This house (in Pasir Salak, Perak) was said to be built in the 1980s, to resemble the house of the late Dato Maharajalela. It later fell into a sorry state (as seen above). But, the good news is……it was later restored! If anyone could shed more light on this restoration project, we’d love to hear […]
We usually hear about historical landmarks being torn down to make way for modern structures. Here’s an old article about a famous landmark in Taiping…which was rescued!
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 came across this article in the Star newspaper. If this plan goes through, perhaps we’ll be able to see the once iconic Station Hotel back in all its glory. Here’s a recap of the inside of the Station Hotel, from the early 1920s, when a retirement dinner was given to the 14th British Resident […]
Did you know…that the foundation stone for the present building of St John’s Church was laid on 15 December 1910? Here’s a picture of the church when it was just completed (in 1912).
Ever wondered what happened to the building that housed the first Post & Telegraph office back in 1883? Yes, I’m talking about that building in Jalan Stesen, Taiping. Well, it is now a Telegraph Museum!
On the left is a picture of Ngah Ibrahim’s fort, which was built in 1865 (picture courtesy of Ipoh Remembered). On the right is a picture of the same building, taken in 2009 by Ian.
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 […]
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).
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 🙂
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 […]
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).
This is said to be the original building of the Batu Gajah Police Station. Our donor, Daljit Singh Guram, told us that his late grandfather is in this very photograph (back row, 11th from the left). Daljit’s late grandfather – Gurcharan Singh Guram – was in the Malaysian Police Force from 1920 to 1945.
This photo was taken in the late 1950s / early 1960s. Yes, it’s none other than the Straits Trading Building, in Ipoh!
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
This article was taken off today’s NST. We hope this project goes through as planned, if only to preserve this important piece of our history.
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 […]
Any Sam Tet alumni reading this? Well, I’m sure you recognise this building. According to our donor, Ruth Iversen Rollitt, her late father – B M Iversen – designed it!
We thought we’d share this interesting article with you, about the 6 mile long bridge in Gerik. What’s so special about this bridge? Well, it has no pillars! 😉
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 🙂
“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 […]
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.
picture courtesy of: Harold Sevanesam No prizes for guessing WHERE this place is, but I’m sure some of you out there are grinning widely 😉 What I found rather interesting is the shape of the of the roof. Anyone know the architect who designed this?
Don’t know where to go during this long break? How about Kellie’s Castle? No, we’re not advertising for this place. Rather just showing you what this iconic landmark looked like – way back in 1957! This is a photograph of Ho Hoo Wan with his siblings and friends, posing just outside the famed Batu Gajah […]
A couple of months ago, one of our readers – Hasbi – sent us these pictures. This grand old building is the Rumah Besar of none other than Raja Bilah. The gentleman in the picture is Hasbi himself with his wife. They had visited Kak Saadiah – the maternal great grand daughter of Raja Bilah. […]
I dare say that apart from the Ubudiah Mosque, the Royal Palace is the next famous landmark in Kuala Kangsar 😉 This picture here, courtesy of Ruth Iversen Rollitt, shows a different view of the palace – probably before the renovations were done. Could anyone help us with a rough date?
Ever wondered what happened to this famous Gopeng Landmark? Well, wonder no more! Thanks to our photographer Charlie, we have these pictures for your viewing pleasure! As the State Government once promised, a section of one of the pipes on its original structure has been saved and turned into a sort of a memorial to […]
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 […]
picture and story from: Bonhams Auctioneers, UK Yes, folks…this is indeed the Rolls-Royce 20hp Sports Tourer once owned by Chung Thye Phin! Chung Thye Phin bought it way back in 1925. A year or so later, this same car was lent to the Duke of Gloucester when he was touring this side of the globe. […]
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 […]
(click to enlarge) We thank Ruth Iversen Rollitt for these photographs. On the left is the Lima Blas Estate Manager’s bungalow built by B M Iversen for his brother Werner as referred to in the earlier post below – just as it was in those days. On the right is the same bungalow (photo taken […]
Some of you may have met me before. Some of you may remember me ‘singing’ during the war. Some say my ‘voice’ made quite an impression on the young ones too! For those of you who don’t me, I’m a WW2 Civil Defence Siren 😉
We were told by Ruth Iversen Rollitt that these houses were designed by her father B M Iversen. click to enlarge Yes folks, these houses are STILL THERE – at the compound of the Perak Hydro Power Station in Malim Nawar! Those of you who once lived here, do you see YOUR former home in […]
Remember these seats? All you movie buffs out there, especially those who visited the old cinemas (not the modern cineplexes), I’m sure you’ll recall sitting on similar chairs.
