Hugh Low Street (Jalan Sultan Iskandar) in the 80s
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 either side of the street), selling everything; from jewelry, to groceries, to Chinese herbs - there’s even a Bata shoe store! Anyone remember other famous stores? Have any new ones come up lately?
We look forward to hearing from you, so DO tell us more about this part of Hugh Low Street!
July 26th, 2010 at 10:24 am
If not mistaken, the arch was removed in 1986 when Hugh Low Street turned into one-way street. Yes, there’s a Bata shop & still operating but not this block, it’s at upper stream (follow current traffic flow). As seen in this photo, Hugh Low Street, especially at this section used to have many gold shops. The one right in front of this photo, Soon Yik is one of those & my parents used to purchase gold products here. My uncle was working here as well. If u view from the same spot now, u only see how poor is these shops now. Gold shop almost all gone, textile shops closed or burnt down, vacant shops are deteriorating, the bus stop is serving mainly foreign workers now…..
July 26th, 2010 at 10:32 am
The bus stop located at the the left but not seen in this photo was a hub of New Town bus service. One can get a bus from here to Medan Kidd, Silibin, Buntong, First Garden, Kg Tawas, Menglembu, etc. And i note the dress that the lady wearing was my mom’s favorite too
July 26th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Believe it ? You still can see trishaw in 1980’s.So far I have seen two type of trishaw,the one can be seen from the pic above(powered by the cyclist behind) and the other is the it a bit different (powered by the cyclist by the side). Used to be famous transportation in Singapore,and Malaya (Penang and Malacca and Kuala Lumpur).Believed that the trishaw was first introduced to Singapore then to Malaya.It was a replacement of “a-man-running type rickshaws.
July 26th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Hi Mashi74. i vaguely remember that goldsmith shop (Soon Yik)…you’re right, the shops are not as many as before. Do you remember what was written on the arch - before it was taken down?
KLboy, yes…i was surprised too - trishaws in the 80s
July 26th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Hi everyone, the late husband of my aunt(my dad’s younger sister) also used to work in Soon Yik for almost 30 years until his retirement in the late 1980s. His name is Mr Choi Tai Seong,wonder if your uncle knew him, mashi74.
According to my late uncle, the dulang washers were very rich old ladies. They like to come to Soon Yik to buy gold bars. They came in their black and blue samfoo and on bicycles. After buying some gold bars, they will wrapped the gold bars in handkerchieves and placed them into the secret pockets near their chests.
July 26th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
The picture bring back a lot of memories growing up in Ipoh. I used to wait for bus at the bus stop there to go back to Silibin. You can go anywhere by bus those days. Me, my mother and aunt could take a bus from Silibin at 3pm and able to be back to our home at 7pm. You can’t do that these days.
Those textile shops are the place to go to before Hari Raya.
Trishaws was still around in the 80s. My classmate came to school riding one.
July 26th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Welcome to the blog, Azlan. didn’t know there were textile shops at Hugh Low Street, thanks for telling us! do you remember the names of these textile shops? are they still around?
July 26th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Last year there was still at least one registered trishaw driver in Ipoh, but it was only registered to carry goods not people. He may still be around. For the story and photo please click here http://www.ipohworld.org/search8/result.asp?strid=3109
July 26th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I used to live at Kenion St (used to be called “kiew tai” - meaning underneath the bridge as the houses were at a lower level than Hugh Low st. I used to walk thru Hugh Low St (old town) every day from school and the new town side also at least twice a day. There were a lot of fabric shops on both sides of the bridge - like Lian Fatt old town. New town had the more “trendy’ shops - ready made clothes for guys it was “Lifting Brand”, “Crocodlie” sports shirts (meaning T-shirts with collar)”Pagoda” singlets (t-shirts were not around then). On the “5 foot way” most of the shops had wooden blinds (I think they were called “chic”)to shade the hot sun. At the New Town side there was the Indian kachang seller with the cane - no grabbing a handful of nuts from him. He usually hold his cane when he spots some school kids coming.
July 26th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
I grown up in Kampar, and used to visit Ipoh during my teenage,
still remember the Emporium, located just a row of shophouse before the arch ?
Gone are all these sweet memories, now settle down in Seremban,just visit to Ipoh occasionally during CNY or school holiday.
July 27th, 2010 at 8:16 am
thank you for sharing that with us, Allan. where about was this Indian kacang seller? was his cart around the corner or outside one of the shops?
Alfred, was it called ‘Beauty Emporium’?
