Rest House at rest

Not so long ago there used to be two rest houses in Taiping.  But due to some unfortunate circumstances, both these rest houses are at rest today.  One is located at Station Road in town and it seems to be under renovation for a long time.  The public has still not got any idea what its final shape will be like.  Then there was another rest house located at the lake gardens.  The management of this one changed hands a number of times and so did its name - from New Rest House to Casuarina Inn or something like that.  Now just look at how it is like today :

It seems that the pillars were that of the house of  the first assistant British resident in Perak, and that his house was burnt down, leaving only the pillars. That house was also known as The Residency. I think I have also heard of another account which stated that the house was totally destroyed by termites! Only the pillars were spared.  That's about the past, now to the present. Just look at the neglected state of the Rest House and its compound.  The rest house is at behind the pillars. Of course, it's at rest now. Nobody was around when this picture was taken.  Perhaps the place might come to live at night - I don't know.

    

 A closer look at the pillars.  They are beautiful and have been used as lamp support in the past.  Just imagine those days when they were clean and painted white - beautiful.  But now, look at the lawn too - no one seems to care.  Again, there's a gossip going around that this place will be turned into the lower station for the cable car going up Bukit Larut.  How far this is true, I don't know.  But I hope they don't destroy or remove the pillars.

   

 Just how could such a beautiful place, if properly managed, not attract people to stay is beyond my understanding.  It has both modern and ancient designs, and it has Bukit Larut as its natural backdrop.  What happened? I wonder.

 

    One last picture of the rest house with the grand pillars in the foreground.