STEP into Bangkok Lane and you will find that you have taken a step back in time. Two rows of 40 colonial-era houses line this short road in the middle of Pulau Tikus, a calm and quiet place in spite of the hustle and bustle of the surrounding area. Parallel to it is Burmah Lane, where the reclining Buddha temple can be found.

The linked townhouses that flank Bangkok Lane were originally built in 1928 by Cheah Leong Keah, and were designed by Chew Eng Eam, one of Penang's earliest Western-trained Chinese architects. Chew was also responsible for the Khoo Sian Ewe complex. The houses stood out even back then for their art-deco architecture. Today, the houses have been repainted and renovated, giving the heritage villas a whole new lease of life. Most of the houses have been uniformly painted white, a colour that is representative of British colonial rule, now reduced to something little more than an echo of the past.

Sharp increases in rental have forced tenants to vacate the houses; a few of the buildings have now been converted into shops and cafes.

But Bangkok Lane isn't famous just for its pre-war buildings; people flock to a corner kopitiam every day to sample its Indian mee goreng and mee rebus, widely considered to be some of the best in Penang. The stall has been operating there for decades, and look to remain there for a long time to come.

References

• Bangkok Lane, Penang (Penang Food, Travel, Heritage and Culture)
• Bangkok Lane, George Town, Penang (Penang TravelTips)
• Bangkok Lane曼谷巷(10250 Penang) (Life in Penang, is more than beautiful)
• Streets of George Town Penang by Khoo SU Nin

Click through pictures for slideshow.

Comments (1)

Show/Hide comments

Show/Hide comment form