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Muzium Gopeng, heritage haven

Life at the turn of the 20th century in Malaya is depicted in Muzium Gopeng, an ancestral home that has been lovingly restored and thrown open to the public.

With a history spanning more than 150 years, Gopeng is older than both Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. Tin mining and rubber plantations were the two activities that led to its founding, anchored by the British company Osbourne Chappell.

Eu Yan Sang, the Asian leader in traditional Chinese medicine products was founded in Gopeng to offer health care services to the hoards of migrant workers then settling in the town.

Gopeng Museum

The entrance to the Heritage House annexe of the Muzium Gopeng.

Even Dr Sun Yat Sen, revolutionary leader of the anti-communist movement in China visited Gopeng regularly between 1909 and 1911. It was a prosperous community based around rich natural resources.

However, in the 1980s, the decline in tin-mining led to an exodus, resulting in a sort of stasis in terms of development, both cultural and economic.

The opening of the North-South Expressway in 1994 further eroded through-traffic, as commuters began bypassing Gopeng on their journeys up and down the peninsula. This led to Gopeng being left in a type of time capsule.

Muzium Gopeng

View of the kopitiam set up at the rear of the house.

Focal point

On April 18, 2009, the Muzium Gopeng opened in conjunction with World Heritage Day and remains functioning as a focal point for visitors to the town now. Bernard Yaw, a Gopeng native, returned from working overseas and, following his mother’s deathbed request, bought his ancestral home from the Eu family and began renovation works to restore the shophouse to a habitable state.

Following discussions with friends and classmates, it was decided to make the ground floor into the Muzium Gopeng, while leaving the first floor as private accommodation for the Yaw family. Exhibits were donated by the local community and others from the region.

Gopeng Museum

The old stables across the street from Muzium Gopeng is where the prominent Eu Yan Sang family used to keep their horses.

Initial impressions may be of bric-a-brac from your local antiques store, but closer inspection reveals a wonderfully eclectic collection of items such as radios, clocks, posters and photographs, household items that trace the history of Gopeng, the state, and indeed, the nation as a whole.

Furthermore, information on the orang asli of the region is available and presented clearly. Yaw serves as the museum’s current chairman.

On World Heritage Day 2011, the Heritage House was opened after a year of planning and construction.

Gopeng Museum

Old street signs on display along with fishing paraphernalia at the Muzium Gopeng.

Intended as an annexe to the Muzium Gopeng, the Heritage House was restored using traditional construction techniques, especially where masonry and carpentry were concerned. The result is a living snapshot into the past.

On the ground floor, there is a barber shop, kopitiam and a feng shui air well filled with bonsai trees and relics from the near past. Up above, living areas have been decorated and filled with priceless decorations and furnishings that accurately reflect what life would have been like for a middle-class family at the turn of the 20th century in Gopeng, and indeed the surrounding areas.

These projects and their success in Gopeng reflects the potential for furthering heritage preservation efforts in this country.

Muzium Gopeng

Antique clocks are displayed throughout the museum, most prominently right above the main entrance.

It is with the participation and initiative of sympathetic individuals that such realisations are possible. Charity, they say, begins at home, and in this case, someone has opened up his home to the public so that we may share and learn, and keep memories of our collective past alive.

Muzium Gopeng is located at No. 28, Jalan Eu Kong, Gopeng, Perak. Admission is free but a donation would be appreciated. For further details and opening times, call Chew Wan at 017-597 1363 or Phang Sek Hong at 016-542 1287. Follow Muzium Gopeng on Twitter.


Map: Muzium Gopeng


Video: Muzium Gopeng


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Tourism Malaysia

European Union Film Festival 2011

November 16, 2011 at 2:00 pm

Lovers of European films, do take note as the European Union Film Festival is just around the corner. Organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, this event is now in its 12th year and is an annual event aimed as showcasing a collection of films which draw on the rich and diverse talents of European film makers. These movies not only display the cultural heritage of European films, they also promote the cultural heritage of Europe’s outstanding film industry.

Some of the films that are scheduled to play include classics like Oliver Twist

The festival is currently going on at several cinemas in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya until the 20th November before moving on to Penang from 24th till 30th November 2011. This year, the festival will feature over 15 of the best international European films from countries like Poland, Denmark, Spain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway, Belgium and Italy. Some of the films that are scheduled to play include classics like Oliver Twist and Great Expectations; comedies like If I Have To Be Honest and Tandoori Love. The participating cinemas in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya are GSC Mid Valley Megamall, GSC 1 Utama and GSC Pavilion, whereas GSC Gurney Plaza will be the cinema to go to if you would like to catch the movies.

Tickets are priced at RM 5 each except for ‘Cell 211?, which is free. Tickets for ‘Cell 211? can only be redeemed on the same day of screening. All movies will be screened in their original language with English subtitles. For the full schedule of movie listing, please log on here or refer to all GSC cinema listings in major newspapers.

Photo (c) El Bibliomata

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