Malaysian miniature artist preserves historic Kuala Lumpur one tiny piece at a time
Lim Pui Wan creates scale models of buildings and food in Kuala Lumpur. With the development of the Malaysian capital, she believes it is essential to preserve the memories of traditional buildings
Strolling around Kuala Lumpur on her way home has always been a favourite pastime of miniature artist Lim Pui Wan.
And Lim says the best part of her regular walk around the Malaysian capital used to come when she entered Lorong Panggung near Petaling Street, where kopitiam –traditional coffee shop – had stood for 100 years.
The kopitiam was always a hive of activity and Lim was captivated by its ageing charms. It sparked an interest in old buildings and a desire to explore them further.
“Old things, especially old buildings, are mystical to me and I find myself drawn to them. In my eyes, this kopitiam [was] unique because it combined residential [premises] and a coffee shop. You don’t see many such buildings in urban Kuala Lumpur any more.
“Every day as I [would] pass the building, I [would] see elderly people sitting around the tables in the kopitiam, happily chatting while enjoying cups of coffee. This scene [transported] me back to the era of my grandparents, when life was more carefree and fun.”
Old buildings are becoming increasingly scarce in Kuala Lumpur. I don’t want future generations to just hear the names of historic buildings with a vague picture of it in their minds
