The Story and History Behind Jubilee Park in Ipoh
Have you heard of Jubilee Park? For our loyal readers at orangperak.com, Jubilee Park is located at the Taman Kanak Kanak (TKK) Food Court, Ipoh. Its location is right next to Jalan Dato Tahwil Azhar.
Today's generation may not know how grand and magnificent Jubilee Park once was. Continue reading to learn more about Jubilee Park. Originally, around 1931, before Jubilee Park was built, it was an open plot of land used as a space to raise funds through entertainment performances to be donated to the victims of the great floods that struck China in 1931. This massive flood occurred in central China, causing an estimated death toll of over 4 million people. The fundraising activity through entertainment performances by the Chinese community at the original site of Jubilee Park did not just take place in Ipoh, but all over the world. The Chinese community worldwide worked hard and actively collected funds and donations to help ease the burden on the victims in their home country, China.
Following the recovery of the situation in China from the flood disaster, the fundraising activities were halted. The land used by them to conduct the performances was later purchased by John Archibald Russell, a coal mining businessman and the founder of Malayan Collieries Ltd.
John Archibald Russell
John Archibald Russell then leased the open land to the Shaw Brothers on April 30, 1935, for a period of 5 years. The Shaw Brothers subsequently built and developed the park, introducing the first Ipoh Amusement Park. A few months after its introduction, the name Ipoh Amusement Park was changed to Jubilee Park to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V.
The land lease for Jubilee Park was renewed in 1939 for another 10 years. Somehow, after several years, it became known that the Jubilee Park land had been sold to Tan Sri Dr. Runme Shaw, who was the chairman and founder of the Shaw Organization in Singapore. It is said that the land at the Jubilee Park site is still owned by the Shaw Organization to this day, though the accuracy of this is unknown.
Tan Sri Dr. Runme Shaw
Once upon a time, Jubilee Park was one of the main entertainment hubs in Ipoh city. Originally, this amusement park spanned four acres, with a portion of it being an open area. There were also several wooden buildings and stages for performances and concerts. This was the main attraction for those in the Kinta area, as it was the source of entertainment at that time.
Theatrical events were also performed at Jubilee Park. Those who wanted to sit in the front row had to pay 25 cents. Many male patrons attended, most of whom were British. Those who came were treated to performances by popular artists paid for by the Shaw Brothers, who were very famous for P. Ramlee films.
Berthel Michael Iversen
The second Jubilee Park was built on the same site and designed by Berthel Michael Iversen. He was a Danish architect active in Malaysia and the founder of Iversen, van Sitteren & Partners. This is where various other types of entertainment were built, such as cinemas, concert halls, bicycle tracks, roller skating rinks, and much more. Not to mention, there was also a "gaming" corner that offered electronic games.
