GEORGE TOWN: Back in 1894, the Pinang Peranakan Mansion was home to a prominent public figure – Chung Keng Kwee, the founder of Taiping and the Kapitan Cina of Perak.
However, the mansion was bought over in the 1990s by a Baba Nyonya named Peter Soon and extensively refurbished.
It was Soon who painted the walls of the mansion its iconic shade of green. He has also displayed over 1,000 pieces of traditional Peranakan antiques inside the mansion, turning it into a museum dedicated towards preserving Penang’s Peranakan culture.
It’s a once in a lifetime experience to uncover the culturally rich and illustrious past of wealthy Peranakans, so if you ever happen to be in Penang, stop by the Pinang Peranakan Mansion to be transported back in time.
With its unique green walls, the entrance to the Pinang Peranakan Mansion is a sight to behold. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
Soon’s son was married in authentic Baba and Nyonya fashion within the walls of the mansion. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
Many television shows and films have been shot within these walls and even Prince Charles made a visit once. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
The main hall’s air well is left open at all times to welcome feng shui and rain as water means money in Chinese. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
The wooden gaps in the woodcraft were often used by Peranakan girls to catch sneaky glimpses of their future husbands on the other side. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
This is the room parents used to meet a potential groom and arrange the marriages of their daughters. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
Women were forbidden to enter the blue gambling room and only men gathered there to test their luck. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
Before it was converted into a fountain, this was a well that supplied clean water for the second-floor occupants of the mansion. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
Old photographs and portraits of authentic Peranakans grace the walls of the mansion. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
Hundreds of colourful antique Peranakan ceramics are displayed on the second floor - from giant bowls to tiny tea cups, each with mesmerising and symbolic motifs. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
Motifs of glazed dragons signify the Ching emperors, while roses symbolise marital harmony and longevity. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
A Peranakan’s bridal wedding room has plush carpets alongside an extravagant wooden bed frame carved in intricate golden details. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
The ancestral temple for the Chung family is located on the left wing of the mansion and is used for prayers. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
Intricate designs and beautiful shades of blue adorn the roof of the ancestral temple. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
Glistening chandeliers greet the eye, making each room in the mansion grander than the last. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
While exploring the mansion’s many halls, visitors can immerse themselves fully in Peranakan culture by dressing up in gorgeous traditional kebayas. (Tsen Ee Lin @ FMT Lifestyle pic)