A visit to Kwai Chai Hong on April 18, 2019
But alas the bus came very late and made us wait for more than half an hour. By the time we reached the last bus stop at Lebuh Pudu Hub, it was already 12.05pm. Pan had already visited Kwai Chai Hong and taken enough photos. I requested him to have a coffee rest nearby while waiting for us.
Kwai Chai Hong is actually located at the backlane behind Ho Kow Hainanese Kopitiam (何九海南茶店) - No.1, Jalan Balai Polis, KL.
A little background of Kwai Chai Hong (鬼仔巷) is as follows:
Kwai Chai Hong is the latest tourist hotspot of the Chinatown area in Kuala Lumpur, with the lovingly-restored pre-war buildings in the history-rich lane. Project Kwai Chai Hong involves 10 restored shophouses — six fronting Jalan Petaling and another four units along Lorong Panggung, as well as a delightful laneway tucked between the two roads of Jalan Petaling and Lorong Panggung.
Lorong Panggung is alternately known as Kwai Chai Hong in the Cantonese dialect and translates quite literally as "Ghost Lane" or "Little Demon Alley."
The origin of the Kwai Chai Hong moniker is, however, not supernatural in nature, with at least two credible theories floated regarding this name.
Kwai Chai Hong also features a century-old lamp post believed to be the only one surviving from the first set of lampposts installed in Kuala Lumpur when electricity arrived in the early 1900s, as well as displays of the original wooden windows that are no longer fit for use.
The Kwai Chai Hong project is truly a labour of love, with Bai Chuan Management pouring in RM1.5 million of its own funds so far since it took over the place about eight months ago.
Of the RM1.5 million, RM200,000 alone was spent on cleaning up the trash in the previously dilapidated area, while RM120,000 was spent on the murals within Kwai Chai Hong as well as an additional mural at a shophouse along Jalan Petaling.
Former radio DJ Chong Keat Aun, however, criticised the project, questioning aspects of it such as the yellow-blue colour scheme for the shophouses fronting Lorong Panggung which he described as European-style in nature, the building of the arch and the red bridge, as well as the murals.
As it was mid-day and the weather was very hot then, I didn’t spend a lot of time at Kwai Chai Hong. We adjourned to the nearby新九如茶室 to have our lunch. We ordered tilapia fish酱蒸金凤魚 (RM54), plain taufu 豆腐(RM18) and steamed eggs三黄蛋(RM20), together with 3b+1s bowls of rice and 3 glasses of herbal tea, the total cost was RM 104.50，fairly expensive!
After lunch, we walked to Jalan Petaling where I bought half a piece of roasted duck 四眼仔咸鸭 (RM30) + 2 pieces of 鸭脚包 (RM5) to take home for dinner.
We had 3 cups of latte and cappuccino coffee at MacDonald’s and chit-chatted till 3.00pm before we parted ways with one another. Soh Ai and I returned home by bus reaching home at about 5.00pm after a slow bus ride, while Pan reached his home in Puchong at 4.25pm by LRT.
(Extracted from: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/04/12/kwai-chai-hong-neglected-lane-in-kls-chinatown-restored/1742506)
Lorong Panggung is alternately known as Kwai Chai Hong in the Cantonese dialect and translates quite literally as "Ghost Lane" or "Little Demon Alley."
The origin of the Kwai Chai Hong moniker is, however, not supernatural in nature, with at least two credible theories floated regarding this name.
One is that migrant workers from China who settled here used the colloquial slang of "kwai chai" (ghost children or little demon) to refer to mischievous children running around Lorong Panggung.
Another theory is that Kwai Chai Hong's past as an area filled with gamblers, drug addicts, drunkards and those engaging in vice activities led to its nickname, while another story claimed that Lorong Panggung was the hideout of the "Dragon Tiger Clan" whose boss would call his members "Little Ghosts."
Visitors to Kwai Chai Hong are greeted by an arch that sports the Mandarin characters of "Kwai Chai Hong" written by a well-known Chinese calligrapher, while a wheelchair-friendly red bridge leads into the hidden laneway; it is made of reclaimed wood salvaged from the shoplots during restoration work.
The spot where the arch and bridge stands was previously occupied by Ho Kow Hainan Kopitiam, a coffee shop established in 1956; it moved out last May, 2018 and later relocated to a nearby shoplot just down the street.
Inside the laneway are six murals depicting the daily activities of early Chinese settlers in the area during the 1960s.
This includes Chinese calligraphers who write auspicious sayings and help settlers write letters home. Chinese settlers in the old days would seek out the services of a calligrapher who had the necessary education required to write letters to their families.
One of the murals which might be slightly controversial is a nod to the past when there were vice activities in Kwai Chai Hong.
