Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL

Plan of going somewhere fun yet hate to walk under the sun? This time I would like to share a place in KL that worth to pay a visit yet you definitely will have an eye opening experience under comfortable, air-conditioned building with complimentary guided tour.

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

The place I talk about is Royal Selangor Visitor Centre located at Setapak Jaya, that not far away from Batu Caves, one of the famous tourist spot in Malaysia.  There is no entrance fee charged upon entry to Royal Selangor Visitor Centre.

With a built-up area of 40,000 square feet, the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre has won the Malaysian Tourism Best Tourist Attraction Award 2004 in the category of attraction with national identity or heritage, as well as the ASEAN Tourism Association Awards 2005 for Excellence as Best ASEAN New Tourist Attraction. Today it receives hundreds of domestic and international visitors daily.

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

Royal Selangor was founded in 1885, when a young pewter smith, Yong Koon sailed from Shantou, China to Malaya to start his own pewter business.

Yong Koon began his pewter smithing business in Kuala Lumpur in 1885. Five years before that, the British Administrators made Kuala Lumpur the state capital of Malaya. (Malaya is former name of Malaysia before independence)


Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL
Yong Koon's abacus and product catalogue
 The first part of the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre features the history of the establishment of the centre and it looks like a mini museum with its displays.
 
The Museum exhibits old tin currency, pewter artifacts and Yong Koon’s original pewter smiting tools and personal effects. 

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

In 17th- 18th century (before the bank note evolution ), we used the tin pewter as shown in picture as money. The tin pewters currency are made in different shapes and forms, the noticeably few include crocodile animal money, elephant animal money, tortoise animal money and tree money. In old days, our ancestors would break the pewter money (e.g leg from the animal body) in exchange for an item less than the value of the whole pewter money.

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL

Animal currency in 19th century looks smaller and lighter, above all much easier to carry.


Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

Tin dredge replica in display. The real dredge is located in Kinta Vally, Tanjung Tualang, Perak and well kept by the local community as a remembrance of the tin mining history.I think I will pay a visit to the real dredge in near future too :D

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

Nothing is wasted at Royal Selangor Pewter Factory. This giant Container of Pewter Swarf showcases that Royal Selangor recycles all pewter shavings, by-products from the polishing process. All excesses are collected and melted down to create new products, apart from reducing waste.

      Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 
Petronas Twin Towers constructed completely out of 7,062 tankards. Both towers stand over two storeys high at an impressive height of 9.1 meters. The actual towers is 50 times taller and measures 452 metres. 

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

This wall of handprints of Royal Selangor employees, is a tribute to the craftspeople of Royal Selangor who have worked with the company for at least 5 years and above.

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

We have open kitchen concept in a restaurant. What about 'open factory' concept in a visitor centre? That's why I said it would be an eye opening experience for all visitors here. This is where 250 skilled craftspeople of Royal Selangor Visitor Centre create beautiful pewter pieces that are sold in over 20 countries.
 
As Royal Selangor maintains its tradition of craftsmanship, every piece made is still hand finished to an astonishing degree. See the intricate handwork involved in the making of more than a thousand different designs.



Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL


The Factory Tour shows visitors the elaborate processes of pewter-making. Detailed handcrafting that goes into each piece include casting, filing, polishing, soldering and hammering.
The first step is casting, a process where tin, antimony and copper are melted at 250 degrees celsius to make molten pewter. Skilled artisans pour the molten pewter into moulds. After it solidifies, the mould is dismantled and the casting is removed.

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

To remove the oxidation and rough edges, a steel blade is used to skim over a rotating piece of pewter to give the surface a satin-like finish.
Designs in different shapes and sizes and with motifs are polished in a different manner. Rough edges are removed using small hacksaw blades and filing tools. Fine sandpaper is also used to remove the yellow patina.
The hammering process is a traditional method of pewter decoration made by a steel hammer. A steady hand, precision and consistent strength is needed to create a neat and even line of dimpled patterns.

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

This pewter bust was presented to Mr Yong Peng Kai on his retirement as chairman of Selangor Pewter Sdn Bhd on his 65th birthday 15 Dec 1980. 
"It was largely his effort in the 1930's & 40's that laid the foundation for the conversion of  a cottage craft into a modernized basis..." Mr Yong Poh Kon, managing director.

 Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL

To end our tour, we paid a visit to the retail shop located at the ground floor where houses thousand of beautiful pewter designs. 

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL

Familiar with it? This is Digi, our local telecommunication company's mascot. It is embellished with 24k gold, custom made by Royal Selangor.

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL 

The cute little pots and mugs cost only RM30 each, which is affordable for everyone. It can be bought as a souvenir for family or friends or even as a decoration in the living room.

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL


Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, KL

The 1.987m height of the giant mug at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre is recognized officially by The Guinness Book of Records as The World's Largest Tankard weighed 1557 kg. Remember to take a picture here as it is a great photo spot of the place!


Address:
Royal Selangor Visitor Centre
4, Jalan Usahawan 6, Setapak Jaya, 53300 Kuala Lumpur.
GPS Coordinate: 3.196, 101.724
+603 4145 6122
+603 4022 3000
visitorcentre@royalselangor.com.my
www.royalselangorvisitorcentre.com


Comments

  1. you get to visit so many fun places

    http://www.amysfashionblog.com/blog-home

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the insight tour. I would love to visit this place and learn more.

    ReplyDelete
  3. what a great arts :D
    I want to visit there one day ..

    ReplyDelete
  4. what a great arts ..
    I want to visit there one day :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. So cool! What an educational trip<3

    Regards,
    a-cupofrain.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aw this is really interesting to see it. Thanks for sharing this guide!
    xx
    cvetybaby.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. It looks really interesting, thank you for the virtual tour!

    www.hungrycaramella.blogspot.i

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow so great..and Royal Selangor quit famous right now..

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  9. Royal Selangor used to be very popular here in SG, but I'm not sure now. Hardly hear of them these days. Their products make great gifts! xoxo

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  10. Everything is so awesome *-*

    ReplyDelete
  11. I used to collect thome mini figurines.

    ReplyDelete

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