Classic Shophouses in Seremban

Last 2 weekends I went to Seremban and had the opportunity to shoot around Seremban town. However I paticularly loved the old shophouses which some were more than 100 years old. Some shophouses’ facade were given a new coat of paint and refurbished but there were quite a number of them left to rot. Seremban used to be one of the important administrative towns during the British colonial days perhaps because of its close distance to Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan being one of the federated Malay states.

Unfortunately nowadays Seremban seems to develop more slowly than other towns in Peninsular Malaysia even though its tourism industry is thriving especially in Port Dickson which is considered the most popular beach in Malaysia.

I reserve my comment on its slow development and what I want to show you are the photographs of its beautiful and classic facade belonging to shophouses in Seremban. I appeal to the state government that something be done to well preserve the beautiful and intricate facade of these shophouses as they are the invaluable heritage from the yesteryears just like what the Singaporean government has done to its classic shophouses built during the British colonial era.

The facade was given a new coat of paint of vibrant orange

Side view of the striking orange facade which now houses a Bata shop

Another highly saturated orange facade

Another interestingly designed windows

The cute cartoonish white and purple facade which caught my attention

The facade whose building is now occupied by Hong Leong Bank

A row of multi-coloured shophouses

Green and brown facade

Pastel coloured facade

Reflection of another row of multi-coloured shophouses

The typical five-foot way belonging to this kind of shophouses to protect the customerrs from the scorching tropical sun light in the afternoon

The ugly side - perhaps it was left to die its natural death

I love to imagine what this shop looked like during its hey day

This one seems to be left to rot for years

Hope you enjoy the pictures. Comments and criticism are welcome in open arms

Istana Ampang Tinggi

Istana Ampang Tinggi (Ampang Tinggi Palace) is now seated in its permanent location in the Negeri Sembilan State Museum compound. This palace is surprisingly small unlike the opulent palace of our modern kings. Perhaps houses belonging to commoners at that time were even much smaller. This palace was made of timber with attap roof. Something special about this building is it was constructed without using even a piece of nail! All the timber parts were jointed together using the technique similar to dovetail technique. Its architecture is of course based on the Minangkabau architecture.

The plaque in front of the palace provides its brief description and its history until it ended up in the museum compound as part of the Negeri Sembilan’s priceless state heritage.

I quote the literature on the plaque here verbatim:

This timber palace contains an unusual number of finely carved panels and a pair of heavy sliding doors which cannot now be found anywhere else in Peninsular Malaysia.

The palace was built by the fifth Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan named Yam Tuan Ulin who ruled from 1861 to 1869 on a ridge overlooking a wide expanse of ricefields and when it was completed the Yam Tuan gave it to his daughter Tunku Chindai when she married Tengku Muda Chik the son of the fourth Yam Tuan, Yam Tuan Radin. The palace stood about six miles from Sri Menanti. Tengku Muda Chik added some more carved panels and he and his wife lived there. The palace was later given to their daughter Tunku Hajjah who married Yam Tuan Muhammed. the seventh Yam Tuan, as his second wife. When Tunku Halijah died in 1921 it was occupied from time to time by other members of the family. But from about 1930 it ceased to be in regular use and gradually fell into disrepair.

In 1953 the eighth Yam Tuan, Tunku Abdul Rahman, gave permission for the old building which by then had no roof to be dismantled and transported to Seremban. This could be done because no nail had been used when the palace was first constructed. The central portion of the building was re-erected on a site close to the State Secretariat and was converted to a mini museum containing weapons and other historic artifacts made or used in Negeri Sembilan. The building has since been moved to a new site about three miles from the town centre of Seremban.

Last but not least here are several pictures of this awesome palace for your viewing pleasure.

The front view of the Istana Ampang Tinggi

Side elevation of the timber palace

The palace's windows

The palace's windows

The interior of the palace - its right wing

The interior of the palace - its left wing where the subjects sought audience with the king

The bedroom

The State Secretariat Building, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

I admit I am a sucker for old building.  When I stumbled on this colonial building in Seremban and better still the building was just given a new coat of paint I jumped at the opportunity to photograph it, thank God the weather and the lighting was very favourable.

This beautiful colonial all-white building once housed the Negeri Sembilan State Secretary Office before it was occupied by The State Public Library in 1984. And now it was vacated again as it was undergoing renovation.. This building was constructed in 1912 based on the design by B.P. Hubback. It is located just opposite the Seremban Lake Garden. I had great fun shooting this majestic building and I hope you enjoy the resultant pictures

The State Secretariat Building, Seremban