Goodbye to the old Hugh Low Street Bridge of Ipoh

On my last trip back to my hometown of Ipoh, I went to Hugh Low Street, one of the main roads of Ipoh City, to have a look at some of the old shops situated there. Among those still doing business there were some goldsmith shops, textile and a few coffeeshops. It was a weekday but business was slow.

I had my camera with me and took a few pics of the area when I saw the Hugh Low Street Bridge being demolished. Traffic was diverted to a temporary bridge spanning across the Kinta River. There were plans to replace the old bridge as it was more than 100 years old and unsafe. I stood at the riverbank to take a few pics of whats left of the old bridge. For the senior citizens of Ipoh, this old bridge brings back fond memories. There was a huge raintree beside the bridge where some Nepalese used to ply their trade selling gemstones in the shade just at the bridge and some used this bridge to get to 'Old Town' on the other side for their sundries or to the morning market. For some homeless people, the banks of the river under the bridge provided shelter for their tired bodies. We don't see that anymore as many have been placed in homes now.

I hope that the new bridge, when completed, will bring more activity in the area and perhaps spruce up the businesses in the vicinity. Maybe the river could be deepened to provide boat rides for tourists as Ipoh still has beautiful scenery.