When the town of Ipoh is mentioned, its mouth-watering dim sum, bean sprouts chicken, kai see hor fun (shredded chicken flat rice noodles) and white coffee immediately come to mind. But did you know that Ipoh is also renowned for its street art?

The most beautiful and most beautiful artistic scenes in Ipoh

In 2014, OLDTOWN White Coffee has collaborated with Ernest Zacharevic, a renowned young artist from Lithuania to create a total of seven murals in Ipoh. Titled as “Art of Oldtown Project”, the eight murals all painted in different old buildings reflecting the rich culture and heritage of Ipoh:

1. Bags of Kopi-O

The most beautiful and most beautiful artistic scenes in Ipoh

A pack of kopi-o filled inside the plastic bag and tied with red string is one of the most familiar sights found in traditional coffee shops during the good old days. This particular mural also reflects a beautifully nostalgic moment where getting a pack of drinks on the go used to be cheap and economical.
Road Name: Jalan Tun Sambathan
GPS: 4.597151,101.078703

2. An Old Uncle with White Coffee

The most beautiful and most beautiful artistic scenes in Ipoh

Long before the famous Ipoh white coffee is modernized and appeared nationwide with franchise outlets, the white coffee used to sell in traditional coffee shops. Today, they still exist and this mural brings back the good old memories by depicting an uncle enjoying a cup of hot white coffee.

Road Name: Jalan Dato Maharajalela
GPS: 4.59787,101.076169

3. A Paper Plane

The most beautiful and most beautiful artistic scenes in Ipoh

Unlike today’s children who have grown accustomed to mobile games and apps, the mural showcased a much simpler time when children of the yesteryears used to fold their own paper planes.
Road Name: Jalan Sheikh Adam
GPS: 4.597715,101.076882

4. A Hummingbird and a Tree

The most beautiful and most beautiful artistic scenes in Ipoh

Using untouched nature as a source of inspiration for Ipoh, the mural depicts a colorful hummingbird arriving in front of a tree.
Road Name: Jalan Panglima
GPS: 4.596704,101.07843

5. Girl on a Wall in Bandar Timah

The most beautiful and most beautiful artistic scenes in Ipoh

In this mural, a young girl in a pink dress stacked a few books and plastic stools to reach up for the birdcage. An actual birdcage is seen mounted against the wall to create a distinctive 3D effect.
Road Name: Jalan Bandar Timah
GPS: 4.597004,101.078213

6. An Old Uncle Hard at Work Collecting Recycled Items in a Trishaw

The most beautiful and most beautiful artistic scenes in Ipoh

This mural depicts a hardworking uncle collecting empty boxes and other recycled items tied securely on a trishaw. To create a 3D illusion, an actual trishaw is cut in half and mounted against the wall.
Road Name: Narrow Road off Jalan Bijeh Timah
GPS: 4.59525,101.078556

7. The Evolution of Tin Mining Town

The most beautiful and most beautiful artistic scenes in Ipoh

In the 19th century, Ipoh is prominently known for its rich tin mining industry. This mural depicts the glorious day of Ipoh where tin mining industry used to be flourished.
Road Name: Jalan Bijeh Timah
GPS: 4.596343,101.079138

8. A “Kopi” Break

This mural, which is located at Jalan Bijih Timah, depicting a packet of iced black coffee hanging on a white and blue door.
Road Name: Off Jalan Panglima
GPS: 4.596771, 101.078612

Thanks to the popularity of Zacharevic’s mural arts around the town of Ipoh, many local artists have come forward to show their talents by painting their own mural on the wall. Among the local artists who contributed their beautiful piece of art is a 37-year-old art teacher Eric Lai, whose works can be seen at the back lane near Jalan Sultan Idris Shah.

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