Malaysia is one of the best places for spotting street art. While most people have heard of George Town in Penang and Ernest Zacharevic’s work, a lot less travellers have Ipoh on their radar when visiting Malaysia. Where the hell even is Ipoh, I hear you ask? Ipoh is a relatively tourist-free town about two hours north of Kuala Lumpur, almost halfway between Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Here are all the best street art pieces you can see in Ipoh (and a map of where to find them)!

IPOH OLD TOWN

Ipoh Old Town is filled with so much street art, you won’t know where to look first. To make your job easier, I have not only put together a list of the must-see murals, but also included a map to help you find them – see the end of this article. 😉

Trishaw (1)

I’ll start with the Trishaw on Market Lane because it was my favourite one! There is an actual cart with wheels coming out of the wall which makes it 3D. 😉 It’s one of the seven murals by Ernest Zacharevic, who is more famous for his artworks on the streets of George Town.

The Jumping Kids (2)

Keep walking down the Market Lane and you’ll find these happy kids on the wall.

The Umbrellas (3)

And while you’re there, look up! I mean, who doesn’t love colourful umbrellas?!

Drinking Tea (4)

Only a few steps away from the kids, you’ll find some locals drinking tea… and you can even join them!

The ‘Your Lifestyle Bistro’ Spot (5)

OK, this might not be street art as such… but since you are already on the corner of Market Lane and Jalan Bandar Timah, you might as well check out the random photo op outside of this bistro.

‘Street’ Street Art (6)

How cute is this small painting on the Jalan Bandar Timah? It’s easily missed but the yellow wall really made it stood out for me 🙂

Marilyn Monroe (7)

I knew about the Marilyn Monroe street art before coming to Ipoh but it didn’t turn out to be so exciting in real life… This mural is in a tiny dark lane which doesn’t make it easy to take photos. Besides, there used to be some kind of a rope attached to the wall so it actually looked like the boy was pulling up Marilyn’s skirt – but now, the rope is missing.

Tip: You can also visit Burps & Giggles right next to it. It’s a quirky café full of funky art.

Concubine Lane (8)

The Concubine Lane is a popular tourist street in the heart of the town which gets busy late afternoon and evenings. If you come here in the morning, you will likely have this epic mural all to yourself.

Street art aside, how picturesque is the Concubine Lane though?!

You’ll also find a different kind of “street art” on Concubine Lane…

Hummingbird (9)

This is another famous piece by Ernest Zacharevic covering the entire house wall next to the car park on Jalan Panglima. (You will find huge murals like this all over Ipoh but I didn’t take pictures of them all as their size sometimes makes it tricky.)

The Car Park (10)

Actually, the same car park is home to other works of art. Just opposite the Hummingbird you’ll find this mural of… a car park? A boneyard? A traffic jam? Who knows.

Men Drinking Beer (11)

Drinking beverages seems to be a popular theme of many Ipoh art pieces. If you took your pictures drinking tea on Market Lane, maybe you’ll join these guys with a pint of beer, too?

Ipoh Booth Cart (12)

And as a bonus, don’t miss this cute little place with refreshments, souvenirs and… you guessed it, more art!

The entire Ipoh Old Town is one big work of art so you’ll find a lot more murals on your walk around town! These were just the most interesting ones in my opinion 😉

Tip: You can also check out the museums in Ipoh! For example the indoor mural arts museum Wisma Chye Hin, the Miniature Wonders Art Gallery or the Funtasy House Trick Art museum.

IPOH NEW TOWN

While street art is mostly situated in Ipoh Old Town, you should also head to Ipoh New Town for the Mural Art’s Lane (13). This gem of a street is a heaven for all street art lovers! It’s filled with colourful murals from beginning to end and seems to be undiscovered by the Chinese tourists as of yet. We were there almost entirely alone!

Here is some of the awesome art you can find in the Mural Art’s Lane:

Where to find all the best Ipoh street art? Just check out my map below!

Don’t you think Ipoh is just the most instagrammable place in Malaysia?!

Have you been to Ipoh yet? Which street art is your favourite? 😉

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