CONCUBINES' LANE, IPOH

Concubines’ Lane (Panglima Lane) had recently turned into a shopping-and-food haven

Come weekends, tourists will throng the Second Concubines’ Lane (popularly known as Yee Lai Hong) which has recently been converted from a residential place into a tourists attraction, here.

The lane which was once meant to be residential shop houses for concubines is no longer so, and it is now a shopping haven where people come to source for ‘all things Ipoh’ like biscuits, white coffee powder, tow foo fah (beancurd dessert), coconut jelly, and even handicrafts.

TOURISTS HAVING FUN TIME AT CONCUBINES' LANE

All the shops here open for business are ‘new’ ones, except a long time Wong Koh Kee Restaurant, a Chinese restaurant serving home cooked foor for the past 30 years.

Apart from shopping, the lane is also popular among film makers who choose this particular lane to shoot historical scenes, due to the unique backdrop if offered from these old buildings.

TOURISTS POSING WITH OLD BUILDINGS AS BACKDROP

Tourists here, can also peep into the ‘history’ of the city by strolling down the concubines’ lane which is rich of stories link with concubines of the rich and famous, and a number of vice activities which once took place rampantly in this area.

MURAL ARTS

One can take photographs of the old buildings with a few partially run down buildings, combined with a few refurbished ones which are now running as souvenir shops and restaurants.

The structure of these buildings still remain strong and intact, as well as the designs which then brings back memories of the unblemished ‘wild days’ of Ipoh that had once existed here. 

SHOPPING HAVEN

Before the Japanese Occupation, the three lanes namely the First Concubines’ Lane (Hale Lane) followed by Second Concubines’ Lane (Panglima Lane) and the Third Concubines’ Lane (Market Lane) had their share of brothels, gaming houses and opiums dens. It is believed that whenever an opium addict died, his corpse would be throw out of the window.

However, the two other lanes namely First and Third Concubines’ Lane are retained for commercial purposes, where there are not much activities found here, except for a piece of mural art depicting the lifestyle of Ipoh folks enjoying a cuppa of white coffee, drawn on part of the walls of the Third Concubines’ Lane.

TOURISTS POSING WITH AN ARCHAIC TRISHAW

University student Amieza Fazlin Man, from Selangor and Iqbal Mohd Ilham, from Selangor said that this was her first time visiting the Concubines’ Lane after learning about it, from friends.

Her friend Iqbal Mohd Ilham echoes the same sentiment said that he wants to get a feel of how it is like walking down a lane with a historical past, as he has read stories of these Concubines’ Lane, and want to find it out for himself.

OLD TIMES ICE BALLS

Meanwhile, another tourist Elizabeth Lee who came with her two children from Penang said her children enjoy coming here, as they can buy their favourite biscuits and souvenirs.

ICE BALLS! ICE BALLS!

“No doubt, it is only a lane but it is like ‘walking back in times’ when you walk through the Concubines’ Lane as reflected through this stretch of old buildings,” she said.