IPOH: Located at the end of Ipoh’s Concubine Lane, is a white building that stands out among the other pre-war shophouses, its elegance a testimony to the riches of the men that used to call it their playground.
In the 1800s, some of the richest men in this part of the world, tin miners to be exact, called Perak home, and it was here, at Han Chin Pet Soo, where the wealthiest indulged in their many debaucheries.
It was a “boy’s club” for tin mining magnates of the era who took to smoking opium and gambling in excess. They had feasts aplenty and found pleasure in the company of prostitutes.
Han Chin Pet Soo which roughly translates into “relaxation villa” was established in 1893 by “Tauke” (Master) Leong Fee, a Chinese immigrant who came to Malaysia and quickly found success in the booming tin industry.
Leong Meng Fai, who now runs the Han Chin Pet Soo museum, told FMT that the club was open only to Hakka miners and others of the Hakka clan.
“Also, since this was a ‘gentlemen’s club’, one restriction in those days was that wives and children were not allowed to come in,” he said.
Meng Fai said the only women allowed entry were prostitutes, who used to sit at the first-floor window seductively beckoning men to come in for a “massage”.
He pointed out that these activities were not illegal back in the day and there was even a tax on opium and prostitution.
“By 1920, there were 180 Japanese people who came to Malaysia. 50 were prostitutes. That year, the economy in Japan was very bad and many of them had left the country.
“However, during bad times, these prostitutes had to work as beggars on the street as they could not find any customers,” he said.
Meng Fai explained that smoking opium was a common pastime at the club. Members would come over to get their fix as they stretched out on vast wooden beds and rested their heads on cool pillows made from marble.
Apart from smoking opium and mingling with prostitutes, the Gentlemen’s Club had a VIP lounge, the most exclusive room here, where members would gather to gamble.
Meng Fai said members of the club would drink and be entertained by a bevy of singers and dancers.
The museum manager said when the club’s founder, Leong Fee, died at the age of 55 in 1912, he left behind four wives and two concubines.
“His son Leong Yin Khean took charge of the club right until 1927 when he sold it to the members. These members then rebuilt the whole building in the year 1929 from a two-story to a three-story villa,” he said.
As the tin mining era ended, the number of miners dropped drastically and soon the club shut its doors for good. Termites took over the place and began to eat away at the wooden structures inside, and pigeons made their homes in the bedrooms and balconies of the building.
After much consideration, club members voted to lease the building to IpohWorld, a heritage group that restored the building and turned it into a museum to preserve its history.
Functioning solely as a museum since 2013, this once bustling and glamourous villa of rich miners, is now empty, save for the memorabilia of its forgotten past.
It remains a fascination however, for the many tourists who still stream through the building, looking to peek behind the curtains at one of Ipoh’s most iconic landmarks.
The museum features a host of different exhibits scattered throughout its many rooms, and offers the curious, a glimpse at the history of the tin industry itself as well as that of the patrons that once frequented the club.
Interestingly, Han Chin Pet Soo’s gambling license is still valid to this day, but while one could legally gamble within its walls, it’s ironically, strictly prohibited.
Those keen to learn more about the Han Chin Pet Soo museum may book appointments at http://www.ipohworld.org/reservation. Admission is free. - FMT
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