Forbidden Place in Forbidden Palace

I have passed by this legendary building for over 2,000 times in my life, literally.

The Tjong A Fie Mansion is located on Jalan A. Yani, one of the busiest main streets in Medan. It has been open for public recently.

The main hall entrance is decorated with huge black Chinese calligraphy embossed on gold placards. Each word is bigger than my head.

The three words above the door are translated as “Clear River Hall”.

Near the entrance was a plaque stating that the U.S. Government and People assist in the preservation of this site as Medan’s iconic cultural heritage site. It was placed on September 16, 2014.

Stepping into the main hall was like entering a time warp. The guide explained that the family has maintained the same richly-ornamented house design and many pieces of furniture from the era of Tjong A Fie back in the early 20th century.

We toured from room to room furnished with old stuff.

When I followed the guide into Tjong A Fie’s bedroom, I suddenly felt a tingle of uneasiness, as if I was trespassing a forbidden place in a forbidden palace.

Then I saw it. It was like looking at an Asian version of Monalisa.

There on the wall between the bed and the wardrobe, 1.5 meter above the ground, hung a near-life-size grayish portrait of Tjong A Fie’s third wife.

Sitting sideways with her hands on her lap, she was dressed in European haute couture and jewelry, which was a trend affordable by the rich and famous in that era.

Looking down gracefully at her audience, she exuded an aura of queen-like authority.

One tiny twirl of hair reached out from the right corner of her hairline to adorn her oval face, adding a twist of sweetness to her solemn appearance.

I tried to decipher whether her mouth was twitching a cold or shy or mysterious smile and whether her eyes were staring arrogantly or squinting at a trespasser. I think many meanings could fit into her expression.

The guide beckoned me to continue the tour so I left this dimly-lit sanctuary hastily to keep up with her.

Knowing that I am a local, the tour guide spoke Indonesian. If I retake this one-hour tour, I will go with foreigners so I can get an English version. You are welcome to contact me when you come to visit.

I wonder if it was only my imagination or you will see what I saw and we will agree on at least one meaning of her expression.

The best time to visit this mansion is on a sunny Sunday. The ticket at my time of entry was IDR35,000 including a guided tour. See you here!