Seng shop house along 156 Hugh Low Street, ground floor front. Shows the structure of the horizontal sliding metal grill/shutter door, and an old heavy-duty weigh (in green, left bottom). My brother, sister and myself on the old Honda cub.” […]

I can see Cathay Hotel, and almost opposite is the Ritz Hotel. Yes, this part of Ipoh is STILL as busy as ever – even back in the 70s. Notice the building complex on the left of the picture? Does this complex have a name?

Yes, that’s what it says on the fountain. Does anyone know WHO Yeoh Hong Seng is? Is this fountain still at Chamberlain Road/Jalan Bendahara?

…such a scene (picture above) was a common sight around Ipoh Town. I never had a pair of striped pajamas, but I do remember (as a child) walking about in cartoon-themed pajamas and bed-hair! This cute picture was sent to us by Ko-chi Wai, who also included this message: My mum (Lau Siew Hwa), my […]

Since this fountain was erected, many Ipoh-ites have posed for pictures at this very roundabout. I suppose it was possible back then when there wasn’t much traffic – imagine doing photo shoots here in this day and age! And what about those buildings in the background? Any idea what they are?

As most of you can guess, this is Station Road. I’m guessing this picture was taken in the 50s (I could be wrong though). We’d like to draw your attention to the row of shops on the right. What we’re trying to find out is: what was the shop on the extreme right (next to […]

This was taken off a postcard; the date on the stamp says 1938, so we think the picture was taken a few years earlier. Nevertheless, on the far left of the picture is the sign that reads as Huttenbach, Lazarus & Sons Ltd. Did any other business take up residence at the Chua Cheng […]

“A Countess from Hong Kong” – a story about Natascha, a White Russian countess, who stows away on a luxury liner at Hong Kong, determined to seek a new life in America – is showing at the Lido and in competition, “The Blue Max” is showing at the Cathay. Which one did you see?

Know this street? Recognise the buildings? We await your comments! 🙂

We had previous comments about what the Oriental Hotel used to look like. Hence, here is a coloured one of the hotel (which has sadly seen better days). For those who don’t know, this building is now an electrical store.

…that Brewster Road was this ’empty’ back in 1959? From the traffic I see today, I can hardly believe it myself! This picture is courtesy of Keith Nelson, a former British National serviceman.

This photograph is marked 1966 on the reverse but, When was this hotel built? Who owned it? What’s become of it now? Yes, we have SO many questions about this place……that’s why we’ve turned to YOU – our Readers – to help us out. 🙂

It was early in the new millenium when the Yau Tet Shin Bazaar was demolished. It now remains an empty plot and has since been turned into a parking lot 🙁 Recently we heard about some plans to rebuild it… What the Bazaar looked like in the 90s (the Syuen Hotel can be seen in […]

Due to popular demand, we have here some of the pictures taken of the interior of the former Lido Cinema – after the recent fire. Left to Right: the lobby; the false ceiling Left to Right: the stairs leading to the balcony; the balcony For more pictures, do visit our Facebook page.

We thank IpohBornKid for the above picture. In his email to us, he mentioned that this picture was from Brian Cole of Bath Spa (UK). The picture belonged to the Cole family patriarch who served as a British Army personnel (in Ipoh) in the early 1950s. The movie being advertised (see the board outside the […]

…when you could buy a Chevy in Ipoh 😉 As some of you may have guessed, the building on the far left – with the large ‘Chevrolet’ sign – is none other than Borneo Motors. Next to Borneo Motors is Ipoh Motors (formerly Cycle and Carriage Co, Ltd.) and across the road is the Brewster […]

We pick up where we left off in our previous post – regarding the Lido Cinema – where we were told that the the top two pictures were in fact the Rex Cinema and NOT Lido. Today, we present to you MORE pictures of the inside of Lido. 🙂 We thank Ruth Rollitt for her […]

Remember what Lido Cinema used to look like back then? the foyer the ticket booth A special thanks going out to Ruth Rollitt for sending us these lovely gems! 🙂

…..these ladies decided to take a walk around Ipoh Town. Can you recognise which road they’re crossing? Anything in the background look familiar to you?

[click to enlarge] Dear Ipoh-ites…..can you guys guess the year this photograph was taken? The familiar landmarks may give you some clues 🙂 Here’s another hint: at the bottom left there seems to be some construction going on (at the back of Waller Court Flats) – this site later became S.K. Coronation Park 😉 Happy guessing!

Here’s a photograph of Ipoh Motors – yes, the same Ipoh Motors which was once a familiar sight along Brewster Road. It is said that the building was previously the premises of Cycle & Carriage Co. Ltd. Any idea as to WHEN this photograph was taken. We think it’s the 1950s – since Ipoh Motors […]

Iris Cheng posted on our FB timeline this very sad picture of the Art Deco Majestic Theatre in the throes of demolition. We heard about it on Saturday but honestly I found it too depressing to bother to go and take a photograph. However as Iris did bother I felt it was only right that […]

Believe it or not, the Pasar Besar in Ipoh New Town isn’t that ‘old’! This early 1900s picture (taken from the Kinta Valley book) is quite unique – has there been that much change since Towkay Yau Tet Shin built this place? I’ve noticed that those large rattan baskets are still in use today….

Back in the early 1900s, Hoot & Company were “direct importers of motor-cycles and tri-cars” (more can be found at our database). I wonder what has become of this shop lot today? It is also interesting to note that while Hoot & Co operated at No. 93 Belfield Street, their neighbour at No.95 was none other […]

Besides the Seenivasagam brothers, Ipoh was also ‘home’ for two brothers of the LaBrooy family – C H LaBrooy & H W LaBrooy. These brothers used to live at Dulcieville Lane, Ipoh (the area which is now Parkson Ipoh Parade). We have here a 1980s picture of the LaBrooy Building. As you can see, it was once […]

One thing I do not understand about Ipoh is that here we have a beautiful hotel building used as an electrical store while so many entrepreneurs are knocking up ugly buildings all over the place which they happily call one of the three b’s – backpacker, budget or boutique hotels . Why didn’t one of […]

No, this is NOT a product of Photoshop! There was a ‘Parkson Ria’ shopping mall in Ipoh, somewhere in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Does anyone remember it? Did it close because of the fire….or before the fire broke out? [ For those of you still wondering, let me put you out of your misery – […]

Yes folks, your eyes are NOT playing tricks on you – that IS an F&N bottle on the rooftop of the Lam Looking Bazaar! This form of advertising seemed quite common back then; there was a similar bottle on the other side of the rooftop (front part of the building) – which can be viewed here. […]

A while ago, we featured a post about the on-going ‘renovations’ of the Station Gardens. So far, we’ve heard no news about what’s going on behind those boards. Has there been any progress lately? If anyone has noticed anything, do let us know. In the mean time, here is a 1950s picture of what the […]

Believe it or not, this is what Jalan Yang Kalsom looked like in the 50s. Is the Cathay Hotel (left) still in business? I know the SHELL station (right) is gone now. What about the Ford building (in the background)? On that same note, where is the Ritz Hotel?