Some call it Perak’s version of “The Leaning Tower of Pisa”. I’ve never been there, but from recent pictures it does seem like it’s leaning a little to one side. However, here is an early 1900 picture of the same water tower in Teluk Intan (see below) – and it seems rather STRAIGHT to me […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
The picture is not that clear, but this is what the Kampong Simee Police Station looked like back in 1948. Kampong Simee was one of the Chinese villages which came about during the Malayan Emergency as part of the New Village programme. Just wondering: is this the same police station which is now next to […]
For those of you who’ve already guessed this building, give yourself a pat on the shoulder. Yes, this is none other than St Michael’s church – which is along Brewster Road, behind the former Odeon Cinema. What I’d like to point out is the road leading towards the church itself. Notice how it seems almost […]
“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 was Jubilee Park then….when they first started business. Later, the Shaw Brothers gave it a ‘facelift’ (see picture below). Today, a night club has opened at the corner of Brewster Road and Cowan Street. But this side of Jubilee Park still remains. Anyone knows what’s going on inside? Are the stalls still there? We […]
Here’s a coloured picture of the Ipoh Swimming Club. I do wonder: was the taken before or after they renovated the pool? Our thanks goes out to Ruth Rollitt for sharing this photograph with us.
Today’s blog we’re featuring a picture from Ruth Rollitt. According to her, this was part of the Batu Gajah hospital. Recognise it? Folks from Batu Gajah might be able to tell us more 🙂
This is none other than the Grand Theater & Jubilee Park – before the Shaw Brothers renovated it. From the clues in the picture, some of you may be able to roughly guess the year this was taken. What was YOUR early memory of this famous landmark? Were you a patron of the Cabaret? Did […]
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)…
…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 😉
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)
Some time back, we featured a family photo with a factory in the background. This is a close up of the said factory – the Weng Heng Aerated Water Factory in Kampar. We thank Lam Yuen Li for this photo. Those from Kampar, do you have any idea if this factory is still in operation? […]
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 […]
This came to us via Ruth Rollitt – showing what we believe to be the living quarters for the staff who worked at the Geological Museum along Tiger Lane. The house was either down the road from the museum or behind it. Not sure if this place is still there today. What say you, dear […]
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 […]
From what the Star tells us, this is the proposed design for the new Yau Tet Shin Bazaar (see picture below). This new building will be called ‘The Octagon’, and construction of this landmark will be undertaken by One Octagon Sdn Bhd (a private company, which was formed by the Perak Chinese Chamber of Commerce […]
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 camp was built in 1949, in Taiping, to house surrendered Communists. Does anyone know what’s become of this place? What is this place used as now? We’d love to hear more, especially from the Taiping folks 🙂
This is another landmark in Ipoh, designed by none other than B M Iversen. Yes, it is the Geological Survey department. Can you guess the year this picture was taken? Here’s a clue: the car facing the camera bears the number plate AA 3636. Here’s a photograph of the foundation stone, sent to us by […]
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 […]
In a follow up to a series of pictures of buildings in Kuala Kangsar (refer to Where Is It? & Where Is It? part 2), we’d like to share two more – showing the Ubudiah Mosque and the Royal Mausoleum – which were sent to us via email from Nicholas Jennings.
Here’s a little puzzle for you: Where can this building be found? Is it somewhere in Perak? Or, perhaps in another state? We think it’s a mosque….but we could be wrong. We await your feedback 🙂 We thank Nicholas Jennings for this picture which is from his grandmother’s album of the 1920’s.
