Continued from yesterday”¦ This house is actually three shop houses side by side, with doorways through the structural walls so one can walk through all three houses without having to go outside. Two of the houses were for the family, and the third was the servants quarters. The outside looks similar to all the other Chinese shophouses, with European style shuttered windows and relief style decorations designed into the exterior walls. The doors are made of a heavy, dark colored wood and intricately carved. The foyer is in the center house, and as soon as you step inside, it is clear that all the furniture in the house and many of the dividing walls are made of the same really super intricately carved dark wood. The furniture is inlaid with mother of pearl and gold and silver leaf, as are the walls. The glass is etched with designs. Quite large and expensive tapestries decorate the walls. The floor is tiled. It is the kind of place you are terrified to bring your young children because there are so many breakable things around, and it is hard to believe that young children once lived in this house.

We got to see the kitchen with all of its old school appliances hand crank ice cream makers, hand crank pasta makers, wood fire stoves, ice box, mortar and pestle for grinding up food, and all those other things that make a woman so thankful for modern day appliances. Upstairs, there were displays of Continue reading →