Here’s a rare picture of the former Post Office (behind the Ipoh Town Hall). Notice the stalls beneath the shady tree – and the crowd of patrons too! We thank Ruth Rollitt for this gem 🙂 Charlie reminds us (#13 below) about Savings Stamps and immediately Hasbi sent us these scans. Thank you both so […]

Here is a copy of the 2nd Ipoh Heritage Trail Map. If you don’t have a copy of the map, here’s one you can print for your reference

This is the other end of Leech Street. On the left is the Sun Cinema (yes, the SAME Sun Cinema that our local cartoonist Lat drew in his cartoons!). Does anyone know the building on the right? We thank Ruth Rollitt for this rare gem 🙂

Mark, of Kinta Heritage Group took these two photographs that I failed to get earlier in the week. He first posted them on Facebook, but I am sure he will not mind them being also published here. Remember these were taken this week. They need no explanation. But the question Mark has for you is, […]

I had a brief ride around Old Town this morning to see what was happening. I couldn’t get any photo or update on the Railway Station Gardens as they are still hidden behind tall blue fencing. However apart from the Cenotaph and the Ipoh Tree there seems to be nothing of the gardens left. Not […]

Just look what happened yesterday! I passed by in the morning and only the top half was painted but by the time I got around to going back with my camera the FB site “All About Ipoh” had beaten me to it and posted this photograph. I am sure the authors won’t mind me using […]

…..folks in Ipoh witnessed the 9-Goddess Celebrations. The procession passed through one of Ipoh’s busiest roads, back in 1982/83. As you can see in this picture, they are passing by the Perak Chinese Foundry Association (building on the left). Anyone have any idea about the other building in the background – the one under construction? […]

But can anyone tell us when they will open again please. The world misses this famous hostelry which has been closed for restoration since 1 March 2008 – almost 4 years! But what a night the 29th February was – the last night. Were you there? By the way, for more photos of this grand […]

One look at this picture (click to enlarge), and I’m sure many of you out there are already grinning – yes, this is a VERY familiar street in Ipoh 🙂 But what we’d like to know more about is the shop in the background (far right) – ‘Any & Co Gift House’. What’s become of […]

Yes those were the days when popping round the corner to buy a few groceries was a pleasure for there was always a friendly face behind the counter with time to chat. So different to the coldly efficient supermarkets of today. But what was your corner shop like? Any memories?

These were sent to us all the way from the US of A by Ian Latham. They show his father (top picture) and mother (bottom picture), during the early 1970s. Do you recognise the shop house in the second picture? Where in Ipoh is this place?

Yes, this archway was decorated specially for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Notice the building that says ‘Borneo Motors’ (which is now a restaurant/pub called ‘OverTime’). Brewster Road was rather quiet in those days, wasn’t it? 😉 I wonder…..when was the facade of this archway renovated to it’s present design?

A special thanks to Jeremy (a.k.a. Paloh Chai) for these pictures. Yes, folks…..this was what Panglima Lane (or Concubine Lane, as some Ipoh-natives call it!) looked like a year ago. 😉

Yes, folks…this is what the People’s Park used to look like in those days!

Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you 99 Anderson Road, Ipoh! This building was originally owned by Foong Seong. Later, the Cheong family bought it. When the Cheongs lived here, the front part of the building was a men’s hairdressing salon while the back portion was a famous tailors shop from where hundreds of made-to-measure […]

Remember this company? Recognise this street? Well, this picture was taken around 1961/62……I’m sure some of you remember 🙂

The shop 3rd from left is ‘Chop Cheong Chin’; next to that is ‘Syarikat Perak Travel Agency’, which is also an agency for Singapore Airlines. That’s about all we could make out from this picture. Now, across the street from this row of shop houses…..(see picture below) ….is another similar row. Notice also that at […]

These two photographs were taken on the 60th birthday of Chow Yoon Soo at Kam Loong Restaurant, Ipoh in 1962. Chow Yoon Soo is featured on our database at http://www.ipohworld.org/search8/result.asp?strid=4334. The photographs are part of a set of eight we have recently received from her granddaughter, Sybil, togetherl with the details below: Both photos were taken on […]

The next session of Northern Writers takes place at No5 Gopeng Road at 1030, Saturday 5th November. New books, new readers and a little food. Do come along. It’s very interesting. And this month we have the special treat of the Poi Lam Choral Speakers, now internationally known. Contact yusufmartin51@googlemail.com for more information.

Familiar? Well, we believe that this was part of the Jubilee Park ……..yes, the FUN-Section where there were carousel rides, game stalls..etc. How much did such a ride cost? Did they have a day-pass or something similar (as what Lost World of Tambun has today) ?

the famous Bridge a view from the Bridge These are from the collection of the late Geoffrey Clark. Believe it or not, Ipoh DID look like this about 64 years ago; the bridge (1st pic) definately looks different now…..even the view from the said bridge (2nd pic) has changed so much.

Recognise this street? Well, put those thinking-caps on, people 🙂 I’m sure some of you are grinning madly…while typing away your answers! This picture is part of the late Geoffrey Clark’s collection. (We featured one of his pictures in a previous blog post) Clark served in Malaya from about 1945-1947 under the 4th Regiment Signals […]

The quality of the picture may not be that good….but I’m pretty sure that the building in the far right is the back portion of the Grand Theatre (which once stood at Brewster Road and Cowan Street). Of course many of us remember that the Grand Theatre was also part of Jubilee Park; with that […]

Here’s a picture of the PCADA (Perak Chinese Amateur Dramatic Association) Building, taken on the day of the association’s Golden Jubilee. At the time the picture was taken (some time in 1953) the 3rd floor had been completed. Foh Sun restaurant used to occupy the groud floor, before it moved. I do wonder what’s become […]

This was taken by the late Geoffrey Clark, of the 4th Regiment Signals Troop (one the the early British army groups to arrive in Malaya after the Japanese surrendered). Clark served here from about 1945-1947, and sadly passed away in 2006. Look at the picture carefully…..WHERE do you think this place is? We’re stumped ourselves, […]

This photo was provided by the Cheong family for use in “Ipoh, My Home Town” but it was not used as there were much more appropriate images to use for their story. The banner reads something like “Professor Shu Tong Zen, Exhibition of his Chinese Paintings including an exhibition of his Malaysian Students’ Work”. Now […]

Some time ago, we featured a picture from the Jennings Collection – showing part of Panglima Street, which was under water in 1919. Here we have another look at the same street. This was taken in 1926/1927, when yet again Ipoh suffered another great flood. Notice any difference from the 1919 photograph and this one?

