Seberang Perai’s decaying mansions symbolise the beauty of a glorious, bygone era.
The towns dotting the southern district of Province Wellesley, such as Nibong Tebal, Sungai Bakap and Bukit Tambun, contain within their boundaries an amazing trove of heritage mansions built by Chinese and European entrepreneurs during the colonial period. These still stand imposing today.
Their aesthetic appeal and extraordinary architecture raise the question: Who were the owners, and why were they built in remote places? To answer this, one should first consider the nineteenth-century geographical and economic landscape of the southern Province of Wellesley.
