Taiping Oh Taiping
Taiping is a place I called home until the age of 18. It used to be a tin mining town. As a young boy, I still remember cycling to the edge of the village ( Pokok Assam ) to observe the “Iron Ship” mining tin. Or occasionally, sneaking to the river bank behind my house to observe middleage ladies using “dulang” to harvest tin ores. I also remember the famous “white bridge (pek keo)” and “hunchback bridge (keow ku keo)” in the small village I lived.
The word “Tai Peng” brings nostalgic memories of those younger years of jogging at the lake garden, charkoayteow at the market, camping at Kem Maju, hiking at Maxwell Hills, etc. Those were days.....
Taiping is also a place where I learn street negotiation skills. I still vividly remember, as a young boy of probably 11 years old, I used to get up at 5 o'clock in morning, cycle about 10KM to the town centre to help my father sell vegetables at the wet market - I meet all sort of aunties and uncles trying to out negotiate me to knock down 5 cents from a kati ( about half Kg) of vegetables. I also learn how to maximize profit margin for my father.
As a teenage boy, my mother, who has not attended a single year of schooling, and with her limited analogies, always advised me to “Ai xian Kopisun une yeong ( As tough as the Maxwell hill ”, “Ai xian Taipeng Ooh une xubuan (as gracious as the Taiping Lake Garden)”, and “Sim Ai xian Sebatang Hai Une Quote ( my heart must be as generous as the horizon of the Sebatang sea)”. All her advises are related to the various facets of Taiping! My mother has passed away more than 10 years ago, but whenever I think of Taiping, I always think of my mother’s advises. In fact, whenever I am faced with obstacles and difficulties, the word “Taiping” and my mother advises always gave me the motivational inspirations to overcome whatever adversaries.
I have lived in KL for the past 20 years and I have traveled to many parts of the world. But deep down within me, my root is always in Taiping. There is no place like Taiping. Taiping is always my home. I am always a Taiping-Lang.
Taiping is about an hour drive from Ipoh and Penang, and about 3 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. It is one of the oldest town in Malaysia with splendid historical beauties, rich zoological habitats, a melting pot of cultures, and many places of interests.
Taiping derived her name from the treaty of two warring triad societies trying to control the thriving tin mining business. In Hokkien dialect, it is pronounced as “Tai Peng”, which means everlasting or eternal peace. Taiping also holds the record as one of the wettest place in the world with an average annual rainfalls of 400 inches !!
If you have not been to Taiping, you must made an efforts to visit this historical city in Malaysia. The followings are some of the places of interest you should visit to have sense of the rich and proud traditions of Taiping.
(1) Bukit Larut ( Formerly known as Maxwell Hills, named after the British Asst Resident in Perak, William Edward Maxwell), located approximately 10KM from the town centre, stands majestically at approximately 1200 metre above sea level, it is one of the oldest hill resort in Malaysia. The hills is spectacularly evergreen and have wide varieties of colourful floral and fauna. It gives you the most scenic view of the entire Taiping town and the west coast of Peninsular.
(2) Taiping Lake Garden, located at the foothill of Bukit Larut, is one of the oldest parks in Malaysia. It is carved from disused mining ponds with beautiful landscape and prominent “rain trees” along the roads. The Taiping Lake Garden is one of the most tranquil and peaceful place in the world for relaxations.
(3) The Burmese Pool, located at the foothill of Bukit Larut, is one of the best and unpolluted river streams in Malaysia. It is an idea place for swimming in natural environment and picnics.
(4) Taiping Town Rest House, built in 1870, is a historical building and probably one of the most well kept colonial architectural landmarks in Malaysia. The majestic rest house is situated on a high ground overlooking the scenic Taiping Lake Garden.
(5) The Oldest State Museum in Malaysia - Taiping Museum
(6) Taiping Railway Station – Built in 1885, the station is one of the most significant historical railway station in Malaysia.
(7) Commonwealth War Cemetery, this is a well kept “city in the heaven” and the resting place for the fallen heroes and defenders of Taiping town.
(8) King Edward VII Secondary School, is the first English school in Perak, and one of the oldest school in Malaysia.
(9) Taiping Zoo, is one of the oldest and best managed zoo in Malaysia
To Continues…….
As a teenage boy, my mother, who has not attended a single year of schooling, and with her limited analogies, always advised me to “Ai xian Kopisun une yeong ( As tough as the Maxwell hill ”, “Ai xian Taipeng Ooh une xubuan (as gracious as the Taiping Lake Garden)”, and “Sim Ai xian Sebatang Hai Une Quote ( my heart must be as generous as the horizon of the Sebatang sea)”. All her advises are related to the various facets of Taiping! My mother has passed away more than 10 years ago, but whenever I think of Taiping, I always think of my mother’s advises. In fact, whenever I am faced with obstacles and difficulties, the word “Taiping” and my mother advises always gave me the motivational inspirations to overcome whatever adversaries.
I have lived in KL for the past 20 years and I have traveled to many parts of the world. But deep down within me, my root is always in Taiping. There is no place like Taiping. Taiping is always my home. I am always a Taiping-Lang.
Taiping is about an hour drive from Ipoh and Penang, and about 3 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. It is one of the oldest town in Malaysia with splendid historical beauties, rich zoological habitats, a melting pot of cultures, and many places of interests.
Taiping derived her name from the treaty of two warring triad societies trying to control the thriving tin mining business. In Hokkien dialect, it is pronounced as “Tai Peng”, which means everlasting or eternal peace. Taiping also holds the record as one of the wettest place in the world with an average annual rainfalls of 400 inches !!
If you have not been to Taiping, you must made an efforts to visit this historical city in Malaysia. The followings are some of the places of interest you should visit to have sense of the rich and proud traditions of Taiping.
(1) Bukit Larut ( Formerly known as Maxwell Hills, named after the British Asst Resident in Perak, William Edward Maxwell), located approximately 10KM from the town centre, stands majestically at approximately 1200 metre above sea level, it is one of the oldest hill resort in Malaysia. The hills is spectacularly evergreen and have wide varieties of colourful floral and fauna. It gives you the most scenic view of the entire Taiping town and the west coast of Peninsular.
(2) Taiping Lake Garden, located at the foothill of Bukit Larut, is one of the oldest parks in Malaysia. It is carved from disused mining ponds with beautiful landscape and prominent “rain trees” along the roads. The Taiping Lake Garden is one of the most tranquil and peaceful place in the world for relaxations.
(3) The Burmese Pool, located at the foothill of Bukit Larut, is one of the best and unpolluted river streams in Malaysia. It is an idea place for swimming in natural environment and picnics.
(4) Taiping Town Rest House, built in 1870, is a historical building and probably one of the most well kept colonial architectural landmarks in Malaysia. The majestic rest house is situated on a high ground overlooking the scenic Taiping Lake Garden.
(5) The Oldest State Museum in Malaysia - Taiping Museum
(6) Taiping Railway Station – Built in 1885, the station is one of the most significant historical railway station in Malaysia.
(7) Commonwealth War Cemetery, this is a well kept “city in the heaven” and the resting place for the fallen heroes and defenders of Taiping town.
(8) King Edward VII Secondary School, is the first English school in Perak, and one of the oldest school in Malaysia.
(9) Taiping Zoo, is one of the oldest and best managed zoo in Malaysia
To Continues…….
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