You just KNOW you’ve seen this building somewhere before….but can’t quite put your finger on it! Well, put your thinking-caps on folks 🙂 Perhaps a closer look at the picture might give you some clues……

Yes, at last Ipoh, My Home Town has gone to the printers. As you may know, I have been working on a new book for the past 20 months or so, editing and compiling original stories of people growing up in Ipoh over the last 90 years. It is entitled “Ipoh, My Home Town: Reminiscences […]

Here’s a lovely coloured postcard of St Michael’s Institution. Care to guess the date of this picture? Needless to say, those palm trees aren’t there anymore….and the space behind the school building is now where the new Primary Block is. You can also see St John’s Anglican Church; notice also a green-roofed mansion (top most […]

Can anyone guess the street? We think this picture was probably taken in the 1960s (we could be wrong though). Notice the banner that says ‘Clearance Sale’…..I wonder which store was advertising their goods on this day?

Yes, it was WAY BACK in 1957…..when we saw Gregory Peck play the role of Captain Ahab! They don’t make movie posters like they used to…..same can be said for the ‘cinema-experience’ that made cinema halls like Rex, Ruby, Lido, etc. favourite haunts. The poster we have here is from Edwin Siebel.

For those of you (the younger generation like myself!) who didn’t know, THIS is what the Hugh Low Bridge used to look like 😉 Yes, this was before those strange towers were erected along the bridge…. We thank Edwin Siebel for this beautiful picture.

I wonder how many of you saw Rhett and Scarlet at this cinema! Sadly, such experiences are only memories now…..since the cineplex-craze began 🙁 Like other cinema halls, Ruby has also seen better days……

This was brought to our attention by Mark Lay of Kinta Heritage. Apprently, there’s been some ‘activity’ going on along Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakri (New Town) recently. From the notice that MBI put up, it appears to be “small renovation works”. Really? Well, we’ll let the pictures (below) be the judge of that! So much for […]

We know that many of our fans out there know Ipoh inside out! Well, could you tell us WHERE this part of town is? (picture below) This picture was taken during the great floods….perhaps you may find some clues in the shop signs? Happy guessing 🙂

From the recent comments we’ve had, some of you love looking at old photographs. Well, today you’re in for another treat! We estimate the date of this photograph to be 1926, around the time of the great flood. The picture shows part of Station Road – notice the sign on the far right “Charles Grenier […]

I’m sure many of you are grinning and nodding your heads at this picture! Yes, this is what Medan Kidd looked liked in the late 1960s. Some of the buses shown in the picture have seen better days, but they still make their way round the town 🙂 There was some talk about giving this […]

We have here a rare picture of the Capitol Cinema, which was along Anderson Road, Ipoh. From what we’ve found out, this cinema was a ‘victim’ of a fire almost 20 years ago. Since then, the vacant site was turned into a car park. Sometime last year, the car park closed and the site is […]

Mark Lay of Kinta Heritage recently informed us about the demolition of these pre-war shophouses – along the corner of Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil and Jalan Lau Ek Ching . (see pictures below) Notice that in the second picture (above), the frames of the door and windows are STILL in good condition. Sadly, they will soon […]

Here’s part three of our little series! Can you guess the street? There are quite a number of clues in this one…so, keep those comments coming! 🙂

Recognise this street? I’m sure you do…..especially those familiar landmarks on either side of the street 😉 For those who don’t know where this place is, keep following our blog – look out for the comments from those who know Ipoh like the back of their hand!

The picture may not be that clear, but do YOU know which part of Ipoh this is? The aerial view shot dates back roughly to 1967/68. On the far left of the picture is the Ipoh Motors Ltd building…THAT should give you all a clue! Happy guessing 🙂

We have here a picture of Cedric and an antique car (note the number plate!). This picture of Cedric and the Austin 7 was sent to us by Nicholas Jennings. Now, what about the building in the background, which is under construction? Here’s a tiny clue: this picture was taken around 1961….so, this building was […]

I’m sure some of you remember what this part of Ipoh looked like – way back in 1967/68. Of course, now….a LOT has changed! The SHELL station has been renovated a number of times. As for the row of shop houses beside the SHELL station; well the half nearer to the junction is now Maybank, […]

Ruth Rollitt was so incensed by the multicoloured Cathay that we featured, she sent us this photograph of how the Theatre looked when it first opened in those days of Movies and Mercedes. She included a newspaper article from 1958, the first part of which is inserted below. The whole article will appear on or […]

…..that back in 1956, the Anderson Road Playground was affected by floods? (see picture below) Notice the cars….as they drive through the water-logged road. Anyone recall this incident? Got any stories to share?

Back in 1919, there was a terrible flood in Ipoh town (as you see in the picture here, sent to us by Nicholas Jennings). This part of Ipoh is just off Panglima Lane (or Concubine Lane, as it were). What we’re curious to know more about is the name of this particular shop in the […]

We thank Nicholas Jennings for this gem – yes, there was a great flood in Ipoh in 1919! I’m sure some of you recognise the street and the famous white building in the background.

From the recent blog posts, we know some of you out there know almost EVERY street in Ipoh! Which is a good thing, since today we have a little mystery for you – do you know which street this (picture above) is? Looking forward to all your comments! 😀

Can you guess this street? It’s somewhere in Ipoh, to what we know. Anyone knows WHERE?

From what we’ve heard, Ipoh’s legendary Station Hotel will soon be closed. Does anyone know more? We’d like to know the details, please……. I do wonder what will become of the hotel once it’s closed :-O

We thank Charlie Choong for this postcard – featuring an aerial view of Ipoh. From the building at the bottom left, you can certainly guess which part of town this is! Also notice that there was once a roundabout near the Ipoh Padang….

Today’s feature is none other then the Star Barbershop, at Belfield Street. Star Air-Conditioned Hair Dressing Salon, 97 Belfield Street (now Jalan Sultan Yussuf) IPOH 30000 The Star Hair Dressing Salon came into being in 1927, it was started by Megarai Karuppiah with just 2 barbers – Katchiappan and Manickam – and the […]

Some of our fans out there love old photos. Hence we decided to feature this one on our blog today. Here’s one of J A S Jennings (Editor of Times of Malaya) and his wife Freda – being chauffeur driven round the town. In the background is the first Times of Malaya Building.

Here’s a Day and Night shot of Cathay Theatre (when it was STILL a cinema) – notice that the mall behind Cathay was Ocean (now, it’s The Store). We thank Valerie for these pictures who has now provided the following additional information: “The dayshot was taken in the morning of October 1998 when the street was […]

…there was this corner shop (see picture below). Your task for today: tell us a little more about this shop. Is it still there? Perhaps it’s been turned into something else? There also seems to be a tiny booth just outside the shop. I wonder what the booth was for…..

