SULTAN ABU BAKAR MOSQUE The museum occupies the Istana Besar (or Grand Palace) which was

specially commissioned in 1864 by the late Sultan Abu Bakar (commonly known as the Father of Modern Johor)... It was completed in 1866... In the early 1990s, Johor's present ruler, Sultan Iskandar, decided that members of the public should be given the opportunity to view the Johor Royal Family's collection in a proper museum setting... The Sultan consented for the Istana Besar to be converted into a museum and it was officially declared open on May 11, 1990... The museum housed vast arrays of treasures, works of art, antiquities and furniture belonging to the Johor Royal Family... The picture gallery features past and present rulers of the Sultanate and their consorts... There is also a large collection of their personal memorabilia, an impressive array of Orders, Decorations and Medals in the gallery... Other rooms within the museum display silverware, crystalware, gold and silver jewelry, priceless vases, furniture, traditional Malay weapons, the State Regalia, a numismatic collection, silver trophies and other family treasures within their natural setting... The museum is open from Saturday through Thursday, from 9.00am to 5.00pm... It is closed on Fridays... An entrance fee is collected to maintain the museum...

ISTANA BESAR

The Istana Besar is the Grand Palace of the Johor Sultanate... The Istana was built in 1866 by the late Sultan Abu Bakar... Its most distinctive feature is its Anglo-Malay architecture, characterised by its dome of Malay design contrasted with its blue roof of Anglo influence... There is also a Japanese garden and a teahouse in its compound... The istana garden is large and is open to the public from 7.00am to 7.00pm daily... Within the Istana is The Royal Abu Bakar Museum... It is a living museum which houses a good collection of royal heirloom, impressive rare artefacts and a good record of the history of the States's Royal Family... The Istana is now only used for investiture, state banquets and royal functions

JALAN WONG AH FOOK jalan Wong Ah Fook is the main thoroughfare of Johor Bahru city and is one of the busiest streets in town. As the central business district of JB, it is the center of trade and commerce with banks, shops and restaurants lining this street.

The City Square shopping mall is located here and is one the premier shopping malls in this city. Many money changers are also located along Jalan Wong Ah Fook. Opposite City Square is Plaza Seni, the place to take the taxi to Singapore. The museum occupies the Istana Besar (or Grand Palace) which was specially commissioned in 1864 by the late Sultan Abu Bakar (commonly known as the Father of Modern Johor)... It was completed in 1866...

In the early 1990s, Johor's present ruler, Sultan Iskandar, decided that members of the public should be given the opportunity to view the Johor Royal Family's collection in a proper museum setting... The Sultan consented for the Istana Besar to be converted into a museum and it was officially declared open on May 11, 1990...

ROYAL SULTAN ABU BAKAR MUSEUM The museum housed vast arrays of treasures, works of art, antiquities and furniture belonging to the Johor Royal Family... The picture gallery features past and present rulers of the Sultanate and their consorts... There is also a large collection of their personal memorabilia, an impressive array of Orders, Decorations and Medals in the gallery... Other rooms within the museum display silverware, crystalware, gold and silver jewelry, priceless vases, furniture, traditional Malay weapons, the State Regalia, a numismatic collection, silver trophies and other family treasures within their natural setting... The museum is open from Saturday through Thursday, from 9.00am to 5.00pm... It is closed on Fridays... An entrance fee is collected to maintain the museum...

EASTERN PEWTER It was a really an educational tour for my colleagues and I. As much as we have heard about how pewter wares are being made, it's a whole different thing when you go through the entire process of how its done. It all starts with pure tin, but tin cannot exist on its own as its too soft to be molded into your beautiful vases and tableware.

