“Spread fame far and wide.” With a grand vision in mind, Yeo Kian Lam set up a book rental shop—Yang Trading and Books Company. Officially launched on 27th October 1978, after almost half a century, it is the last remaining traditional book rental shop in the town of Batu Pahat. Lining the walls are eight-foot-tall bookshelves, displaying a vast array of books, predominantly martial arts...
Category: Traditional Trades
Original field stories about Malaysian craftspeople, family businesses, workshops, and traditional skills that continue across generations.
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,...
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...