Han Chin Pet Soo Ipoh 31 Dec 2020

After our Ho Yan Hor Museum visit, we just noticed that uniqueness of the building next door. We were wondering if this Han Chin Pet Soo can enter, because the main door was closed.

So co-incidentally the tour guide came out from the door and welcomed us. He guided us to make a tour booking thru the designated app. It was due to this Covid-19 pandemic season too.

We were invited in and the story of Han Chin Pet Soo or Han Chin Villa at No. 3 Jalan Bijeh Timah (Treacher Street), Ipoh have been revealed to us by the tour guide.

It starts on 5th May 1893 when mining Towkey Leong Fee formed the Han Chin Tin Miners’ Club in a double-storey shophouse where the Villa stands today.

The club membership was restricted to Hakka miners and it was a place where they could connect with their colleagues and friends from home, smoke opium, and entertain “dancing girls”.

They could also gamble legally, with approval from the District Magistrate, Kinta. Lodging house facilities were also available for make relatives and Hakka friends.

In 1927 the club bought the building from Leong’s son and in 1929 rebuilt it into the unique structure today. On the 5th May 1930, their 37th anniversary, they held a house-warming party to celebrate their new home.

At the back portion of the building at ground floor, there is a former bedroom has been converted into a cinema screening an 11 minute black and white documentary which produced in Hollywood in the 1930s called ‘Tin From the Malayan Jungle’. It explains the various methods of tin mining.

It displays some of the products of tins. Tin used to be a monetary system in the ancient time as the traders used to trade. And it came in different interesting forms and shapes according to different kingdoms and time.

Tins were used to produce some of other products and variety usage in the past even till now from decorative items to electronic components because it is a good isolator.

There is a huge mural paintings,life-sized mannequins, authentic tools and equipment that were used during that period.

At the back yard of the ground floor, there is a miniature of the livelihood of a miner during that time.

It give us some ideas or illustrations how were the days back in time as a miner’s life of those glory days.

We went up to the first floor of the building, where it was a place for the miners to smoke the opium and place for them to gamble at those time.

It seems as those time, being involved in the 4 evils namely opium, gambling, prostitution and the triads or secret societies were the things that the entertainments that they enjoy among the Hakka tin miners.

One very special rule over here is wives were not allowed inside the club, except for mistresses or concubines.

On the top floor of the building is a gallery dedicated to the history and background of the Hakkas and how they ended up in Malaysia. The Hakkas are described as ‘The Jews of Asia’ reflecting their migrations over the centuries from China.

There is a typical resting room at the top floor for the towkays and another room displays all the automobile history during that era.

Interestingly we saw a photo of the Sir William Kellie with his wife Agnes on an antique car of those photos.

On the way from the top floor down to the ground floor, the tour guide shown us an antique safe during those era with a real block of tin in the safe, which might costs about RM3,000 according to the market price now.

We were guided to the ground floor main hall again, where there is a huge and long dining table and dining chairs. It was told that all the miners were having dining here and chit-chatting at the same time. There is a photo of Hakka dishes on the wall.

There are a pair of infinite mirror on the both side of the wall which make the reflective surface of the two mirrors, make it an infinity never ending looks.

It was about a hour and a half tour in the Han Chin Pet Soo and it was an opportunity that we rare to have to go inside a well preserved heritage building in Malaysia that has faithfully retained its original look and purpose.

In 2013, due to a dwindling membership, the club was leased to ipohWorld who spent more than one year carefully restoring the building and fitting it out with a museum-quality exhibition.

Guests may visit the club and exhibition by appointment and there are up to four appointments available per day with a maximum number of 40 guests per appointment.

Enduring Power

Elder Kelly R. Johnson of the Quorum of the Seventy spoke about the power of God. He talked about how President Russell M. Nelson has taught about the principle of power — specifically God’s power — and how to access it.

Enduring Power

by Elder Kelly R. Johnson

And how he knows and learned that “to access God’s power in our lives is not easy but it is doable by studying it out in our minds and praying for the Holy Ghost to enlighten us”, as how Elder Richard G. Scott defined the power of God as the “power to do more than we can do by ourselves.”

“Filling our heart and even our soul with the word of God and the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ is crucial to drawing upon the power of God to help us in these challenging times.

Without getting the word of God and faith in Jesus Christ deep into our hearts, our testimonies and faith may fail, and we may lose access to the power God wants to give us.

Superficial faith is insufficient. Only faith and the word of God that fill our inner soul are sufficient to sustain us—and to allow us to access His power.”

Elder Johnson shared a story about how his daughter once accidentally set their microwave oven on fire after leaving it on for 20 minutes, mistaking it for a timer instead.

He compared the burning microwave to individuals with nothing inside them to help absorb what “flames” might be thrown their way in life.

“Likewise, those who have faith and the word of God deep in their hearts will be able to absorb and overcome the fiery darts that the adversary will surely send to destroy us.¹⁰ Otherwise, our faith, hope, and conviction may not endure, and like the empty microwave oven, we could become a casualty.”

Unlike the microwave, which caught fire after nothing was inside it to absorb the energy, Elder Johnson said those with faith and the word of God deep in their hearts will be able to overcome trials.

Having the word of God deep in the soul, coupled with faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, allows individuals to draw upon the power of God to overcome the adversary.

“As we face challenges, we can rely upon the promise of the Lord taught by Paul: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind’ ” (1 Timothy 1:7).

“Through preparation, the Savior grew in power and was able to resist all of Satan’s temptations.¹⁵ As we follow the Savior’s example and prepare through studying the word of God and deepening our faith, we also can draw upon the power of God to resist temptations.”

While regular temple attendance is impossible right now,

“There is no expiration date associated with the power God bestows upon those who make and keep temple covenants, nor is there a restriction from accessing that power during a pandemic. His power diminishes in our lives only if we fail to keep our covenants and do not live in a way that allows us to continually qualify to receive His power.”

During this time of temples being closed,

“Have we each relied upon the covenants we made in the temple to set a clear, unchanging course of direction in our lives? These covenants, if kept, give us vision and expectations regarding the future and a clear determination to qualify to receive all that the Lord has promised through our faithfulness.”

This talk have give me a brand new perspective of the basic foundation that “Only faith and the word of God that fill our inner soul are sufficient to sustain us—and to allow us to access His power.”

And to access and draw the power of God through Holy Ghost is to diligently search and ponder the word of God which spoken by Him or by His servants.