Or maybe you’re a curious Gen Z who wonders how people lived before smartphones and the internet. You might be struggling to imagine how your grandparents lived in a world without these modern comforts.
Well, if you are either, there’s a high chance you’ll find something of interest at Ipoh’s latest tourist attraction.
Visitors to Cameron Highlands in Pahang may be well acquainted with the Time Tunnel there, a memorabilia museum established by See Kok Shan.
As it happens, that museum now has a sister in the form of Time Tunnel Ipoh Old Town, located on Jalan Panglima, a stone’s throw away from the famous Concubine Lane. It is quite an unassuming place, occupying a pre-war shophouse.
In fact, you might miss it altogether. After all, the ground floor is jointly occupied by a café and a woodworks shop and only a banner or two outside indicates that there is something of interest to see upstairs.
As it turns out, there is quite a lot to see and for the ticket price of RM8.00, and you can spend a good hour browsing through the artefacts displayed here.
Among them are tin mining memorabilia, given the importance of tin mining in the history of Ipoh. Pasted on the walls are information boards about the history of Ipoh and how tin brought prosperity to the future state capital.
One display cabinet in the corner will likely catch the eye of shutterbugs with its assortment of old cameras. Depending on your present age, perhaps you used to own one of these yourself, and know with certainty that it cost a fortune back in the day.
In the other corner is a barber’s chair, set up the same way many traditional barbers still run their shops. It is quite common for visitors to hop into the seat to pose for photographs, preferably with a partner ready to give them a mock shave.
Attached to the adjacent wall are display cabinets filled with ornaments, photos and documents from years long past including yellowed bus tickets and paper driving licences. This really is the best place for older folks to bring their grandkids as they will be able to point out what each artefact is.
Ever wished to go back to your primary school days? There are wooden school tables and chairs here, taking you right back to the classrooms you once sat in. Maybe take a seat, though be careful not to break the chairs!
Near the back of the gallery is the recreation of an olden-day grocery store, complete with old-fashioned cash registers nestled next to glass jars filled with candy.
It is rather amusing to go through the glass bottles of soft drinks on display, recognising that some of these brands are older than you might think.
Appropriately enough, in the replica of a traditional kopitiam, there is a mah-jong table – perfect for folks to take pictures at. One wonders how much money was won and lost by the folks who used to own the mah-jong table; either way, it makes for a nice touch.
If you ever wondered what kitchens were like in the days before gas and electricity, head over to the back to see for yourself the kitchens of old Malaya. Elderly visitors will likely treasure this trip down memory lane, seeing old stoves, utensils and cutlery now made obsolete with electrical appliances.
Before you return downstairs though, check out the attic where a little replica of a tailor’s shop is housed. Traditional tailors are rare these days, with fast fashion being popular, so it is a great throwback to those days when you’d visit a tailor to get your suits cut.
Time Tunnel Ipoh Old Town is worth a visit if you have a nostalgic itch worth scratching, or if you’re curious to see what life was like before your own time.
Time Tunnel Ipoh
23, Jalan Panglima
30000 Ipoh
Perak
Tickets: RM8.00 per entry
Business hours: 9.00am-4.30pm daily
Contact: 016-3288438