I’m sure the Ipoh-ites out there are grinning at this picture (courtesy of Jeffrey Liew) – especially those who frequently travelled along Club Road (Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang)! Remember the Milano Tailor? I wonder where he is now…..since this building is no longer around (so much for ‘development’). Yes 🙁 sadly this is now an empty lot […]

Here’s a copy of the 1st Heritage Trail Map. This trail covers Old Town and is held every Saturday morning at 8am, starting at the Ipoh Railway Station. A full size printable copy of this map is now available on our database athttp://db.ipohworld.org/view/id/3875 in PDF format.

Remember the old fire brigade at Brewster Road? Here we have two pictures of the fire brigade’s compound – showing the girls from the Main Convent. These girls were part of the Firefighter Cadets Club, which was established in the school in the 1980s. The fire brigade has moved to another premise (opposite the Perak […]

A watch tower? Or maybe (yet) another clock tower? I’m sure you’ve noticed this tower, which is still under construction. The question is: Why? We’re clueless ourselves – why build, not 1 but 4, towers along the Hugh Low Bridge? If you have more information on this project, do let us know!

The Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) was the first English school (and first Christian mission school too!) in the Kinta Valley. This school was established by the Methodist Episcopal Mission in 1895. It was said that just five days after his arrival, Rev W E Horley opened ACS in a small attap-roof Malay house rented from Datoh Panglima […]

This is the first Times of Malaya building, which was along Post Office Road. The first issue of Ipoh’s first newspaper was published on 9th March 1904. 2 years later, the newspaper was taken over by J A S Jennings – who remained the paper’s most influential editor for a good 30 years! In the […]

This picture was sent to us by Ruth Rollit, the daughter of the Danish architect B M Iversen. Familiar? No? This is what the interior of the Lido Cinema looks like today – as you can see, it’s not longer a cinema. Lido has now been converted into Florex Restaurant. In this picture, the raised […]

At that time, this $ 600,000 cinema was considered luxurious. It was declared open by His Highness Raja Sir Izzudin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Jalil (the Sultan of Perak), on the eve of Chinese New Year. Designed by B M Iversen, this fully air-conditioned cinema (with its ‘colossal 75-foot tower of jade tiles’), stood […]

Calling ALL Convent-Alumni!!! As stated in the flyer, there will be a Christmas Party on 11th December 2010, organised by the Convent Old Girls Association (COGA). This party will be at the Convent Primary Hall, from 4 pm till 7 pm. Besides good food and some fun games, this is a chance to revisit your […]

Those were the days: when the traffic in Ipoh was rather scarce, and riding around the town on a bicycle was SAFE! Here we have some youngsters riding past the Lido Cinema. This Iversen building is no longer a cinema now; if I’m not mistaken it’s been turned into Florex Restaurant. Playing in the cinema at […]

This is the 2nd FREE map in this series – the first one was featured in this blog late last year. This map/brochure is published by Kinta Heritage Group Sdn Bhd, in collaboration with Perak Tourism and the Perak State Government. Inside shows another heritage trail which covers: Belfield Street, Cross Street, Leech Street, Treacher Street, Jalan Datoh, and […]

Here’s a scene from the old Ipoh Airport. As you can see in the background, there’s an airplane with the words ‘Malayan Airways’ on it. Hence we think this picture was probably taken in the early 1950s – by 1963, the airline was renamed Malaysian Airways Ltd (MAL). I remember in the late 1980s or […]

This arch was set up over the Hugh Low Bridge, in Ipoh, somewhere in 1947. This was before the grand parade – which was held in support of the Kuomintang Party (led by General Chiang Kai Shek). Notice the three flags at the top of the arch: the Perak Flag, the Kuomintang Flag and the Union Jack. […]

Not a very difficult question for you on this bright Monday morning, but of all the grand old buildings in Ipoh that have been torn down, I think this is the one I miss the most. Fortunately we have this photograph as a memento of what, in my humble opinion, should never have been demolished. […]

Familiar?……..it’s at the lower end of Hume Street, not too far away from the Panglima Mosque. Some of you must be nodding your heads in agreement – “yes, I know this place!”. Well, for those who do know…………do tell us MORE: perhaps there’s a story or two behind this structure.

Clearly the ‘old’ and ‘new’ don’t match here…..one looks like it may fall apart anytime soon, while the other has been left uncompleted! These two ‘neighbours’ live at Brewster Road, Ipoh. We do wonder what the modern building is. Also, we noticed that the building has been ‘windowless’ for some time now! Any ideas? What […]

This Friday (24 September 2010), there will be a Heritage Unity Walk – starting out at the Ipoh Railway Station. It’s a special event for 700 underprivilaged Perakian children; these children will be treated to games and a food carnival prior to the walk. And since it’s the Mid Autumn Festival, we’ll be carrying lanterns while we walk […]

These ‘friends’ live at Leech Street – opposite the low cost flats, next door to the old Kinta Aerated Water building. Who owns them now, we wonder….and what’s become of them? We see the one on the extreme right has been painted pink; which now sells groceries (at wholesale price). What about the others? Anyone […]

Meet Mr and Mrs Tan – the diligent and creative couple, who produce ‘lion heads’ (and ‘bodies’ too). We featured Mr and Mrs Tan’s store in a previous blog; we can’t help but feature them again – together with some of their masterpieces (pictures below). Such an art seems to be fading as time goes by. It’s […]

Those who frequent the Pasar Besar (Main Market) of Ipoh might be familiar with these (picture below) Yes, these shop houses have stood the test of time; and they’re STILL going strong! The 3rd shop from the left is particularly interesting – the one painted yellow, with the words ‘Market Terrace’ at the top. As […]

Here’s another puzzle for you: where can this (picture above) be found? It’s somewhere around Ipoh town. Is it on a building….or an arch….or above a doorway? I’m sure some of you out there have already guessed it – maybe it’s a little too easy…. 🙂 Happy guessing!

