Shih
Chung Branch School | 1880's
Back in the 1880's this building must have been a truly an
amazing sight for locals. The first of the tallest in Penang,
a towering 4 storey pagoda shaped structure. Today locals
still call the building Goh Chan Lau, five storey building
(including the ground level).
It was first used as a private residence for Cheah Tek Soon,
then it was turned into "Raffles by the sea", a
hotel in 1910 by the Tye brothers. Much later in its life
it was used as Pi' Joo Girls school and lastly the Shih Chung
Branch School.
The building had its two top most storeys removed after the
war, as well as its ornate balconies.
In recent years unfortunately the building has suffered from
major arson and all the upper floors have collapsed through.
Peeking through what is left of the old floors to the upper
levels one can still see impressive decorations, including
a red painted ornate wooden partition wall with a golden swastika
patterned design.
Luckily all is not lost for this site. A company has bought
the land and plan to fully restore the old building to its
former glory for 2008. Ground clearing has already begun,
but that's about it.
A previously planned columbarium project for the site was
luckily shelved after a public outcry.
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