Ipoh - Walking through Concubine Lane and the surrounding streets of Ipoh, I kept stumbling upon vibrant murals that brought the old town to life. Every corner seemed to have a splash of colour. Some showing nostalgic scenes of kopitiams, trishaws, and daily life, while others featured playful illustrations with catchy, fancy words like “Ipoh City of Music” and “Old Town Vibes.”
The murals blended perfectly with the heritage buildings, giving the area a youthful, creative energy. I paused often to snap photos, each artwork telling its own little story. It felt like an open-air gallery, where Ipoh’s past and present met on the same walls.
Standing prominently at a busy junction in Ipoh’s old town is the Birch Memorial Clock Tower, a landmark that blends colonial history with striking architecture. I stopped by during my walk through the heritage district, and despite the traffic moving around it, the clock tower felt like a quiet reminder of a very different era.
The clock tower was built in 1909 to commemorate James W. W. Birch, the first British Resident of Perak. Birch was assassinated in 1875 in Pasir Salak after conflicts with local Malay chiefs over British administrative policies. The tower was later erected by the British colonial administration as a memorial to him, and it has since become one of Ipoh’s most recognisable heritage structures.
Architecturally, the tower is elegant and symmetrical, painted in a soft white that stands out against the surrounding shop houses and roads. It rises in several tiers, each decorated with classical columns, floral motifs, and symbolic panels. Around the upper section, there are relief panels representing the four virtues of civilisation—Justice, Patience, Courage, and Prudence. A reflection of British imperial ideals of that time.
No comments:
Post a Comment