Brief History
Taiping was born out of several wars in Larut that began
in 1861 and ended in 1874 with the signing of the Pangkor Treaty. The wars were
fought over mining rights between two feuding groups of miners – the Ghee Hin’s
and the Hai San’s. The Pangkor Treaty brought peace to the area with a heavy
presence of a police force manned by Sikhs and lead by British Officers. An area
near what was known as Klian Pauh, was chosen for the new town called
“Tai-ping” which means “forever peace” in Hokkien.
While the town was being built, early British
administrators were located in Matang, where the local chieftain appointed by
the Perak Sultan, Ngah Ibrahim, was also based. The house of Captain Speedy,
the first Assistant-Resident, has been restored and can be seen at Matang.
Visitors can also visit the Kota Ngah Ibrahim nearby.
When the town of Taiping was built in 1875, the British
administration moved from Matang. The first to be built were the Land Office (which
also function as a court house), the police station, the central market and shop buildings along
the Main Road and the Kota Road. The rich communities contributed to building
of temples, mosque and schools. The Christian Missionaries introduced the
English Schools in the 1880’s – Treacher Methodist, Convent, St. George. The
first government English School of Perak was started as the Central School in
1883. This school was later renamed as the King Edward VII School in 1903. All
these Schools still stand to this day.
The old disused tin mines of Klian Pauh were gazetted as
a park in 1880 by the British - Colonel Robert Sandilands Frowd Walker and Charles
Compton Reade. The land of 64 hectares (160 acres) was donated by tin-miner Chung
Thye Pin. Thus, the first public garden in Malaya was born. The unique sight of
the Lake Gardens is the Raintrees that lined along the road. Many TV
commercials have used this part of the Gardens in their advertisements.
At the Lake Gardens, is also the first zoo in Malaya, the
Taiping Zoo. It is open daily and also has a Night Safari.
There is also a hill station at Bukit Larut (formerly
known as Maxwell Hill). The trip up and down can only be travelled by the
Government Land Rovers. There are only basic facilities like bungalows, a small
cafeteria and a Government Rest House.
There is the Perak Museum, located opposite the Taiping
Prison. Taiping also has one of the large Commonwealth War Graves Memorial located
near the foot of Bukit Larut. The natural spring water swimming pool, the
Coronation Pool is located just a few hundred meters away.
Do you know that Taiping was the first state capital of
Perak? Yes, Taiping was the state capital of Perak until 1937, when Ipoh had
grown to be a bigger and more prominent town.
Food (Where to
eat)
A visit to Taiping would not be complete without sampling
some of its local food. There are many food courts, stalls and restaurants to
choose from. Food courts are located at the Casual Market or Larut Matang Food
Court (near Bangunan Sri Larut), Bomba Padang and near the Lake Gardens
(Chinese Hawker stalls only). Also recommended to try – Ansari Cendol and
Pasembor located at Jalan Chung Thye Pin. Just one caution – you might have to
park your car and walk a bit to these places.
Restoran Yut Sun, well known for its Hainanese style
chicken and beef chops, is located near Jalan Pasar, Taiping. Muslims frequent
this restaurant as long as I can remember because it serves pork-free food.
Operating hours 8.00 AM to 7.00 PM daily, except Sunday.
Matang is famous for its seafood and Mee Udang
restaurants. Just head towards Kuala Sepatang (Port Weld). There are several
Mee Udang outlets along the road, facing the Matang Mangrove Forest. The
Mangrove Forest also has a Visitors Center that opens during the Day Hours.
Check its webpage for the Opening Hours.
Other
Attractions
If you have time to spare, visit the Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary.
It is located several kilometers from Taiping – Bagan Serai road.
The district of Taiping (or Larut & Matang) has a load of history, of which I mentioned only a few here. You are Welcome to visit my beloved hometown.