This place was said to have a large hall on the top floor. During the war, the hall was a Japanese mah jong den. Later (after the war), it was turned into classrooms for the Sam Choy Primary School – this was during the day time; at night, it was the venue for the Chinese […]

Most of us are familiar with the Birch Clock Tower (along Post Office Road). In one of our previous posts, we were wondering what building seemed hidden in the background, far left of the picture (see below). Well, the mystery has been solved – the building is none other than the old Court House! Yes, […]

My grandma Yim Mun had a penchant for classical things. This was due to a privileged upbringing in her childhood home. As the daughter of a wealthy and respectable man, she had an eye for high quality and lasting items. She always went for good brands. This was a vintage Singer treadle sewing machine […]

Looks familiar? To those who (like me) often visit the Hilltop Cafe (the orange building at the far end, right side of the shady tree), you would have noticed these rows of shop houses – particularly the ones on the right of the picture. (Hilltop Cafe is along Hugh Low Street). These shop houses, on […]

Remember this shop? Here’s a clue: it’s at Market Street….. If I’m not mistaken, I think the shop is still there – going strong after all these years! They specialized in Kain Pulikat, (the locals might know it as sarong) which was said to be made in India. They also sold Kain Batek (Batik). Here’s another […]

We featured this building in http://www.ipohworld.org/?p=1712 where we showed the original mansion that belonged to Dato Seri Lau Pak Kuan OBE JP and what the owners of the Coliseum Club had done to deface this beautiful building. In the comments on that blog mashi74 reported that the stylistic roof had been removed and, as you can see […]

Hugh Low Street was once a 2-way street, and a very busy one too…even today! This picture was taken from a postcard, dated 1985. At the far end, just before the bridge, there used to be an arch – it’s not there now, wonder when it was taken down? Also notice that there were many shops (on […]

Chan Tai 陈黛, the charming girl in this photo, used to live in a small village in the district of Shun Tuck 顺德 in the province of Guangdong, China in the 1920s. This district was renowned for producing silk. Her family owned a small silk worm farm. She helped them to cultivate silk worms and weave […]

It’s that season again; where all Malaysians young and old, some foreigners too, join in the fun. To the die-hard fans out there, yes…we’re talking about DURIANS! Here we have a picture of durians being sold along Osborne Street, Ipoh (in the early 1970s). Were there many stalls selling durians in those days? We’d like […]

All the last rites performed for the dead in the funeral parlors along Hume Street were a fusion of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism beliefs. The core belief is that death is universal. When a person dies, the soul will leave its body. But it will not realize immediately that death has occurred upon itself. This […]

Hume Street is also known as “Koon Choy Kai” in Cantonese, meaning “Coffin Street”. Do you know why? Phun Yue Wui Kun 潘禺会馆 , the tall building at the far right, is one of the busiest funeral parlors along Hume Street. It caters to those who died away from home and also one who died […]

A stone’s throw away from #188 is Hume Street, now known as Jalan Mesjid. Along this short but interesting street, one can find many traditional trades co- existing harmoniously with modern ones. Let’s start with this building at the junction of Hume Street “ 谦街 ” and Jalan Yang Kalsom. This building once housed the […]

This blog is published at the request of Kinta Heritage Group PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL ENQUIRIES SHOULD BE PASSED TO MR RAJA, +6012 524 2357 Ipoh Heritage Walk (Old Town) Come and experience the grandeur of this beautiful city and learn why the town that tin built became known as the City of Millionaires. […]

We have here a postcard, from roughly the 1930s. At the top, right, it says “Belfield Street”. The mystery here is this: on the far left of the picture, is a building that says ‘E.W. FMS Hotel’. Was this the location of the 1st FMS Bar and Restaurant? Notice too that almost across the street from […]

Dad has only a primary education. Without a stable job, it is difficult to feed a large family. We have already pawned whatever that can be pawned. We were close to living in poverty. Finally, Grandma let out the front portion of #188 to a couple who turned it into a mahjong parlor. Many whores, […]

Yes ladies and gentlemen the exterior restoration of the Lam Looking building is complete, and it really is looking good. But before you feast your eyes on the wonderful building please allow me to show you what it looked like about 60 plus years ago when still in operation. Well there you are, with the […]

…the Sun Cinema was still in one piece! This picture we have here is from around 1985, a little after the Sun Cinema closed its doors to the public. It was located at the corner of Brewster Road and Hale Street (behind the building was the Kinta River). Incidentally, sketches of this cinema were done […]

At last Perak State has made a bold and positive step in the UNESCO direction by declaring that Perak is preparing the nomination dossier for five locations to be presented to UNESCO to list them as World Heritage Sites. In this firm and welcome statement, State Chairman for Industry, Investment, Industrial Development and Tourism, Datuk Hamidah […]

Sometimes life can be cruel. It was late 1969. Dad has a younger brother staying with us at #188. He was a carpenter at a furniture shop in Ipoh. A young man of just 23, he was healthy and full of life vitality. Everyone liked him. He was steady with a pretty girl […]

The Ipoh Echo recently reported that Ipoh’s Little India is to be spruced up. The work is to be completed before Merdeka Day on August 31. The area being spruced up under a project financed by the Federal Government covers from the entrance of Jalan Leong Boon Swee into Jalan Lahat and carrying on into Jalan […]

Back in the 1950s, cinemas were a popular (probably the only) source of entertainment – television sets were not common and not everyone had a radio either! Hence, the cinema-experience was a real treat – especially for the little ones! We received an interesting e-mail from Ignatius Chiew, regarding the ‘soft’ opening of Ipoh’s Cathay […]

Nephew of FMS fame was not only the well loved barman of the FMS, but he was friend and confidente of literally thousands of people from all over the globe who dropped in the FMS for a ‘quick one’ over his sixty years behind that famous old bar. Sadly he passed away this week and […]

“Oh No!” I can hear you say, “Not the clock tower AGAIN!”, but please be patient because this postcard sent to us as a scan was bought here in Ipoh in 1955 and there is something quite different about it. “Different! What is different?” Well, out of the many similar pictures we have seen from […]

This is a front view of No.188, Hugh Low Street – which used to be Ipohgal’s home. The picture was taken by Aaron Ong, who was inspired by Ipohgal’s description of her colourful childhood. The design of this house deserves a special mention – particularly the 2 lions on the roof (see picture below) Like […]

Designed by A B Hubback, who also designed the Ipoh Railway Station, this work-of-art was completed in 1916. The east end of the building was used as the Post and Telegraphs Office in 1928. This building is still used today – be it for concerts, wedding banquets, official functions, etc. It’s also had some restoration […]

Bush Radio Marble Table Wooden Chairs Besides being a home to my family, 188 Hugh Low Street was also once a coffee shop. In 1945, an English man who was working and staying in Batu Gajah, retired and planned to return to England for good. He has a collection of marble tables and wooden […]

Does this building looked familiar to you? It was located right in the middle of new town, along busy Hugh Low Street. It faced the junction of Cowan Street and Jalan Yang Kalsom. Just opposite is the new town police station. Adjacent is Hume Street. Yes, I knew it looked abandoned and in a dilapidated […]

I’m sure many of you out there recognize this place! Today, it’s mainly a stop for the inter-city buses – since Medan Gopeng now handles the inter-state services. But the place is still BUSY! Such buses (as in the picture) are still around today, along with the new air-conditioned buses too! The roundabout has had […]

