When you visit Penang, your guide book will probably include a visit to the Christian Cemetery, where a bunch of Penang’s most relevant historical Anglos rest. The cemetery is a pretty mystical block of land; turn your back to the highway and block your ears and you could think you’ve discovered ancient ruins. They’re worth a look.
What might not be suggested though, is to continue walking east along Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (Northam Road) until you come across a giant block of land and, sitting all alone in the middle, the Shih Chung Branch School. Or at least what is left of it.
Apologies for the bus – I passed by twice and he never left... Still, you get an idea of the size
The building has shifted hands a few times in the past; first built as a mansion around 1908. It’s since been a school, a hotel, a military centre for the Japanese in WW2, amongst other things. You can read a nice history of the place on this blog.
Apparently, there was a proposal that the building become a columbarium (where you keep the ashes of the cremated) for monks, which was swiftly denied by the people of Penang.
So now, the heritage building is dilapidated and, ironically given its name, sprouting branches all over the place. The roof and inside of the building are completely ruined, and the land in front of the place is a mere car park. Given the size of the place, it seems an awful waste of what would have once been such a beautiful building; not to mention the tremendously bad use of land. Just check out the block on the satellite view:
So go and find the building! There’s a guy that sits at the car park and might yell at you for approaching it, but if he’s not there (or not looking), walk all the way around the back. Pretty cool stuff.
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