A Travelogue of Ipoh's Mural Art Lane 🎨✨

Ipoh isn't just famous for its "white coffee." As you stroll, you'll discover hidden murals scattered throughout the city, adding to the city's charm. While Georgetown (Penang) is internationally renowned for its murals, Ipoh's murals are more rustic and reflect everyday life, allowing you to experience the city's unique character and warm atmosphere.

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🚶 First Encounter: A Small Discovery in an Alley

As you walk down an alley between old buildings in downtown Ipoh, a large painting suddenly appears on the wall. Against a backdrop of worn gray walls, the paintings depict people drinking coffee, scenes from an old market, and children playing. Rather than a modern sensibility, these paintings capture the essence of "old Ipoh life," making it feel like a journey through time.

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🎨 Ipoh's Unique Mural Style
• Lifestyle: The main subject matter is people's daily lives (biking, selling at the market, children playing in the alley).
• Vintage Sensibility: The walls of the old buildings serve as canvases, allowing the paintings to blend seamlessly with the surrounding architecture. • Reflecting local culture: I discovered "Ipo-esque" things like white coffee, tin mining history, and traditional clothing in the paintings.

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📸 Great photo spots
• Old buildings + murals: The combination of peeling paint and murals creates a vintage atmosphere.
• Art in the alleys: Rather than elaborate murals, Ipo felt more like simple paintings that seemed to blend in with the crowd.
• Becoming the subject: I tried taking photos as if I was connecting with the people in the murals, and it was fun to feel like I was participating in the scene.

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📝 Travel Tips
• 🗺️ "Mural Art's Lane" is a prime example, but there are also smaller murals hidden throughout the city.
• ☕ There are many cafes near the mural streets, making it a great place to take photos and relax.
• 👟 Ipoh gets strong sunlight during the day, so mornings or late afternoons are perfect for a stroll.

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💭 Overall Review

Ipoh's murals were more appealing for their natural depictions of the city's history and the people living there, rather than flashy or Instagram-worthy ones. The warm atmosphere created by the old walls and murals made me think, "Ipoh is a city full of people."

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