SRI MARIAMMAN HINDU TEMPLE The Sri Mariamman Hindu temple is located just a few hundred meters west of the Central Market area, and just north of the waterfront area. This appears pretty typical of other Hindu Temples I saw in Singapore. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity Mariamman, the rural South Indian mother goddess. She is the deity of of rain, fertility, and prevention of chicken pox! Besides those in southern India and here in Johor Bahru, Mariamman Temples can be found across the straits in central Singapore as well as in Sri Lanka, Fiji, Vietnam and South Africa. 6am to 9pm Monday through Sunday. This temple is one of the most prominent features of the Johor Bahru skyline. It makes a neat contrast to the nearby concrete and glass of the shopping malls

and hotels. You can basically walk around JB in a couple of hours and this is a good reference point. I never went inside but I found myself walking past it several times.

JOHOR OLD CHINESE TEMPLE Rou fo gu miao" in Mandarin, literally translated to be "Johor Old Temple". This is a sacred place to the Chinese. This temple is believed to be the only place of worship to have survived the bombing during the second world war. In view of this, it is believed that "tua pek gong" (the god) protects Johor. Hence this temple became an important and sacred place among the Chinese community. Every year, on the first day of Chinese New Year, many worshippers will come here to light some joss sticks and burn some joss paper. I do that too. :-) It will be quite crowded on that day. The paintings on the wall is typically Chinese and are beautiful. The solid wooden door into the temple is painted bight red with a big knob - typical ancient Chinese design for door.

ISTANA BUKIT SERENE Istana Bukit Serene on the edge of town is the residence of the Sultan of Johor... The Istana or palace was completed in 1933 and its 32-metre tower is a city landmark... The Sultan's private residence is

not open to the public but visitors can view the tower and the beautiful garden from the main road... The unique carvings on the walls on this historical building features Art Deco influences... The palace has a huge sprawling garden which is a common site for many royal gatherings and celebrations... The palace grounds are guarded by His Majesty's personal military, the Johor Military Forces.

DATARAN BANDARAYA This city square consist of a clock tower and a huge field - not very near the city cneter though. There's not much commercial activities here, except on special occasions when there's some celebrations going on here. It was constructed along Jalan Skudai to commemorate Johor Bahru's promotion to a city status in 1993. I remembered the grand opening ceremony of the city Square. We had beautiful fire works, dancing, and partying there. When I say partying, it does not mean partying with alcohol (which is the case in westerners' perception). There are many beautifully lighted ships just off the coast to celebrate the occasion.

SULTAN IBRAHIM BUILDING The Sultan Ibrahim Building was constructed in the 1940s with a blend of esatern and western architecture... It was the aspiration of HRH Sultan Ibrahim to have a central secretariat office that inspire the construction of the building... During World War 2, the building was used by the Japanese as a storehouse for goods as well as a fortress... General Yamashita was reputed to have used the building as the command centre when the Japanese made its final assault on Singapore... Numerous bullets holes can be seen on the exterior walls near the entrance of Gate C and are stark reminders of the war... Today, the building is the main office building of the state and houses the State Secretariat...

CHINGAY PROCESSION The biggest cultural & religious procession in JB is the Chingay Procession, otherwise known as youshen (deities procession). The procession is held annually on the 21st day of the Chinese New Year (which is usually in Feb or Mar). The five deities representing the five major Chinese communities would be paraded around JB city with much fan fare. The 130-year old tradition features numerous cultural performances, lion/dragon/tiger dances, Chinese clowns, beautifully

decorated floats, martial arts troupes, huge Chingay flags etc. The best place to catch the action would be in front of the City Square shopping mall, along Jalan Wong Ah Fook. The procession starts a shrine at Jln Ulu Ayer Molek at around 7 pm and would arrive at City Square by 9.30pm to shouts of "Huat" and "Heng" which roughly means good fortune. Thousands of devotees with joss stick in their hands will be walking past together with the parade. The 5 deities coming in at different points of time would be welcomed with eagerness. You have to catch the sight of the deities sitting on the carriage being swing in earnest as a sign of good fortune and prosperity.By the time the last deity passes by it would be past midnight. This is definitely an event not to be missed in JB.