These two photos showed Foong Seong building along Jalan Laxamana in Ipoh, just behind the New Town Market. It was built by a rich tin miner called Foong Seong, hence the name of this building.
My maternal grandfather used to work for his elder brothers in a fruit shop called Chow Hung Kee which was situated at the ground floor of this building (next to Jayasama). This shop is still in operation.
I heard from my parents that during the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945), this building was one of their military bases. Before that, it was a small Chinese school and my mom attended night classes here as a young girl. Then the war came and the school was closed.
Today, a dental clinic, Chow Hung Kee, Jayasama which was a shoe shop and a few eating shops still occupies this building. Hopefully, Foong Seong Building, which had witnessed some of the sadder days in the history of this city, will still be around.
Further down from Foong Seong Building is the Lam Looking Bazaar, built by another rich man called Lam Look Ing. It was a classical Art Deco building, also designed by BM Iversen who designed those beautiful cinemas in Ipoh.
It had just undergone some renovations. Good, at least they did not tear the whole building down liked what they did to Majestic Cinema but the orange color is a bit out-of-place, don’t you think so? Anyway, this building is now very safe under the hands of Sew Cheong Group which had brought it over.
The first departmental store in Ipoh, the Perak Emporium, used to occupy this building back in the 1970s. There was much excitement for Ipoh folks back then as they made their way to a new style of shopping. Not to be left out of the fun, Mom brought us there one night after dinner. Although we did not buy anything but it was an eye-opener for us then to find so many things all under one roof!
Not only that, the first night market or pasar malam in Ipoh was to be found right in front of this building. It was another experience too, finding so many cheap and economical stuffs ranging from clothes to shoes and accessories in one place. It was packed with people, especially when Chinese New Year is on the way.
Oh yes, now we have bigger and better supermarkets and night markets all over Ipoh but this place is where it all started. We have indeed came a long way, haven’t we?
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188 Hugh Low Street, Ipoh 
Yeah, I hope the Foong Seong building will be here for a long time. I still remember Perak Emporium. I loved going there as a kid because there’s so much to see. It was the place to go back then and there were also many stalls beside the river bank which sold shoes. Do you remember them? Brings back some wonderful memories 🙂
Hi Barb,
Yes, you’re right about those shoe stalls beside the river bank! 🙂 My sisters loved to buy their shoes there and I used to follow them along but those stalls were gone for quite sometime already.
Yes, I always remember the Foong Seong building. When I was chauffering my parents to the market, my dad would designate where to pick them up. My dad will say park along Foong Seong and wait for them there. Also I love going into Chow Hung Kee shop for all the preserved fruits! Was there last year and bought so much to bring back! 🙂
I too remember going to Perak Emporium when I was 7-8 years old. My mom told us kids not to “wah” so much…she said we sound so sakai! 🙂 After all these years, I still like the pasar malams the best.
Hi Dawn,
Hahaha…your mom is like mine, reminding us not to act so “sakai” when we stepped into a supermarket for the first time! 🙂
And there were no lifts or elevators inside Perak Emporium – we have to mount the steps to reach from floor to floor; thankfully there were only two or three floors and not more!
Built in 1931, the imposing three-storey building has shoplots downstairs and living quarters on the first floor, while a grand staircase leads up to the large hall on the top floor. The hall was a Japanese mah-jong den during the war. After the war, it served as classroom for Sam Choy Primary School by day, and a Chinese opera venue by night. Foong Seong (1893-1993), an Enping Hakka, was a tin miner and trader, MCA politician and President of the Ku Kong Chou Association for Perak and Malaya.
Thank you for your kind info! 🙂