TELL ME A STORY

From a personal tropical hideaway lovingly crafted by a Sri Lankan architecture legend to an old ryotei turned boutique hotel, these properties are more than a room for a night but a stylish portal to the past

By Kissa Castañeda

CHEONG FATT TZE MANSION Penang, Malaysia Crazy Rich Asians is full of memorable moments that take place in incredible settings, but the most unforgettable scene might be the crucial mahjong showdown between Eleanor Young (Michelle Yeoh) and Rachel Chu (Constance Wu). Considered by director Jon M Chu as the most important scene in the (Singapore-set) film—one that doesn’t appear in Kevin Kwan’s book—it needed an exceptional setting: the courtyard of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in Georgetown, Penang. Built in the late 19th century as a home for tycoon Cheong Fatt Tze, the Blue Mansion, as it is widely called thanks to the distinct hue of its lime-plastered walls, has appeared on the silver screen multiple times. The ornate townhouse, now an 18-room boutique hotel, stands out for juxtaposing eastern…

You're reading a preview of

Tatler Hong Kong (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2023

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.