Don’t be fooled by their ramshackle appearance, these terraced homes, known as Peranakan Shophouses, are unique, highly sought after and historically significant pieces of property.
Popping up in the cultural and commercial melting pot that was the Malacca Straits around the mid-1800s, they were (cheekily) built narrow to avoid a prohibitive property tax that was calculated on the width of a dwelling rather than the length.
With their trademark colourful facades, floral plasterwork and wooden shutters the homes are a striking, intriguing mix of Chinese, Malay and Dutch colonial, which is not unlike the Peranakan people themselves.
Am I Reading Too Much into This? 
These are wonderful 😄
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They look stunning! 🙂
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An amazing tapestry of colour and intricate detail, love them!
My 97!
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[…] small area, Phuket Old Town is easily walkable and highly photogenic. Sino-Portuguese townhouses (Peranakan houses) like those found in Singapore and Malaysia line the narrow […]
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[…] a curiously named but fabulously decorated hotel/guest house in Old Town, Phuket. With its vintage Peranakan interior of high ceilings, teak furniture, brightly patterned floor tiles and shady atrium, it’s […]
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[…] tourists head straight to Jonker Street to visit its bustling night market, Peranakan storefronts and homes, and the Dutch Square. Tour buses and sightseers arrive from about 10am and the area’s narrow […]
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