July 27th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
I think Alfred mentioned was the Perak Emporium. As Allen talked about Kenion St, is it the first row of shop at right after crossing to Old Town? The first unit closest to Kinta River still seen embossed text “Rex Hotel”. Anyway, i think some may have experience using the underpass beneath Hugh Low Bridge, it is on the east bank, ie New Town side.
July 27th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
The Kachang seller just had his nuts on a wooden stand - its on the 1st row on left after crossing to new town. It was in the 5 foot way (similar to what you see in Petaling St KL). There were also other stalls selling things like girls hair things and combs. Rex Hotel used to be a red light hotel (not as famous as those in new town -probably because it had quite bright floursecent lights downstairs. We as kids used to stand outside and see the girls playing mahjong (with men customers?) on the ground floor before adjourning upstairs. Also does anyone realise Kenion St only has odd numbers as address - there is no no 2 or 4
July 28th, 2010 at 8:40 am
Hi Mashi74 & Allan….
i didn’t know there was a Rex Hotel there….now that you’ve mentioned it. when did Perak Emporium close? or was it taken over by another business?
July 28th, 2010 at 9:57 am
hi everyone,
i’m a ipoh girl. i’ve migrated for a few years now and have not gone back to visit. thank you very much for this blog; it brought back many sweet memories of my hometown.
July 28th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Yes,Mashi you are right,It was Perak Emporium.
Perak Emporium group closed shop in the 70s or 80s and taken-over by the Parkson storechain.
If remember correctly, there was fire brokeout along shophouse
as the Perak Emporium.
Another departmental store on top of the wet market was quite popular then but can’t remember her name !
July 28th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
“Another departmental store on top of the wet market was quite popular then but can’t remember her name !” - Alfred
That was Super Kinta, where I used to work for a while.
July 28th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
I think I can help a bit here.
We have a little about the Rex Hotel and its predecessor the Foo See Hotel which was on the same site before the Rex (from 1911). Click on http://www.ipohworld.org/search8/result.asp?strid=2268.
The Perak Emporium was housed at one end of the stylish Art Deco building, known as the Lam Looking Bazaar built by Towkay Lam Look Ing (http://www.ipohworld.org/search8/result.asp?strid=1634). As well as the Emporium there were retail shops at street level, with smaller lots fronting an oval courtyard. The Celestial Hotel had previously been upstairs with its Dance Hall/Cabaret.
Until recently I believed that the Emporium was one of the original outlets, but it was in fact only established post war and maybe as late as the late 1960’s. It closed down towards the end of the 1980’s.
The building was burnt out in 2005 and has just been restored by its new owner. See http://www.ipohworld.org/blog/?p=1890
July 28th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Now a special message for posy.
We are pleased to welcome you to our world and delighted we can bring back some of those memories of yours. Now the big question is whether you could write down some of those memories you have of growing up in Ipoh for us to publish in our book. Details of what we are looking for may be found at http://www.ipohworld.org/blog/?p=1878.
We are also on the lookout for photos taken in and around Ipoh. Do you have any of those please.
ipohWorld cannot survive without help from our readers like you.
We look forward to hearing from you.
July 28th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
thanks ika! my late grandfather owned a bicycle shop called ‘chin soon & co’ further down tis rd…..is it still there?
July 28th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Welcome back posy. This is not a name I am familiar with but no doubt some of our readers will be. Let’s wait and see.
July 29th, 2010 at 11:30 am
Hi ika. Chin Soon Cycle Shop is still there, now with two shoplots. It is now selling some highend products too.
August 16th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
One would not believe the current condition of the place compared to the vibrant scene in the postcard. The main culprit is the local council which allowed haphazard new development and not bothered on redevelopment of older areas, allowing these places to die a slow death.
Most of the business carried out on the two main thoroughfares of Ipoh have moved away. The frenetic pace of life nowadays allowed less time to visit quaint little shops and replaced by the shopping malls.
Most of the Old Town is dilapidated and unused. Many of the old buildings have been renovated into ‘modern’ buildings that stick out as eyesores among the old buildings.
The local council and state government must find ways to revitalize and rejuvenate the older areas of Ipoh. Sad to say, despite all the countless overseas study tours by State and City Councilors, none has yet come up with any ideas to do this.
Perhaps there should be a conservation development trust fund that can buy over abandoned old buildings, refurbish them to their original condition and lease them out. The funds will come from the state government, corporate sector as well as private donors.
August 16th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Hi Steven. sadly, no one is consulted when these decisions are made. all the dealings are done quietly, and then one fine day the an old shop house/ an former towkay’s mansion is demolished!