….in the days before Malls and Video Games….
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’ in 1935 – in honour of King George V’s Silver Jubilee.
Sadly, the Jubilee Park of today is but a shell of its former self. I do wonder what has become of it…
I had a look at your link to Jubilee Park (above) and was surprised to be able to see a photo and read about Rose Chan. I have heard of her all my life, but have never seen her or even seen her photograph until now.
Please correct me if I’m wrong,but didn’t the Shaw Brothers have interests in the ‘Tiger Balm Gardens’ in Singapore and Hong Kong? out of theme I know,but just a matter of personal interest
Jim,
The park in Singapore, originally called “Tiger Balm Gardens”, was built in 1937 by brothers Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, not the Shaw Brothers. They developed the famous Tiger Balm. The site was purchased by Aw in 1935 and the family sold the Gardens to the Singapore Tourism Board in 1979.
There are two more sets of Tiger Balm Gardens, one in Hong Kong and one in Fujian Province, China
Cheers ika.That explains Haw Par Villa
In the 60′s and 70′s, Shaw Organization distributes free food (rice and sugar etc.) and a token red packet to old folks during their anniversary celebrations. This food giveaway was conducted at the Jubilee Park and senior citizens would congregate around the amusement park at the crack of dawn so that they can be among the first to receive the goodies.
Wow! Thanks for the input, Ken!
Back in 1969 when I was 6,grandma brought me and cousins to watch movies in the open air at this Jubilee Park.We have to bring our own wooden stools and sat infront of the stage.Being at night it was breezy and it was a real treat then but some nights we were bitten by mosquitoes.We have steamed peanuts and kacang putih for treats.They came in cones made from newspapers.
….those steamed peanuts are quite rare now.
I thought at some point in time, Jubilee Park used to show X-rated movies so my parents and grandparents always forbid us from going into that place.
only when I reached Form 3/4 then I frequent the place for video games. that time, Street Fighter 2 was the game to play.
X-rated movies at Jubilee Park? hahaha….I thought local cinemas were banned from showing such movies……guess I was wrong!
In the early 70′s, cinemas throughout the country were showing 3rd rate ( sam kup in cantonese) movies. These movies were for those over 18 years old only. Of course sometimes those under 18 also managed to sneak in. Spot checks were also conducted and those under 18 who managed to sneak in were escorted out of the cinema. This happen to some of my friends. I remember watching the film ‘Fanny Hill’ in Penang in one of the cinema along Penang road. It had quite a number of erotic scenes in it. If I remember correctly, these movies carry what was then termed a pink certificate to denote its contents.
Hi Peter. pink certificate for contents? I wonder if the Ipoh cinemas had that….
Things were actually more liberal those days. The newsagents (at least the one at the railway station) used to sell playboy magazines (used clothes pegs to hang the magazines up. Of course we as students could not afford to buy them. We would sometimes sneak a quick flip of the mags before the Indian newspaperman chased us away. If I could recall there used to be some Japanese (and later even Chinese) “porn” – just some naked ladies movies in the mid to late 60s. I’ve heard of Rose Chan and her antics – more from hearing the elders talk. Speaking of the Indian paperman, does anyone remember how most Indian kachang sellers used to have a rotan at his stall to deter those kids who try to sneak a pinch of “free” kachang.
hahahahaha……that’s a good one, Allan!
Don’t know about those sellers keeping a rotan in their stall (way before my time….lol)
I remember too. felicia is right. Its not x-rated but maybe adult movies. No students with uniforms allowed! Hehehe!
Jubilee Park became a haunt for students playing truant. On one of my childhood adventures, i ‘followed’ some of my ‘school mates’ on ONE occasion. We patronized the numerous video arcades and snooker centers. Then it became an indian cinema (bollywood movies) and started attracting locals as well as foreign workers. That didn’t last long either.
Come to think about it, some of these joints might still be there. Other than the current bridal photo studio, what other businesses are going on now?
Grand Cinema and Hoover Cinema used to show x-rated movies, those were the days. And it only cost me 65 cents to learn bout the bees and the birds (lol). Grand played adult movies for normal shows, but special shows at 4:30 everyday and 11 am on Sundays are really x-rated, which today are considered as vintage porn, really. I remembered watching stallone, van damme doing their thing (lol). Why I watched, well I got access to the projection room now and then, and today, believe it or not me and mamat became filmakers.
Hi Iqbal, are you by any chance a Michaelian? I used to know a Mohd. Iqbal back in SMI Primary 2 (not to be confused with Std 2)
I was…Primary 2…long time ago…77-82…
I recall someone posted something about a band of Goanese musicians playing at Jubilee Cabaret. I knew a Goanese family living near my house in the mid 60s. The father was a pianist there at night & in the daytime gave piano lessons to supplement his income.He was a fat dark skinned man. He seemed to earn a decent living doing this, having a car & supporting his wife & 3 kids.They were Catholics & I remembered going to their house for Christmas. In 1970 they suddenly migrated back to Goa, India. They did not tell us the reason why. I am fascinated about this small community in our midst who seem to dominate the music industry then.Anyone can shed some light?