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.” After the Japanese left Malaya in 1945, Dad had wanted to resume with his apprenticeship at the village workshop in Batu Gajah […]

Hi, The Ipohworld’s World blog is wonderful. I tried to find in your posts information about one building which is located near the roundabout at Gopeng Road and Jalan Tambun, diagonally opposite Yuk Choy Primary School, but I haven’t been able to. A large furniture shop is now built in front of […]

A TRIBUTE TO MOM 献给天下间的母亲 Dearest Mom, how can I ever forget the simple joy of nestling in your loving arms and suckling contently at your milky breasts that gave me the nourishments of life. Dearest Mom, how can I ever describe your kind smile that I saw through my tears as I took a fall […]

My name is Mohammed Salleh, age 39, married with three children. I am one of the many hawkers in town selling ‘chendol’ for the past 22 years. You can find me daily at the Magistrate Court compound in the morning; around Railway Station at one o’clock; and at Hale Street (opposite Town Padang) from 3 […]

Recognise this bar? Don’t know if it was as popular as the FMS; but it must have had many patrons – judging by their well-stocked bar (see picture below) The bar was at Station Hotel. Wonder, did it have a catchy name? Some of you out there might know more………..

The former Out Patient department of the Ipoh General Hospital. We think this picture was probably taken in the late 80s (if we’re wrong, let us know!). At present, this building has been given a more modern ‘make-over’. Also notice in the background – far right, the Municipal building (Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh).

No, we’re not talking about the Daniel Day-Lewis movie. We think this ‘Red-Man’ was placed at the Ipoh Railway Station – and may possibly be the LAST of its kind! Anyone ‘met’ the ‘Red-Man’ before?

This art-deco styled cinema was designed by B M Iversen and built in the late 1940s. It was said to be a popular Chinese movie cinema, which later went on to show English, Malay, Hindi and Tamil movies in the 80s. The theatre finally closed in 1998. The elegent building now stands alone at Chamberlain […]

This road block was at the junction of Brewster Road and Cockman Street. Judging from the uniforms, we think this happened in 1975 – if we’re wrong, let us know! In the picture, there is the famous United Optical Company and the Ipoh branch of Straits Echo. We’re looking forward to your comments…..

This place was featured in the film ‘Anna and the King’. The 183-metre veranda is good place “to spend a lazy afternoon” with friends, over tea (or beer, depends on your preference!). Also a popular wedding venue once; I’m sure you know where this place is…….

The location was good; at the heart of town, with neighbouring banks, theatres, commercial buildings and within easy communication. Back in the 70s, the room rates were quite affordable – $55 for a Twin-sharing De Luxe room! The air-conditioned rooms even had TV sets installed! Besides the luxuries it offered, there was also a restaurant and […]

This cinema was built in the 1930s, adjacent to a Christian graveyard – rumour has it that if you took off your shoes inside, you might not find them again when the lights come on! The picture shown here was taken in 1971, after the cinema was renovated. I’m sure most of you know this […]

Here’s a section of Ipoh Old Town, said to be taken from the top of the state mosque’s minaret. In the background (left) is the Ipoh Padang and a row of giant common ru. Further back, are the limestone hills – something Ipoh has always been noted for! This was what the area used to […]

This all-marble fountain was built in memory of E W Birch, Perak’s British Resident from 1905-1910. It was at the south end of Belfield street – sadly, now another fountain has replaced this beauty! We were once told by a senior resident of Ipoh, that during the Japanese Occupation the four corners of the fountain were […]

The Qing Ming Festival, the Clear Bright Festival, Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival which falls on the first day of the fifth solar term. It denotes a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime and tend to the graves of departed ones. This year […]

This famous Ipoh landmark opened in 1962. Designed by Booty Edwards & Partners, the place offered each trader equal space for his/her shoplot. The Yau Tet Shin bazaar was known to the locals as Pasar Bulat (Round / Circular Market); it offered everything from suitcases and travelling bags, to Pomelo and Groundnut stalls, and […]

This restaurant was said to be famous for Chinese Delicacies and Tanjong Tualang Fresh Water Prawns. Probably one the few air-conditioned restaurants at that time (1970s), it was located at the Yau Tet Shin Market & Shopping Centre; along Cowan Street in Ipoh. Sadly, the Yau Tet Shin Market is not there anymore (now turned […]

It was a bright sunny morning when these men in white went round the town carrying this float. We were told it was in conjunction with the 9-God Festival. In the background is a famous Ipoh food-haunt – Wan Nan Hotel and Restaurant. The restaurant is still there – still crowded on weekends and public […]

Here we have two gentlemen posing outside the Perak Chinese Rubber Association. We think the picture was probably taken after 1959, since that was the year the building was built. Since we know nothing about the place, we’d like to ask any of you out there: Do you know where in Ipoh this building is? […]

This little girl is standing by the famous Sultan Yussuf Fountain. This fountain is at a roundabout; which connects Brewster Road, Tambun Road, Gopeng Road and Hugh Low Street. The fountain was donated by the Turf Club, as part of their attempts to beautify Ipoh. The Turf Club also came up with the Japanese Garden […]

The Ipoh Airport started out as a private airfield in the 1930s. It was only in 1947 that the first commercial flight was introduced. Later, in the 1980s, the airport runway was extended. Here we have a photograph of a family at the Ipoh Airport, taken in 1978. In the background (top, left) is the airport’s control […]

Jubilee Park was once Ipoh’s foremost entertainment centre. Built by the Danish architect BM Iversen, some of the attractions within this 4-acre park were the Grand Theatre, the Chinese Concert Hall and the Jubilee Cabaret. Interestingly, it was originally called the ‘Ipoh Amusement Park’, but later the owners (the Shaw Brothers of course!) renamed it ‘Jubilee Park’ […]

A wander around Kampung Kuchai in the heart of Ipoh certainly gives the photographer something to concentrate on. We have featured the area before with the old house, the Beetle and the MG Magnette, but nothing as artistic as this (literally) heap of junk. Here we have a real piece of artistry! How the owner […]

….when ‘Alvarez Kelly’ was being shown in Ruby Theatre. (Yes, on the far right is the cinema hall which was part of the Lau Ek Ching building, along Anderson Road.) William Holden played a ‘suave Mexican cattleman’ named Alvarez Kelly who unwillingly found himself caught in a Civil War. Well, to those of you who […]

Over the past few days there have been several comments about our last post that featured the FMS Bar and so while in Old Town searching for the MG logo (previous post) I took the opportunity to take the above photo to demonstrate what is being done to the pillars. As you can see they […]

Our earlier post about the old MG in Kampung Kuchai (put up specially for antiquelad) led to Raz alerting us to this MG logo set in the 5 foot way in Old Town. Early this morning I set off to locate it and thanks to Daniel’s advice in an earlier comment I found it at […]

