This is my 4th visit and I'm already planning a 5th. I wonder if anyone else visits the centre as often as I do...I mean other than tour guides and people who work there.
I do my part for domestic tourism....hah...not really. It all began from a need to break out of shopping boredom. When friends and family visit little ol' me in Kuala Lumpur, the first thing we do is head for the malls. After a couple of trips doing the same old, same old, we (ok, maybe just me) started to wonder if there was anything else to do in this big city of ours. That motivated me to google out a list of interesting nearby places to visit. It was how I discovered the
Royal Selangor Visitor Centre.
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| Royal Selangor Visitor Centre |
The
Royal Selangor Visitor Centre is now in my must-visit list. My houseguests don't know this. When they arrive, I blast them with a series of
"Have you been here? Have you been there?" and very slowly, I slip in a suggestion to visit the centre. In between, I attempt to make shopping sound as unexciting as possible -
"Yeah, that old mall. What you get here, you can get back home. Don't think a sale is on." No, I don't see anything evil about it. I'm just......trying to help people out of their shopping addiction. Hmmph!
Back to the centre. Upon arrival, you'll be greeted by a guide who will register your particulars and provide you with visitor stickers. The tour is absolutely free.
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| Tag! I'm it! I'm a tourist. |
A guide is assigned to you based on your language preference. The tour is never rushed. You're free to ask as many questions as you wish and take as many photos as you like.
The tour starts off with a little history.
Royal Selangor was founded in 1885...and then they lead us to a mini museum where there are old pieces of pewter on display and various work tools of a past era.
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| A replica of Petronas Twin Towers (left) made out of 7,062 pewter tankards. Factory is empty because it's a Sunday. |
You'll be intrigued with the
Hall of Frames and the
Chamber of Chimes. I especially like the
Petronas Twin Towers and the
Hand Prints on several walls. The tower took days to assemble, consisting more than seven thousand tankards. The pewter hand prints are in recognition of Royal Selangor's skilled craftsmen who have been with the company for more than five years. How lovely to leave your mark in a company...literally.
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| The Touchmark (chinese characters), Giant weighing scale, The science of pewter. All here. |
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| I've worked here more than five years..kidding. I have been here almost five times. |
The guide serves us a soda to give us a feel how cool and refreshing it is to drink from a pewter cup. We then proceed to the factory where we are shown a live demonstration on how pewter pieces are constructed - from melting, moulding to designing.
I enjoy the factory part of the tour. There are rows of skilled craftsmen busy constructing trophies, souvenir pieces and artsy pewter glasses.
After the factory, we are led past the
School of Hard Knocks. For RM60, you get a 30-minute hands on class on using traditional tools to create your own pewter dish. I've tried it once. Came home with a certificate, an apron and the pewter I had knocked into a bowl. I was so proud of my masterpiece. Perhaps I'll sign up for
The Foundry next, an hour-long class to produce my own accessory with my own design, using pewter making methods of today. Join me?
Finally, we reach the retail centre. There are special pieces of pewter sold here that cannot be purchased elsewhere. Check these out first. Then drool over pieces like those from the
Lord of the Rings collection.
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| Stunning peacock art piece. |
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| For sale..at the price of beauty. |
After all that, you must be feeling hungry. There's a cafe next door. Tea comes in a gorgeous pewter pot.
Just outside the building is the largest tankard in the world. Don't leave without taking a photo with this. It's in the Guinness Book of Records!
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| The world's largest pewter tankard (A Guinness Book of Records achievement) |
If you came here by cab, don't worry about arranging for a pick-up after. Your guide will call one for you once you're ready to leave.
Note: Craftsmen are off Sundays. The factory will be empty. Preferably, plan your visit on work days for a fuller experience.