I have heard of some British expatriates recalling with much fondness the many ronggeng lessons they had , each dance at a cost of 15 cents per ticket , with the buxomy and curvaceous sarong kebab-clad damsels of those days . A healthy semi-outdoor activities . Perhaps also a kind of non-entanglement dating dry runs for the very young Caucasian bachelors .
One could also visualize the fresh-faced 18 years old or so “squaddy” too young for 2WW service but found themselves transported out all the way from U.K. to do their National Service stint fighting in a country and for a cause so alien to them . I am sure that on their R & R , they would be a familiar sight in the amusement park , smoking cheap NAAFI-issued cigarettes and quaffing beer to look very grown up . Deep down , they were probably like boys all over the world , coping to cross the emotional chasm to adulthood .
In the sixties, I had my share of fun with the “ronggeng’ ladies. You may wonder how that could happen with an 8 year old girl then. Haha! I did not dance at the Jubilee Park! Back then, we had those travelling fun fairs that come at a certain time every year to the small towns for a week or so. One of the attractions at the fair was the ronggeng stage with the pretty girls sitting in a row waiting for their “partners’. My father used to buy me a ticket or two (was too young to remember how much it costs) to dance with them. If I may say so myself, I dance the ronggeng quite well! Hehe… Those were really good old days! Life’s pleasures were simple and easy to come by….
There was another cinema hall within the Jubilee Park complex, the Oriental, I think. This cinema showed mostly Hong Kong Movies, and like the Capitol Cinema, the reserved seats were at the rear of the hall and gradually raised up towards the back. Not on a seperate upper floor like the bigger cinemas. This means you could, and we did, buy first class or second class tickets, then move to the reserved seats after the lights were out.
I remember the Jubilee Park, use to walk past the place, can only look from the outside as my dad strictly forbid us from entering the place. he said it was a place for naughty boys and girls!! Fei loois and fei cai’s..hahhaha,like Addy mention, many school boys n girls hang out there when they were playing truant..hahaha
LMS136, mate, that’s Sarong Kebaya-lahhh! In the early 60′s, there were boxing matches held at the Jubilee Park. Riding on the huge ferris wheel gave a sneak peak at the boxers in the ring!
Mano ,
Thanks . Of course , it was sarong kebaya . How did my typing finger get round to kebab ! Apologies , hahaha
I remember the ferris wheel and the slug fest . Did we pass each other by then ?
Iqbal!! It’s you after all!! My classmate! So where have you been my man?
The Jubilee Cabaret was designed by my father, B M Iversen – he did most of the work for Shaw Bros. in those days. I never was allowed near it – and only managed to go there with Hong when I was in Ipoh in 2009. What a tragedy that this building – to be found in Lat’s book about the ‘Town Boy’ is now so sadly neglected. I believe the firm was also involved with their Gardens in Hong Kong but am not sure.
Ah, the glorious Jubilee Park home of cheap and affordable entertainment for the ordinary folks. There used to be some sort of open-air theatre all the way back in the rear of the Jubilee Park. Boxing events were held to showcase boxers such as Primo Canera. I remember those beautiful goldfish that were exhibited in the Park for durations of a week or two. One of the main attractions in the evenings was Ronggeng where a person dish out a few cents to be able to dance with one of the pretty Ronggeng maids. There were stalls for those who enjoyed games of chances, such as target shooting. It is really sad for Ipoh to lose this venerabe place of entertainment for the poorer folks. Regrettably in those days(50′s)I was too poor to afford a camera to capture some of the happenings in the Park.
One of the problems of recording history in the way we do is that many people did not have cameras in the old days.
Is there anybody out there that does have pictures of the inside of Jubilee Park please.
I remember the jubilee park was crowded, especially at weekends during the 50s. It was the only centre of entertainment in Ipoh at that time.
There was a carosel and a ferris wheel for kids. The youths had their thrills from dodgem cars. Those who enjoyed dancing went for ronggeng. The older generation, like my parents, usually went for Chinese operas. There was an open air cinema for movies goers, black and white movies, And of course, there were games to test your marksmanship, strength and luck. Occasionally, they held boxing bouts.
Time had changed. Now the place is grossly under-utilized.
Nobody so far mentioned the game stalls. There were game stalls like in a funfair where you have to shoot, throw or hoop to get a price. Usually you get three tries for a megre sum of twenty cents. One could win all sorts of toys (teddy bears, dolls) or bottle drinks, can food, etc. It could be the only chance Malayans then could get to shoot a gun (not even the real thing, more like a spring release gun that would send a dart or pellet shooting out at he target).
The attraction was not the games. It was the young pretty girls manning the stalls. If you have patronised the stalls before, you would know what I meant. The attractive girls would get all the customers while the others would be deserted. It seemed that the girls would get a commission from the takings. It was the singer and not the song.
