Paddy Museum

Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia

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The Paddy Museum in Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia, opened in 2004 as the nation's first dedicated to rice cultivation, resembling bundles of harvested paddy stalks in its unique three-story design spanning 12,000 square meters, with rice motifs adorning railings and facades near Gunung Keriang.

Visitors ascend a cave-like spiral staircase to a revolving platform on the top floor offering 360-degree views of a massive mural painted by 60 North Korean artists depicting Kedah's paddy landscapes, village life, and farming heritage, while lower levels showcase tools, dioramas of cultivation processes, rice varieties, byproducts, and global comparisons in six galleries. 

Costing RM24.7 million to build, it highlights Malaysia's "Rice Bowl" status through exhibits on traditional methods, economic importance, and modern techniques, drawing families for its immersive story of padi from field to table amid surrounding fields.