LORONG KULIT +

Text and photos by S.T. Leng

There is only one answer if you ask a Penangite for a local flea market. If you are a bargain hunter and have no qualms buying secondhand, Lorong Kulit is your kind of place. It is for me. Over the years, I have bought pre-loved clothes, books, kitchenware, home decor items, furniture – and a flea market is always a promise of discovery and fun. Other than the temptation of a lucky find, I also wanted to see for myself what it was all about when I visited Lorong Kulit recently.

Lorong Kulit as we know it was established in 1992 when the Penang City Council relocated the roadside traders who had congregated freely around Rope Walk since the 1970s to the open space next to Penang City Stadium. This was to reduce congestion in the city centre and give the traders a permanent site to carry on their business. Happily, the shift also resulted in a better organised attraction for those with a penchant for pre-loved goods who are also curious about what the karang guni (ragand-bone man) might salvage from Penang households.

Uncommon