The murals were painted by five local artists: Khek Shin Nam, Chan Kok Sing, Chok Fook Yong, Chew Weng Yeow and Wong Leck Min, with their different painting styles and brushstrokes reflecting the diversity of the Chinese community itself.
The rejuvenated space in Kwai Chai Hong feels like a love letter to this part of downtown Kuala Lumpur, with one of its murals even sporting depictions of the historically-significant Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association building and Chin Woo Stadium in the neighbourhood.
Those who remember the bygone era where barbers carried out their business in the open air, or who remember enterprising businesses using baskets and pulleys to bring goods from the first floor down to customers, or even wooden blinds featuring painted-on advertisements may spot such details in the murals.
Another theory is that Kwai Chai Hong's past as an area filled with gamblers, drug addicts, drunkards and those engaging in vice activities led to its nickname, while another story claimed that Lorong Panggung was the hideout of the "Dragon Tiger Clan" whose boss would call his members "Little Ghosts."
Visitors to Kwai Chai Hong are greeted by an arch that sports the Mandarin characters of "Kwai Chai Hong" written by a well-known Chinese calligrapher, while a wheelchair-friendly red bridge leads into the hidden laneway; it is made of reclaimed wood salvaged from the shoplots during restoration work.
The spot where the arch and bridge stands was previously occupied by Ho Kow Hainan Kopitiam, a coffee shop established in 1956; it moved out last May, 2018 and later relocated to a nearby shoplot just down the street.
Inside the laneway are six murals depicting the daily activities of early Chinese settlers in the area during the 1960s.
This includes Chinese calligraphers who write auspicious sayings and help settlers write letters home. Chinese settlers in the old days would seek out the services of a calligrapher who had the necessary education required to write letters to their families.
One of the murals which might be slightly controversial is a nod to the past when there were vice activities in Kwai Chai Hong.
The murals were painted by five local artists: Khek Shin Nam, Chan Kok Sing, Chok Fook Yong, Chew Weng Yeow and Wong Leck Min, with their different painting styles and brushstrokes reflecting the diversity of the Chinese community itself.
The rejuvenated space in Kwai Chai Hong feels like a love letter to this part of downtown Kuala Lumpur, with one of its murals even sporting depictions of the historically-significant Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association building and Chin Woo Stadium in the neighbourhood.
Those who remember the bygone era where barbers carried out their business in the open air, or who remember enterprising businesses using baskets and pulleys to bring goods from the first floor down to customers, or even wooden blinds featuring painted-on advertisements may spot such details in the murals.
Kwai Chai Hong also features a century-old lamp post believed to be the only one surviving from the first set of lampposts installed in Kuala Lumpur when electricity arrived in the early 1900s, as well as displays of the original wooden windows that are no longer fit for use.
The Kwai Chai Hong project is truly a labour of love, with Bai Chuan Management pouring in RM1.5 million of its own funds so far since it took over the place about eight months ago.
Of the RM1.5 million, RM200,000 alone was spent on cleaning up the trash in the previously dilapidated area, while RM120,000 was spent on the murals within Kwai Chai Hong as well as an additional mural at a shophouse along Jalan Petaling.
Former radio DJ Chong Keat Aun, however, criticised the project, questioning aspects of it such as the yellow-blue colour scheme for the shophouses fronting Lorong Panggung which he described as European-style in nature, the building of the arch and the red bridge, as well as the murals.
Other reference sites:
However an adverse comment on Kwai Chai Hong regarding the inappropriate “facelift” appeared in Sin Chew Daily on April 16, 2019: https://www.sinchew.com.my/content/content_2039443.html.
After lunch, we walked to Jalan Petaling where I bought half a piece of roasted duck 四眼仔咸鸭 (RM30) + 2 pieces of 鸭脚包 (RM5) to take home for dinner.
We had 3 cups of latte and cappuccino coffee at MacDonald’s and chit-chatted till 3.00pm before we parted ways with one another. Soh Ai and I returned home by bus reaching home at about 5.00pm after a slow bus ride, while Pan reached his home in Puchong at 4.25pm by LRT.
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| Kwai Chai Hong is also known as Prankster Lane, which is at Petaling Street in KL |
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| Chinese settlers in the old days would seek out the services of a calligrapher who had the necessary education required to write letters to their families. |
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| View of Kwai Chai Hong from the upper level of the street |
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| A century-old lamp post believed to be the only one surviving from the first set of lamp posts installed in Kuala Lumpur when electricity arrived in the early 1900s |
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| A view of the original wooden window shutters on display and what is believed to be one of the oldest lamppost in Kuala Lumpur. |
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| The beautiful street art murals at Kwai Chai Hong |
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| Couple on Bridge - One of the first murals you will see when walking in through the arch. |
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| Petaling Street |
Labels: Travelogue
posted by taionn @ 5:02 PM
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