Peranakan Mansion Museum in Penang

Located in the core Unesco World Heritage Zone along Church Street or locally known as Lebuh Gereja, this very old building has an interesting story to it.

 As it was left to rot many years ago, a property developer purchased the place from the descendants and refurbished the entire place.

Carefully putting it back to its original Straits Eclectic look and feel, the museum now is a masterpiece for the Baba Nyonya culture and heritage of the north.

Penang Peranakan Mansion Museum 

The iron intricate balconies and fittings have a tinge of influence by the early European and British times.

A beautiful mix showcases this one-of-a-kind museum with Scottish ironwork, Chinese carved wooden panels and traditional English tiles.

Rooms are in three directions while a grand staircase leads you to the first floor. On the first floor, you see beautiful ironwork on four sides of the inner balcony.

The wooden flooring leads you into multiple rooms here which showcase many different Baba-Nyonya artifacts and relics.

Intricately carved and refurbished, these priceless items show how lavish the Peranakans used to live back in the day. Inspecting around, I saw many unique items spread around the bedroom.

You will not find a detailed description of each of the items but the premises offer guided tours twice a day so if you want to find out more, you should go for the tours.

Some of the unique Peranakan Kebayas are more than 50 years old while an antique cabinet houses more of these clothing.

Walking out, I could not help notice a very old 19th-century vintage standing camera in perfect condition.

The person would carry this over his or her shoulder and walk by foot. If you ask me, this is a very rare item which is hardly seen around these days.

It was more commonly used by the Mamaks (Indian Muslims) of Penang to sell Nasi Kandar back then too.

They were an important household item in the early days where the enamel-based carriers donned flowery and animal designs.

Usually, in tiers of three to four, I saw some 10 tier tiffin carriers on display. Each of the tiers would house a food dish and one main to hold the rice.  

Apparently, the English had a very strong influence on them back then therefore there the well-heeled people would mix their furniture with English or European styles for their homes.

Two giant brass door knockers in the shape of a lion holding a ring were ever prominent. Once you walked in the main entrance and looked up, you would see an antique European glass chandelier above you.

Walking straight in would lead you to the open-aired air well where it looks like an old Chinese movie set. 

He was not a Peranakan but enjoyed the eclectic mix of designs for the place back then. Throughout the courtyard, there were many paintings, plants, and carvings.

One of the unique items which lay hidden from the common eye was an antique love-making wooden chair. If you are on the guided tour, do ask about this item as the story behind this is very interesting.

There are over 1000 items from the Baba Nyonya era which are displayed here making this the largest museum dedicated to this unique culture in the north.

Also, there are CCTV cameras throughout the museum so please do not touch anything in there as they are very strict about it. If you are bringing kids here, please keep an eye on them too.

There are many other famous areas like backpacker paradise Chulia Street and Little India which are highly recommended to explore.

Apart from the old pre-war buildings, temples and churches found here, you can also head to Church Street where the Peranakan Mansion and Museum in Penang is located.