I have heard from my grandfather about his time in Ipoh, when he was in the Dutch military in 1946. The Dutch were stationed in Ipoh for 3 months before going to Indonesia.
On this website there are some (unclear) photos of soldiers at Jubilee Park: http://beeldbank.nationaalarchief.nl/nl/afbeeldingen/start/72/trefwoord/Vervaardiger/Poll%2C%20Willem%20van%20de/trefwoord/Geografisch_trefwoord/Malakka
Nina, thank you so much for this information. I have asked my friend in Holland if she can get better scans of these for me.
Ika please send me your email address so that I can send you some old pictures of schooldays in Ipoh and other old pictures of Ipoh scenes.
I remember Jubilee Park in the 1950s. My paternal Uncle used to take me and my siblings there once in a while. The ferris wheel, the carousel and the dodgem cars rides were a pleasure. Yes, it was the entertainment center of Ipoh for rich and poor. As a kid, I was thrilled with the thought of going to the Park. However, we were restricted to children’s stuff and no movies. My Uncle used to do the ronggeng with the girls but I recalled, there was a handkerchief between them. Ronggeng dances were also popular at Jalan Bendhara between the round about and the bridge. I believe they used to called it “malai pang”, an entertainment center patronised by Malays. When my Uncle passed away in 1958, the trips to the Park stopped.
hwUS, please use info@ipohworld.org. We would love to be able to share your pictures and if possible could you scan them at 600dpi or better please. That way we can also use them for educational exhibitions as well as our archive and blog.
Look forwarrd to seing them. We can receive up to 20MB in one mail.
i still remember putting 10cent to watch sexy girls in the funny slot machine. i really miss those days.
My uncle used to run the ronggeng joint in the late 60′s.
So Goh Kooi, does the family have any photograohs from those days please?
Unfortunately, we did not have any photographs. Sorry Ian.
As Jubilee Park had two cinemas within it, it must be the first Duplex Cinemaplex (2 or more cinemas in a place, now found all over the big cities of Malaysia)in the country. Anyone cares to dispute this claim. One up for Ipoh if this is not shot down! LOL.
There were 2 cinemas (Grand and Oriental) at Jubilee Park.
But I don’t think these 2 cinemas were joined together seamlessly
as one building to be considered ‘duplex’ or ‘cineplex’.
Grand is at the corner of Cowan Street and Brewster Road while
Oriental is on the far side of Cowan Street by the Indian bakery
stores. These 2 buildings were not joined together and these
2 auditoriums were not joined together seamlessly under one roof.
The definition of a duplex is 2 houses joined as one building.
The definition of ‘cineplex’ is used for a “movie theatre containing several auditoriums in one building”.
This is according to the definition from the Meriam-Webster
dictionary.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cineplex
If Grand and Oriental had shared a common wall, shared a lobby,
shared the same ticketing box office and concession stand,
then we can call it ‘cineplex’. But these 2 auditoriums are
yards and yards apart separated by the amusement stuff and open air inside Jubilee Park.
As kids, Jubilee Park was off limit. I was never allowed there because of rumors of it being gangsters ‘ playground. It was only in my teens I went there in a group out of curiosity… Oh yes, and meet boys. Hahaha
In the 80s, the 2 cinemas were playing soft porn and it became the usual haunt for dirty old men.
Helen, who could forget the soft porn flicks which were blazing the cinema screens from the early 70′s to the beginning of the 80′s. Titles like ‘The Seducer’ & ‘Fanny Hill; were played to packed houses, attracting not only dirty old men but also teenagers whose raging hormones have pushed them beyond the threshold, into the world of ‘Adults Only’ entertainment. Unlike these days where sordid smut of every imaginable kind is readily available online, any hint of obscenity in movies would create quite a stir in those days. I suppose if those same titles were released today, movie-goers will find that there is nothing so sensational in it. After all, hardcore debauchery is so conveniently accessible with just a few clicks on the mouse.
Btw ,There were three cinemas in Jubilee Park,Grand,Oriental and also Low Tien which was on top of the Oriental.Before the Oriental ,it used to house a theatre showing Chinese Operas
as a schoolboy of smi i was taught how to play the trumpet by mr. kong. He would come to smi to train us in the school military band.At night he played at the Jubilee cabaret. a few of us would go for the ronggeng women. when confronted by mr. kong we gave the excuse that his trumpeting inspired us.
Late BM Iverson stand tall with other famous danish architects – arnie jacobsen who designed the iconis egg and swan chairs and jorn utzon who designed the sydney opera house
Hi Ken Toong. did your trumpet teacher Mr Kong play in a band? is he in this picture http://www.ipohworld.org/search8/result.asp?strid=4122 ?
Mr. Kong lived a bachelor’s life and his trumpet was his only girlfriend. He used to live in a rented room in the same shoplot as us so I knew him personally.
Many an evening he would play his trumpet in his room. His notes were graceful and melodious so we didn’t really mind the noise.