22 Hale Street Heritage Gallery — Attraction in Perak

Last few weeks, I visited 22 Hale Street Gallery, the most prominent art exhibition space in Ipoh, situated in Ipoh Oldtown. I was informed they were organizing a local pop-up event, and I thought it was going to be small and all. BUT, this is the kind of event that surprises you with how vibrant Ipoh ACTUALLY IS.

The selection of pop-up stores was overwhelming—there were TOO MANY! I went around 5-6 times and still found myself woo-ed each time. The event had interactive pop-ups like henna, food tasting, and Instagrammable setups that added to the fun. The highlight for me was the coffee by KopiKlatch. Their manual espresso machine was amazing, and now I’m convinced I need one. I stayed throughout the day, blissfully enjoying every moment.

The event space itself exceeded all expectations. The air conditioning was perfect, even with people constantly opening and closing the main door. Despite the chatter and busking performances outside, the ambience inside remained exclusive and artsy. The manager looked happy and relaxed, indicating she had done an excellent job setting up the event days in advance.

The only downside is the parking, but we all orang Ipoh know the best spots, so it wasn't an issue for me.

Oh, and don’t miss the upstairs area—they had another art showcase happening simultaneously.

Overall, a fantastic experience that highlighted the vibrant art scene in Ipoh. Highly...

This Heritage Gallery entrance is at number 22 and extends to number 24 which was the last hotel of the Hale Street. The ground floor is bright with natural light flowing from different points, bringing eyes to move to every corner to catch Old Ipoh history. The green stairs are not opened to guests but used to display some items of this history. Alternative modern stairs bring to the 1st floor where the artificial light is used for the Event Space which is an exposition of a local artist. The connecting path leads to the 5 parts of the Heritage Gallery, each part has interesting information with a number referring to the audio guide. The audio guide is available inside their website, displaying in audio or in written some additional information related to life in Ipoh. The photo and notes about dulang ladies during this tin mining period can be fully understood once’s this visit is followed by a visit in the small museum IPoh World-Han Chin Pet Soo which requires a booking online even if no entrance fee. These areas of Heritage gallery display also sounds and videos giving you an immersive experience. The fee is RM 15 for audio-guide, RM 30 for guided visit at specific times. The lady at cashier is discrete and let you take the time you need to look at the renovation story and some items and books related to Ipoh at the Delft Hall which is...

Beautifully curated heritage space - it was a joy to examine each part of every room.

There's also a great cafe - I enjoyed the coffee and toast a lot. I came after lunch, and didn't sample any of the lunch offerings, but I would imagine that the lunch options are just as good.

The bathroom of this place is beautiful - I feel glad I went to the bathroom (which is weird to say).

The heritage space itself talks about the shophouse, the history of Ipoh and gives a glimpse of Peranakan culture - enough to feel educational but not too much that you feel overwhelmed. Pictures are allowed but flash photography is forbidden.

I loved the atmosphere of the space - definitely a solid point of reference in how to do rejuvenation of heritage spaces. Kudos to the creators of this space - it was incredibly well done and the...