Hidden Mansion – Phuket Town
Sa-Nguan Mansion, or Limpanon House, is an abandoned old Phuket family house built more than 100 years ago. It is hidden at the intersection of Yaowarat Road and Phang Nga Road and is probably the most mysterious and least-known ancient mansion in Phuket. For a long time, the door of the ‘tunnel’ leading to this mansion was opened, but it has been locked for years now, and probably too many people have tried to sneak in. The light is sometimes on, but every door or window is closed. A bit eerie.
“Of the Room” is the name given to Ang Mo Lao Mansion because of its size and the many rooms inside. This house was built around World War II. Looking through the long dark tunnel locked on Yaowarat Road, you will see potted plants in front, which is the image that is memorable for this house. Behind the potted plants, you will see a Corinthian-style arch with column capitals. The roof has stucco mouldings in the shape of flowers. The roof is made of ancient banana leaf tiles with hidden patterns, but it has mostly already collapsed.
The grandeur and beauty of this Ang Mor Lao is the result of the hard work of the Limpanon family, an old mining family on Phuket Island, which has demonstrated the architectural identity of Phuket during the mining boom for people today to admire. And if you look deeper than the building itself, this Ang Mor Lao also reflects the history of the perseverance of a group of Chinese people who travelled to seek a new life on Phuket Island, starting with just a mat and a pillow, until they were able to build a large mansion of their own.
Interesting vocabulary: Ang mo lao 红毛楼 means a Western-style building. It is a combination of three Hokkien words: 红 ang = red, 毛 mo = hair (red-haired people mean Westerners), and 楼 lao = house.