The iconic mahjong scene in the film took place at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. But a fascinating history can be found hidden under the exterior of “the most atmospheric Chinese hotel outside of China.”
One of the unsung “stars” of Crazy Rich Asians was Penang’s iconic Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, also known as the Blue Mansion, which served as the picturesque backdrop for one of the most important scenes in the picture: the mahjong scene in which Eleanor Young (Michelle Yeoh) and Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) engage in a final showdown amidst the clatter of mahjong tiles.
You may now reserve the entire home and live like a crazy wealthy Asian for a minimum of 50,000 Malaysian ringgit (US$12,048) per night, along with 35 other friends and/or family members. With that, you’ll have access to opulent welcome presents, champagne, Nyonya afternoon tea, dinner, a guzheng performance, and, yes, even a game of mahjong.
Here are some additional details regarding this well-known monument that you may want to know before you sign your money.
1. The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, an 18-room boutique hotel in Penang’s Georgetown, has been dubbed the “most atmospheric Chinese hotel that isn’t in China” and features calm courtyards, Chinese carved screens, and other art nouveau elements. Three daily tours are offered to guests, even if they don’t stay here.
2. Cheong Fatt Tze, a Chinese merchant who began in Jakarta as a water carrier and shopkeeper before moving to Penang, is honored by having his name associated with the home. Cheong, a Guangdong native who served as the Empress Dowager’s economic advisor and served between 1840 and 1916, once served as Singapore’s consul general. He had eight wives total, and he lived there with his seventh as well as his office.
3. According to reputed feng shui gurus’ recommendations, the mansion is thought to have been constructed. It is decorated with objects that represent the basic feng shui elements, including metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Feng shui experts continue to discuss the significance of several peculiarities in the building’s architecture, such as how it doesn’t match with Leith Street, where it is located, even now.
4. A combination of lime and an indigo plant-derived natural blue dye gives the mansion its characteristic blue hue. The lime wash’s capacity to absorb moisture and keep the house cool made it particularly beneficial in the tropics. During colonial times, blue was quite fashionable, and the British brought the dye to Penang from India.
5. In addition to movies, travel-related television shows and documentaries frequently include the property. Along with Crazy Rich Asians, moviegoers may have also seen it in The Red Kebaya, Road to Dawn, 3rd Generation, The Blue Mansion, and Indochine, the 1993 Oscar-winning French film starring Catherine Deneuve.