Monday, August 08, 2005

Timeless scene

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A family portrait and a shelf of books, a typical scene one can find in any abode. Yet this setup conjures a kind of feeling, of humble origins, of family, of shared history, of a place to call home. A corner found at an abode of quite a famous person in Penang, I can't recall the name of the place just that it was along Jalan Penang and near the intersection of Leith Street and has now been turned into a historical hotel accomodation catering to paying tourists. Penang, 2004.

5 comments:

lucia said...

it's the cheong fatt tze mansion or otherwise also known as 'the blue house' as it is painted all blue after the restoration.

the halls or gardens are open for functions (with a charge of course). now, even going in to tour the place, one need to pay. before the resoration, no need to pay.

believe it or not, i haven't been to the mansion though i used to stay a stone's throw away from it.

the mansion in tourism penang:
http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/article.cfm?id=36

Kervin said...

Usually I'll agree with you but I've been to the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion and this wasn't taken there. It's nearer to the Penang Eastern and Oriental and at the intersection I recall a large lip painted on the side of a building, The CFT mansion is further down there. This was a bungalow mansion with a courtyard and painted greenish yellow if I'm not mistaken.

lucia said...

well if i'm wrong, of course you don't have to agree with me and i stand corrected.

however from your description, esp. the part about it being open as a hotel for tourists at the first post, and now at above comments, mentioning a courtyard, i'm sure it is the cheong fatt tze mansion. when was the last time you been to the mansion, kervin? as i stated, the mansion had a major uplift/refurbishment and it had been painted blue. it has a large courtyard indeed and many rooms.

yes the cheong fatt tze mansion is situated at the end near E&O hotel. in fact, it is the last building on leith street, where after it (on the building's left), is farquhar street, then after farquhar street, that 'lips' building, (it's the 'chattebox' bar, which i think... once again, to be corrected, is no longer there).

another point is i don't recall any other bungalow mansion along there, that is open up as hotel for tourists... unless you might mean the cathay hotel or waldorf hotel, which are opposite cheong fatt tze mansion, which are btw, not nearer to E&O side. (cheong fatt tze is nearer!).

let's see if someone who is more clear can throw some light here.

lucia said...

sorry. just realised that in your post you mentioned the photo was taken at somewhere 'along penang road', and not on leith street. if that's the case, then it certainly is not cheong fatt tze mansion. but i don't recall any old building (like the CFT) along penang road that become a hotel.

penang road that is nearer to E&O hotel side is now known as upper penang road and seems to be the latest hip-to-be-seen place because many nightclubs, discos, bars had sprouted there.

Kervin said...

lucia lai: Mmm didn't know they split the road, thought the whoe stretch from Komtar to the E&O was known as Jalan Penang. Anyway I've got the name of the place written somewhere just have to find it and will post it up as soon as I can. Jangan marah ok :D