Insight into Chinese culture

Lim showing the corner of the gallery dedicated to the Four Great Beauties of China at the Bercham Cultural Tourist Gallery.

PROUD of Bercham New Village’s cultural roots, the Village Security and Development Committee has plans to inaugurate the Bercham Cultural Tourist Village at the end of this month.

Located at Lorong Bercham 14 near the Bercham Community Hall, the cultural tourist village will be a place where visitors can appreciate the public displays that tell the story of the new village’s 60-year history, starting from the colonial era until Bercham’s development into a satellite town today.

Committee chairman and new village chief Lim Huey Shan, who is the brains behind this project, said Bercham is a highly populated area with 85% Chinese residents.

“Thus, it is also a place rich in the heritage of Chinese community’s origins, blood relations and geo-cultural traditions.

A traditional sewing machine on display.  

“Every corner carries the blood-drenched history of our Chinese ancestors’ struggles. I believe these are worth exploring and for our younger generation to learn and understand,” he told a press conference held at the Cultural Tourist Village Gallery last Wednesday.

Apart from the history and heritage, Lim also noted that Bercham is currently a bustling commercial hub that also houses a plethora of tourism-related activities such as budget hotels and homestays.

“At the same time, we are also a place synonymous with many famous Ipoh delicacies, such as tau fu fah, soy bean milk, rice biscuits, claypot chicken rice, curry fish head and claypot crab with glass noodles.

“There are many places of worship located in the new village as well that have the potential to be developed into tourism attraction sites.

“With so many things to offer to the locals and tourists, I believe that all these should be preserved and promoted so that people can learn more about our Chinese culture here,” he said.

Lim announced that the cultural tourist village will be opened to the public on Jan 22, adding that the Cultural Tourist Village Gallery will be the project’s stepping stone.

An array of Chinese ornaments on display. 

“In this gallery, there will be a display of many handicrafts and souvenirs made by local cottage industries within Bercham.

“There is going to be a ‘Life Conservation Museum’ where we display the Four Great Beauties of China – four ancient Chinese women who are renowned for their beauty.

“There’s also the ‘Affectionate Couple’s Boudoir,’ where one can learn about the Chinese traditions, customs and practices of marriage.

“These are just a few of the many features we have inside the gallery, such as the 12 Chinese zodiac animals and a 3D art gallery,” he said.

After visiting the gallery, Lim said visitors can head down the road to the renowned Ipoh Da Di Gong Temple, the Siamese temple on Lorong Bercham 19 and the site of the recently erected Malaysia’s longest pioneering structure at the Bercham basketball court.

The elaborately decorated bed in the Affectionate Couple’s Boudoir. 

He also said the second phase of the cultural tourist village development would take place in March, where the committee would meet with many of the elderly who have been living in Bercham for decades.

“We will interview them to collect information on the development history of Bercham and record how Bercham used to look like decades ago.

“With this phase, we hope that our cultural tourist village can be one of the famous tourist destinations in Ipoh in the future,” he said.