Here’s another picture sent to us from Alan. Do these buildings seem familiar to you? I wonder where the photographer was standing when this picture was taken….
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.
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.
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….
In 1999 the Perak State Government published a very nice heritage trail map of Ipoh. It was produced by our good friends from Penang, Lubis and Salma. One of the buildings featured was in Kampong Jawa and clearly the Government thought it had some heritage value as they included it in the map. It was abandoned then, but […]
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 […]
Before it was converted into the Darul Ridzuan Museum, this 10-room bungalow (along Douglas Road) was built for none other than one of Ipoh’s famous miners – Foo Choong Yit – back in 1926. Later, in 1940, two air raid shelters were constructed in the compound (in anticipation of Japanese aerial attacks). Ten years later, the Government took over […]
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 – […]
Thanks to Ruth Rollitt, we now have some interior pictures of the Lam Looking Bazaar. For those of you who were curious to know what the interior looked like, feast you eyes on these! 🙂 the staircase inside the building left to right: the top floor, which became a cinema hall; the corridor on the […]
….that THIS (picture above) was the ORIGINAL design of the Lam Looking Bazaar! (click image to enlarge) Thanks to Ruth Rollitt (daughter of the late B M Iversen), we have here the drawing of this famous building. Ruth also had this to say in her email: The firm of Keys & Dowdeswell left Singapore in […]
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 […]
Today we’re featuring the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, which is along Silibin Road. Long before the idea of a church in Silibin came about, the needs of the Tamil Catholics of Ipoh were taken care of by visiting missionaries of St Michael’s Church. Later on, more families began to settle towards Silibin area […]
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 […]
A while ago we featured the Main Convent Primary School (http://www.ipohworld.org/?p=1618) which was housed in Leeton House and under renovation. Today I dropped in to see what had happened to the grand old building and was pleasantly surprised for although not a true restoration the owners/architects/contractors have made a good attempt to retain many of the […]
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. 😉
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 […]
….the Abdul Samad Building? (see picture below) Was this what the building looked like in the early 1900s? Or, perhaps its an entirely different building altogether? We’d like your ‘expert’ opinions on this one……… This picture is taken from the collection of the late Percival Moss, who tailored the uniforms for the Malay States Guides.
We received the following email and pictures this morning and thought that we should share it with all you heritage supporters out there. No doubt you will be as lost for words as I am – or will you? HI all! This is one of my favourite kampung houses just outside of Terong, Perak, on […]
The Good News: the roof of St John’s Church has been restored. The Better News: the restoration work looks GOOD! (see picture below) The church had previously suffered a ’bout’ of white ants. Now fully restored, it’s standing proud as one of Ipoh’s heritage buildings!
This myterious bungalow was supposedly built during British rule in the early 20th Century. It was once the home of a rubber estate Manager. Later, a Chinese Miner bought it. Since 1 January 1960, the Perak Local Defense Force used it as its base. Now, this bungalow has become the HQ for the Markas Rejimen […]
This villa was build around 1910, by none other than Eu Tong Sen; Eu used this as an annex to his Chateau (Forest Lodge). We were also told that this Anglo-Malay Bungalow was the home of Japanese senior officers (between 1942-1945), and was where Ipoh residents queued up for rice coupons. Garden Villa was also […]
We refer to a previous posting about a traditional Malay-type house in Gopeng (here). Our good friend Charlie brought to our attention the following NST article, as an update on this Gopeng mystery (see pictures below). Azim Abdul Aziz, an architect, had decided to restore his grandfather’s 80-year-old house. Since the main road was being widened, the house […]
You don’t see beauties like these anymore! Houses like these are hard to come by; the few that are left either go through EXTREME renovations, or they just end up being torn down and a modern structure replaces them. A little patching up here, some painting over there – and there you have […]
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!
Here is one way of restoring and using a heritage building….. Garden Villa is located at No.5, Jalan Raja Dr Nazrin Shah (Gopeng Road), Ipoh. It was originally an annex to Eu Tong Sen’s mansion (Eu Chateau-Forest Lodge). Now, this place is managed by Kinta Heritage group. This Anglo-Malay architecture can be a venue for […]
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 […]
