Concubine Lane / Lorong Panglima, Ipoh
Lorong Panglima (Panglima Lane), or better known locally as Concubine Lane (or Yi Lai Hong in Cantonese), is a narrow, uneven path, in Old Town Ipoh, believed to have been established in 1908.
The shophouses here, which were mainly occupied by kept women of tin tycoons in the old days, hence its nickname, are now mostly dilapidated. Some have changed ownership, who luckily, have taken pains to restore the buildings.
Since undergoing rehabilitation and revitalisation by the new generation of owners, Panglima Lane is now a mixture of the old and the new, with young tenants offering a good range of knick knacks, adjacent to eateries.
However, people from the older generation are still reluctant to visit Concubine Lane even today because of its reputation (there was an opium den here), and also because in the old days, occupants here used to hang their laundry, including underwear, overhead.
Still displaying an old world charm, the lane, which is opposite Thean Chun and Kong Heng, attracts a healthy number of visitors, either for the food, photography, or the weekend bazaars.
Personally, Concubine Lane does not hold any attraction to me yet. What about you?
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Ipoh can potentially be a good tourist spot for interstates & overseas visitors. However, to earn such acknowledgement, it must first improve its hygienic presence & require some upgrade to its original state. Having say that, more importantly, it need to be constantly maintained.
The wall art paintings in old town is amazing & blends in well! What is required is restoration of the whole old town buildings and lanes including the restaurants with improved hygiene & a clean environment.
There are lots of limestone hills around that can be developed into nature parks & beautiful limestone caves eg. Ke Lok Si cave in Ampang.
Roads need to be re-tar for a comfortable ride.
I know it is easier said than done & will require significant Government & State funding but where there is a dream & vision, there is a realisation!!