4/8/2019
SUNDAY
LOKE YEW HERITAGE WALK.
The Moon-gate at Loke Mansion
When I read that there is a Loke Yew Heritage Trail to the Loke Mansion, I quickly signed up with my daughters. It is a rare chance indeed to go into a legal firm, not for any business than to do a tour of their office building only. Yes the Loke Mansion is the office of M/s Cheang & Ariff merged with M/s Chooi & Co.
The meeting place for the trail...
Mr. Kenneth, the guide giving us an introduction of the area..
the time capsule of the Rotary Club, Klang..
the soup kitchen along Jalan Medan Tuanku..
The history of Loke Yew, taken from the internet..
" Loke Yew, a name synonymous with wealth and greatness, was a familiar sound on the lips of the people around this area, back when Kuala Lumpur was developing its roots and tycoons reigned supreme. The Loke family used to own the land around Jalan Kamunting and The Row. A self-made tin tycoon, Loke Yew built the Loke Mansion in the late 19th century. Constructed from opulent chengal timber and ceramic tiles shipped from China, the mansion still exudes a timeless beauty. Embracing new technology, his mansion is said to have been the first house to have electricity in the city. He contributed not only to the growth of the neighbourhood, but to the city as a whole, jointly-establishing the Victoria Institution, a secondary school, and generating jobs in the area though his New Tin Mining Company, the first in the country to use electric pumps for mining"
a group photo before entering...
a pair of stone lion guarding the entrance.
the door is always open...the ancient sliding door
Impressive reception area
The alcove behind the porcelain house is an original part of the building...
The building could became flooded during the early days and the flood mark came up to the base level of the alcove..
The staff main offices are upstairs.
We were welcome warmly by Dato Loh himself.
briefing by Dato Loh, the man behind the transformation of the property from a run-down space to this inviting office space. He showed the various slides of the stages of renovations.
After briefing we were told that breakfast has been prepared for us, what a pleasant surprise.!
remnants of the original buttress built during the war to support wall around the property
There's greenery around every corner...
The Library
The only original piece of artifact left by the owner, the plaque above... the guide was telling us maybe this plaque could be the name of the Loke Yew's grocery stall in Singapore.
The Moon Gate
the private office of Dato.
Ponds for reflection ....
the door to the outer courtyard..
Behind the outer courtyards are their storage.
the 2 meeting rooms - Peranakan styles.
besides this collection of badges from the different universities around the world,
there are these beautiful Silk embroidery paintings.
just look at this awesome realistic details..
We reluctantly left the building after 11am to continue with the heritage trail..
Badan Warisan Building... original 19th century facade
Our next destination... the Red Hotel...
to the lobby to see some of the art by local artists.
the rooftop deck @ 25th Floor to see the city skyline...
The Stripes hotel by YTL
The Heritage Row along Jalan Kamunting consists of shophouses that were build in 1940s which have been turned into restaurants and cafes
Our gift - a coffeetable book on Loke Mansion
Thank you Dato Loh and his staff for their warm welcome and patience with our curiosity, the yummy breakfast and the gift book.
By the way Mooncake Festival falls on 13/9/2019 and here I wishes everyone a happy and memorable day with your family and friends.
