In 2010, ah niu's film "First Love Red Bean Ice" was released, bringing together a group of Malaysian stars. Ah Niu, who was a director for the first time, filmed his first love in the special summer.
Now, most of the stars have faded out of sight, but Ah Niu's usual playful style of background music, hot Southeast Asian climate, creaking electric fans, dripping red bean ice packs, and tight youthful faces will still be frozen into a special combination of hot summer days.
Thinking of those Nanyang-style arcades, together with a cup of coffee you can sit in an afternoon tea shop, so I planned a journey from Kunming to Malaysia to eat a bowl of red bean ice!
Arriving in Kuala Lumpur you can transfer to Penang, the first stop is George Town, the capital of Penang.
George City is listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization. The early British colonial government developed this place as the earliest commercial center in the Far East, attracting a large number of foreign merchants, laborers, and with it a variety of rich cultures, diverse styles of architecture, colorful ruins...
Viewing the murals is also a must-see in the area. Georgetown has many murals, hidden in various alleys, some very conspicuous, some not easy to find. One of them is very famous, called "Sister and Brother Riding Together", because there are too many tourists punching in, and the photographers line up in a long line. Due to the age, some of the murals have been integrated with the color and wall, and there is no sense of violation. Others are composed in iron, but they reveal a distinct plot, which is very interesting...
A little later, I also went to the surname bridge, one of the filming locations of "First Love Red Bean Ice". Surname Bridge is a wooden house village built along the coast, the earliest is some migrant workers temporary settlement, and gradually developed into the same village of same-sex people living here, there are Zhou surname bridge, Lin surname bridge, etc., a surname a large area, its own village. The buildings here are all stilted wooden houses, which are a landscape of their own, and the boardwalk connecting the various surnames has become a great photo spot. After a long time, come to a bowl of cold products to relieve the heat, the coolest, or red bean ice.
The next morning, I went to visit the Arcades in Penang. Each of the arcades here has its own different style, which is not boring to see and cannot be visited enough. After walking between the maze-like arcades for a long time, it is difficult not to get lost. When we were at a loss, an Australian who saved the road fool led us through the fancy alleys and all the way to the former residence of Zhang Bishi. Zhang Bishi is the founder of Zhangyu Wine, a famous overseas Chinese capitalist in modern times who came from a poor family when he was a child, went to Indonesia at the age of 15 to earn a living, relying on intelligence and diligence, he has a wide range of involvement in the business world, and his business has spread throughout Southeast Asia, especially in the wine industry.
Penang, which is full of arcades, is the filming location of many film and television works, such as "Anna and the King", "Luminous", "Blue House", etc., and the old Guanzai Kok Bell Tower has appeared in the old street scene of "Color Ring", and this nostalgic city has become an inspiration for artistic creation.
There are many places worth seeing in Penang, such as City Hall, St. George's Church, Chu Gong Ancestral Hall, Wat Pho, Corin Mosque, etc. Overall, Penang's attractions are more concentrated, and you can quickly browse or slowly wander. It should be reminded that tourists who like a retro sense should not miss the small time in those old neighborhoods, find a tea shop to order a cup of Penang white coffee, and sit leisurely for half a day. Or, carry a bag of red bean ice and savor the slightly astringent sweetness as you wander...
(Author: Zhong Yiwen/Photo)