Legendary Taiping

Legendary Taiping
Malaysian Business,  Feb 16, 2007  by Vithyaa Ramiah

BEFORE 1937, Taiping was the capital of the state of Perak. It was moved from Bandar Baru (New Town) to here after Datok Maharaja Lela killed JWW Birch at Pasir Salak in 1875. In 1937, the capital of Perak was moved from Taiping to Ipoh.

The town's mining industry continued to thrive, and the country's first railway was built to transport tin from Taiping to the coast for export. By 1900, an English language school, a newspaper and the Perak Museum (the oldest in Malaysia) were established.

Although Taiping's economy declined with the dwindling tin deposits, the metal still remains an important industry in the area, as do rubber and rice.

 Taiping is 88km from Penang, 80km from Ipoh and 302km from Kuala Lumpur. It is about an hour's drive from Ipoh via the highway. There are frequent bus services from all major towns in Peninsular Malaysia and even from Singapore. But if you prefer, you can get there by train or by air. Malaysia Airlines flies to Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur and Penang. When on the road, Changkat Jering is your exit point on the Plus Highway. Turn right at Simpang's main traffic light, and this will take you straight to the town centre, where streets are grid-like and strung together by the Main Road and Kota Road. Driving around is easy.

Anytime is a good time to visit Taiping. Weekends are normally crowded, as people from the nearby districts of Selama, Matang, Kamunting and Simpang come here to shop and eat.

The Casual Market, named by the British colonial administrators for its laid-back ambience in the 19th Century, is the town's busiest spot. Try the ais kacang mesin or what a seller describes as ais kacang blended here! Colourful bits of cendol, red beans, jelly, peanuts, sweetened corn, shaved ice and everything you'd find in ais kacang are blended before being served in a tall glass for a truly sweet and refreshing experience.

Other choices of dishes that have to be on your must-try list would include char kuay teow, nyonya savouries, popiah, pasembur, nasi kampung and nasi briyani. Hawkers take their own sweet time to get even the simplest of dishes prepared. Then again, being caught in a `time-warp' is also what makes Taiping famous. Therefore, don't expect your orders to come fast.

Other than setting aside some cash for the hotel room, you need very little for everything else. If you are planning for some shopping, of course, you will need allocation for that. Not short of hotels, among the places you could stay in include Sri Malaysia Hotel; Golf View Inn - Taiping Resort; Hotel Furama; Jana View Condotel; Peking Hotel - Town Centre; and Legend Inn.

Taiping has a long list of places to visit. Among them:

* Taiping Lake Gardens, with hills in the background

* Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill)

* The Perak Museum

* Kwan-Tung Hui-Kuan (Cantonese Association), founded in 1887 by Chung Keng Quee and others

* Taiping Zoo & Night Safari

* The All Saints Church

* The Commonwealth War Cemetery

* The British Resident's Residence (1877)

* Kapitan Chung Keng Quee's Townhouse on Barrack Road (it is now an antique shop)

* Bukit Jana Country Golf Resort, Kamunting

* Bukit Merah Laketown Resort

* Buddhist Retreat in Tupai Cemetery (travelling to this retreat requires a semi four-wheel drive vehicle, but the view from the retreat is spectacular and very peaceful)

* Coronation Swimming Pool (located at the foothill of Bukit Larut with very cold mountain stream water even on hot days)

* The Taiping Public Library, which has numerous old and new book collections.

Due to its booming tin-mining industry in the 19th Century and its previous position as the capital of Perak, Taiping is the pioneer in many fields, achieving many `firsts' in the country. The list given by the Taiping Municipal Council records a total of 40 firsts in the country under Taiping's belt. Dated as early as 1844, these firsts are either in the form of monuments or events (see table).

Taiping's firsts in the country

Open tin mining activity in the peninsula (1844)

Hill resort - Maxwell Hill (1844)

Swimming pool - Kolam Renang Kemahkotaan (1870)

Mosque - Masjid Tengku Menteri (1870)

Rest house (1870)

Artillery warehouse (1870)

Magistrate Court (1874)

Balai penghulu (1875)

Resident's house (1877)

Port - Port Weld (1877)

English school - Central School Kamunting (1878)

Police Force team (1879)

Government offices (1879)

Telegraph and post office (1880)

Lake gardens - Taman Tasik Taiping (1880)

Hospital, private and government (1880)

Club - New Club (1880)

Railway station and warehouse (1881)

Museum - Muzium Negeri Perak (1883)

Market building - Taiping Market Square (1884)

Prison - Penjara Taiping (1885)

Railway track - from Port Weld to Taiping (1885)

Turf club - Perak Turf Club (1886)

Anglican church - All Saints Church, Taiping (1886)

English girl's school - Treacher Girls' School (1889)

Clock tower - Menara Jam Besar (1890)

Esplanade - Padang Esplanade (1890)

 Malay newspaper - Seri Perak (June 1893)

English newspaper - Perak Pioneer (July 4, 1894)

Tamil newspaper - Perak Verthamani (1894)

Armed Forces - Malay States Guides (1896)

Teaching college - Maktab Perguruan Melayu

Ceylon association (1899)

Punjabi association - Khalsa Diwan Malaya Association (1903)

Indian association (1906)

Recreation park - Coronation Park (1920s)

Airfield - Padang Kapal Terbang Tekah (1930)

Golf course (some claim it as a first in Southeast Asia as well)

Library - Perpustakaan Merdeka

 Fire brigade

Copyright 2007
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

Bibliography for "Legendary Taiping"

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Vithyaa Ramiah "Legendary Taiping". Malaysian Business. Feb 16, 2007. FindArticles.com. 13 Aug. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn6207/is_20070216/ai_n24910760