Han Chin Pet Soo Heritage

Today early in the morning I arrived at the Jalan Bijeh Timah, Ipoh. One of the streets in Ipoh town.  Han Chin Pet Soo building, is one of the earliest heritage building in Ipoh opens at  9:30am. At first glance the name looks similar to maybe a pet shop, further check in Google you will notice that it is a Hakka miners' clubhouse. This trip to Ipoh was not actually planned. However, I have set my mind to explore where possible the heritage areas in Ipoh.

Visitors arriving at the Han Chin Pet Soo heritage gate are welcomed by 2 ladies inside. Tourists are let inside in batches of small groups due to the limited space in the building. The lady that i approached, welcomed and requested me to register my visit online. She offered her phone to register online, passed the entrance. The guide informed us that the tour will be approximately 1 hour long and the next entry will be at 11 am.  We have been sitting at the big table from the main room for a short briefing by the guide and proceed to visit all the rooms.

The story behind the Han Chin Pet Soo Heritage is about the Chinese people arriving in the Malay Peninsular for  work.  During that time, the Chinese tribe known as Hakka people (the Jews of Asia) that come to look for work in Malay Peninsular and had  successfully operated in the tin mining industry. The Han Chin Pet Soo Heritage was build for miners and dedicated to  miners  as a "clubhouse".

Those days, the main 4 'evils' in the clubhouse, that the Hakka people enjoyed here was gambling, opium smoking, prostitution,and triad activities. In the clubhouse, women and children were not allowed. The only women allowed were the Japanese women (prostitutes) that entertained the Hakka men.

The clubhouse, was like a retreat, after their hard work at the mine. In 2012, Heritage Ipoh World Sdn Bhd, a heritage group acquire the building and dedicated to restore the building and making it a tourist attraction.  At the moment the exhibition features the life of the Hakka people and their hard work in tin mining in the old days. The areas in the buidling are separated into parts dedicated to Tin mining, Kitchen areas, Town square, Activities of the club and Hakka floor.

The entry is RM 10 per person but in the form of donations. At the end of the tour, you will put the money in the post box next to exit. The building story is interesting where you can know more about the Chinese tribes pioneering the areas in Ipoh. An eye opener on the culture and methods used at that time where tin products are widely used instead of plastics commonly used today.

Address: 3, Jalan Bijeh Timah, 30100 Ipoh, Negeri Perak

Some of the images from the Han Chin Pet Soo Heritage.