Yes, just a few metres from the Beetle lies this grand old vehicle. If you don’t recognise it then have a look at this: It is of course an MG and it is in that graveyard for old vehicles, right in the centre of Ipoh, called Kg Kuchai. This is is one of the last […]

Many people do not understand the difference between renovation and restoration, but in simple terms restoration means to return something to its original state (as near as possible) while renovation allows one to change, modernise, adds bits and pieces and generally end up looking nothing like the original. A good example would be Elizabeth Taylor […]

This photograph was taken by an Ipoh resident, Richard, Leong, in the early 1960’s not long after it had been erected by the Perak Turf Club as a gift to the town. At the key junction of Hugh Low Street, Gopeng Road, Tambun Road and Brewster Road it welcomed travellers to Ipoh from all directions. […]

As you folks out there know by now, we like guessing-games. Here is a postcard from the 1980s, of a “busy street stall” in Ipoh, selling moon cakes, fruits, lanterns, etc. Now, all YOU have to do is tell us WHERE in Ipoh this street is (truth is: we aren’t sure ourselves!). No prizes for […]

Local artist Khor Seow Hooi is presenting an exhibition of his paintings of Old Ipoh Town in the Syuen Hotel, first floor, from today 24 January 2010 until 31 january from 10am to 7.30pm daily, including Sunday. Above is one example of his detailed work in ink and watercolour on paper. He has captured many of […]

In the entrance to the same building as the wash hand basin below hangs this electric light fitting. As electricity did not properly come to Ipoh until 1930, courtesy of the Perak River Hydro-Electric Power Company Ltd, it can only be around 75 years old – the art deco period – and that ties in very […]

For most items the definition of a true antique is more than 100 years old, although there are special arrangements made for items like paintings. Here we have a real antique, found still fitted in a Chinese building in Ipoh after almost 117 years. Such items were quite rare in Perak in those days, apart […]

At last, the city council have decided to do something to preserve the heritage of Ipoh. Spotted this tower which has been given a new coat of paint although the colour looks odd. Well, at least we know that the tower won’t be making its way in the name of development anytime soon.

What a nice surprise I had yesterday when I dropped in to Panglima Lane to see the latest state of that fast disappearing site of Ipoh’s heritage. There was a wonderful sight, a Malay couple dressed in their stunning white silk wedding attire being photographed. The scene was without doubt worthy of the above secondary title “Beauty’Midst the Bricks”. Now I did […]

It was time to have another look at the restoration/renovation of Lam Looking Bazaar, so I popped down there this afternoon. What a great transformation met my eyes for as the above picture shows, despite the diversion notices and vehicles, the exterior has taken on a great new look – almost back to brand new. […]

This postcard shows an aerial view of Ipoh Old Town. We think the road meeting at the cross-junction are Jalan Panglima and Belfield Street. Among some of the famous landmarks which can be seen are the Birch Clock Tower, the Perak State Mosque, the Chung Thye Phin building, the Straits Trading Building and the Dramatist’s […]

Yes there really is another new heritage trail map for Ipoh, this one taking in both Old and New Town streets and 60 heritage buildings as well as giving a brief history of the city from 1873 to 1941. There is also a section on Ipoh’s famous foods, some notes on the Malay Enclave and “How to […]

This lovely lass is said to be seated at the balcony of an old shop house in Ipoh. We’re not sure where about this place is, so some help would be nice. According to the kind soul who gave us the picture, one of the buildings in the background is the HSBC bank – which […]

This is the latest map/brochure published by Myheritage Technovation Sdn Bhd in collaboration with Perak Academy and Kinta Heritage Group. Inside is a basic map of Ipoh Old Town outlining a two-hour heritage trail as well as short write-ups about the 24 heritage buildings on the trail. Also featured is a brief history of Ipoh Town, Panglima Lane (Concubine […]

This is Ipoh’s Cathay Theatre which still stands to day, but no longer as a cinema having been overtaken by Metroplexes and the like. It was once a beautiful single-screen theatre, built in Cockman Street in late 1956 and opened on August 31, 1957 with the movie, ‘The King and I’, telling the fictitious romantic story of Anna […]

Well he would be in danger if he was to try and take the same photograph today as he was standing in the centre of the Birch Bridge in Brewster Road, but of course in 1952 life was different in Ipoh, Brewster Road took two-way traffic and as you can see the road is almost empty. Compare that […]

This photo shows a crocodile that was shot in the Kinta River which runs through Ipoh Town. The hunter was an European (referring to the hunter’s attire ) who helped the villagers to put an end to this crocodile’s menace. And the villagers were so excited to see the dead gigantic croc. We will be happy to […]

This picture shows one of the worst floods that ever happened in Ipoh. It was in 1926 and the picture was taken at the corner of Belfield Street and Station Road. The precautions against such a disaster was taken earlier than this date. Around 1914-1921, the Ipoh Flood Mitigation Scheme had been carried out to protect the town from the then […]

This old picture came from the same source as the one below. When did you last see so many trishaws in a Perak Street? But what street is it? There are no prizes for the correct answer, just the honour of demonstrating your knowledge of your old home town.

This photo came to us via a soldier (who took it) and a policeman (who saved it), both of whom served here during the Malayan Emergency. The picture really needs no explanation, simply two popular modes of transport in the 1950’s. Does any one have any tales to tell us about their ride in either of […]

This house in Hume Street, New Town, Ipoh is often admired by visitors and locals alike. It has appeared several times on other blogs and it would be a serious omission if we did not include it on ipohWorld’s World as it is a great example of how nice Ipoh could look if other owners cared […]

At one time Ipoh sported two Birch Memorials, the clock tower in memory of J W W Birch and this beautiful marble fountain in Belfield Street to honour his son E W Birch. These memorials always seem to cause confusion as today only the clock tower remains and more than one tourism site has misled […]

This Photograph of Station Road, Ipoh is a classic with so many rickshaws busy in the street. It is 1906 and this is the very centre of Perak’s commercial operations. It was here that companies like Chung Thye Pin Built his status building which was first Dr Connolly’s Medical Hall, then Oldfield’s and subsequently Georgetown […]

What can be said about this picture other than how can an owner allow his property to deteriorate to such a level as seen here. In a world where it is said that investing in property is one of the safest things to do with your money, it would be normal to maintain that investment. […]

The picture shows Ipoh New Town extending from the Kinta River in 1908. It was built on the padi fields of Datoh Panglima Kinta and as the new buildings were erected from the river towards Gopeng Road, block by block, replacing a number of extremely smelly pigsties. The builder was Yau Tet Shin, miner, property […]

