Original Stories from Across Malaysia

UNINESS documents Malaysia's traditional trades, food heritage, historic places, communities, religious practices, and cultural memories through original field interviews, photography, writing, and documentary video.

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Lion Dance craft and culture in Ipoh

It’s 7PM in the city of limestone peaks — Ipoh, the air is still damp after rain. A bunch of eager youths gather at the space in front of the row of shophouses in which Zhong Shen Trading nestled. After bringing out various props, they start practicing basic martial arts and lion dance moves under the guidance of Master Teh Wing Liang, then proceeding to...

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Kapok Pillow in Penang

Pillows, bolsters, baby cots et cetera are stuffed with kapok, whose natural fibres provide soft and breathable comfort for a good night’s sleep. The craft of making kapok-filled bedding goods is passed down from generation to generation, spreading from Bishop Street to Church Street in Georgetown, Penang. Two brothers, Teh Soon Seng and Teh Soon Teik, are the third generation to continue their family legacy,...

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Hang Chow Hotel & Coffee Shop

Upon stepping into Hang Chow Hotel in Georgetown, Penang, travel back in time to the 1960s, as if entering a scene in a Wong Kar-Wai film. The colourful wall tiles create visual depth and an artistic ambiance. The ground floor serves as a coffee shop, while the upper storeys consist lodgings with 12 rooms. It is among the handful of traditional hotels still operating in...

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