About Chinese Shop-houses

These buildings are called shop-houses due to the fact that the ground floor of the building would be used as a shop space in the past while the owners lived on the upper levels. These shop-houses are at the verge of being torn down, just but a few are spared and restored for historical value. The architecture of these buildings are unique and is known as "Chinese Baroque" which is a melting pot of Chinese, Malay and European influences. The Malay influences can be seen from the detailed wood carvings and the Pintupagar, which is cowboy- styled swing doors that let is the breeze but keep out the prying eyes of passers-by. The British colonial influence is evid ent in the neo-classical Georgian windows, cornices and Art Deco designs. The Chinese influence is the most obvious and colourful of all. Many these elements are symbolic good luck measures.

Figurines of protective Gods on the door lintels or mirrors, are hung on the outside of the windows or shelves to ward off evil spirits by frightening them with their own reflections. Some old shop-houses have ceramic roofs, which end in series of half-moon tiles. These tiles are mea nt to direct the flow of rainfall, which is a symbol of prosperity, over the front of the house. There are also shop-houses which have two grilled vents shaped like a bat, which in Chines is "Bian Fu" a synonym for prosperity,

As one can see, Chinese emphasizes on wealth and good luck even in their architecture.

Pattern that can be found on tiles in Chinese Shop-houses