The picture shows the Panglima Street, Ipoh around 1904. It was named after Datoh Panglima Kinta who originally owned the land that Ipoh is built on. In Perak, the elephants could be seen on the streets as they were used as a main carrier for both people and goods, particularly in the tin mines. Perak was […]

While many will argue that this is not heritage that depends a lot on one’s point of view. Here we have the logo brightening up a really dull steel shutter in a heritage building and demonstrating a family’s pride in what they do (books for education), their family name and the country to which they […]

This little group of buildings in Belfield Street, Old Town, Ipoh is very reminiscent of the days when budding entrepreneurs bought a single plot of land and had their own ideas created into a shop-house. Individuality was the hallmark in those days not like the vast housing developments today with their rows and rows of […]

Hugh Low Street taken from rise, near the Registar of Motor Vehicles office in 1887. The first bus service was started from this street and Laxamana Road to Gopeng in 1910. The pioneer was Yeop Abdul Rani Idris who used a single bus to run his business. However, in 1912, the business collapsed due to economic […]

Most tourists that traverse Old Town make a point of photographing the Birch Memorial Clock Tower, just as this photographer has done in the past. But searching for a different view this time he came across this little side-lane and this is what he got to take home to remind him of Ipoh. What a pity that Ipoh, once […]

Sunday is a good day to follow the published heritage walk around Old Town, Ipoh as there is not too much traffic and very few cars parked to obstruct the view of the heritage buildings. But a word of warning, do watch where you step because, as the photographs show, quite apart from having to […]

If you walk past the front of Lam Looking building, nothing much seems to be happening, but pause a moment and you will hear the mighty hammering of hacking tools and when they take a break – voices. Could it be that something is cooking inside the building? Now before you move on, look up and right at the top. Something […]

Ipoh has many of these shop-sign pillars lining the 5-foot way, more we believe than any of the other Malaysian cities, but it is very unusual to see them in any other langusge but Chinese. However this pair, relics of Ipoh’s Colonial past remain with us to remind us that at one time the two languages […]

It is very sad to see that the recent renovation of this building has included enclosing the 5 foot walkway that was designed to provide shelter for passing pedestrians from the scorching sun and the pouring rain. Has the owner recently bought the pavement from the council or simply stolen it and if it is the […]

One of our supporters was having a walk around Old Town with his camera last Sunday. He stopped by the Birch Clock Tower to admire the beautiful paintwork on the OCBC building, rejoicing in the fact that this grand old building, built by the Straits Trading Company in 1906/1907 is still with us. But then […]

This postcard dates from around 1935 and shows the Hugh Low Bridge as most people still call it today. At one time when Hugh Low, as a British Colonial, was out of fashion it was known as the Kinta Bridge, but the name never really caught on. Anyway, those who cross the bridge regularly will know […]

This photograph came with the caption “An important street in Ipoh in 1950”. However we cannot name it nor decide why it is said to be important. Can you? Don’t be shy just drop us a line by clicking om “Leave a comment” under these words. We guarantee not to use your email for any […]

This divided back, unused, card from Airfoto is centred on the Perak State Mosque with the Railway Station clearly visible between it and the limestone hills which form the backdrop against a brilliant blue sky. The amazing thing about this picture is just what a beautiful and green city Ipoh was in the 1960’s. In every […]

How Others See Us. Below is a true copy of Lonely Planet’s latest report on Ipoh. Check it out if you don’t believe me. We simply added the red highlighting. For the visitor, Ipoh is mainly a transit town, a place where you change buses if you’re heading for Pulau Pangkor or the Cameron Highlands. However, […]

Although so far nobody has commented on our earlier blog about the disgraceful state of Panglima Lane today, I thought that you might like to see what it should look like. This picture although of poor quality shows just how well looked after, clean and tidy the Lane used to be. Obviously the owners had […]

The local government system was introduced into Malaya before the end of the 19th century, after the system showed a tremendous development in United Kingdom. In United Kingdom, the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 become the initial step towards the local government establistment. This law required the local community to look into the problems of […]

Just a stone’s throw from the river beautification project and in one of the most interesting parts of Old Town is Market Street and this eyesore. What can one say? Do we have no pride in ourselves and our city?

In December last year there was a revelation by the Datuk Bandar, Ipoh, that the legendary tunnel under the Ipoh Town Hall, which is said to join the Railway Station to the High Court and the Police Station (the latter being most unlikely) was to be investigated. Indeed, not only investigated, but opened to the public as […]

We are grateful to Ramesh who has lent us this photograph so that we may share it with you. The photograph shows Chamberlain Road, Ipoh with Jalan Bendahara at the bottom left, joining Chamberlain at the roundabout. Apart from the Sri Maju Bus Company replacing the Palm Trees, bottom left, with their vehicles in 1978 not […]

The photographs, taken by a Japanese tourist, show Ipoh’s famous Beef Noodle Stall in operation in Theatre Street in 1968 where it served the people of Ipoh for more than 50 years, until they were forced by legislation to move to a central hawkers area, known locally as Rainbow City. They have been at this […]

On 14 June 2009 both the China Press and Oriental Daily kindly featured the launch of ipohWorld’s new database archive and blog. The photographs show guests viewing the photographic exhibition, “Snapshots of the Emergency” that accompanied the launch. Scans of the articles are shown above and for the convenience of the all, we enclose our Press […]

Upgrade and renovation of fine building need to be tastefully done (architecturally) example the Ipoh High Court, Extension to St Michael school. Tent structure extension to the Ipoh railway station is foreign to the resident’s architecture is to be avoided. Hawkers in Malaysia must stop discharging waste into public drains, rivers for it promotes disease […]

A friend visited the Birch Memorial Clock Tower and brought us back these pictures. The top two are at the top of the steps as you approach the tower from the lower road. Rotting food and goodness knows what else to navigate past as you visit Ipoh’s heritage. Bottom left is the base of the […]

Most people know about FMS, the oldest bar in Malaysia which is currently under renovation. Indeed many people fear that it will never open again. However it certainly looks hopeful. Taking the photographs from the top it appears that nothing is happening, but go round the back and you will see an amazing transformation (centre […]

Known by Perakians young and old as The Old Post Office, and despite being connected to the Town Hall the building has been empty since the early 1990s and been derelict for years. As can be seen from the top picture the Town Hall has been repainted and shows signs of being cared for but it has been a […]

Lam Looking building in Laxamana Road, Ipoh was destroyed by fire. Heritage buffs rejoiced when they heard that the bazaar had a new owner who was to restore it. Sure enough it was fenced and the rubbish cleared, but since then nothing has happened. Does anyone know when and what is happening next? The Top […]

From time to time (but with monotonous regularity) Ipoh suffers a mysterious fire in one or other of the old buildings in Old or New Town. This one in Brewster Road happened on the eve of Chinese New Year 2009. The building had been out of use for years. How did the fire start we […]