Ipoh

Ipoh, besides being the center of commercial and government administrations, is famous for its numerous tourist attractions and not to forget, various local delicacies. On top of all these, Ipoh itself is a city that is worthwhile to visit as the Old Town of Ipoh is filled with various shop houses and buildings which date back to more than one hundred years ago.

Darul Ridzuan Museum
The museum which is located at the city of Ipoh where the museum houses some of the artifacts related to the history and development of Ipoh including many of the historical remnants from the mining and forestry industries in the good old days. This museum was actually built more than one hundred years ago where it was previously the house of a rich Chinese tin miner who goes with the name Foo Choong Yit.

F.M.S. Bar and Restaurant
The F.M.S. Bar and Restaurant was founded by a Hainanese immigrant where today, this restaurant is considered as one of the oldest restaurants here in Malaysia as the restaurant has occupied the premise since the year 1923. During the time it was constructed, the upper level of this restaurant was meant to be a hotel , however, the hotel in the previous year was then converted into a dining area belonging to the new heritage café serving Hainanese food.

Kinta Fire Brigade
The Kinta Fire Brigade is actually located along the main street of Ipoh’s city centre where in the early days, this fire brigade was maintained by voluntary subscriptions. After the “Great Fire of Ipoh” in the year 1892, the social awareness of fire precautions had risen and therefore, the fire preventions facilities were improved by adding a new steam engine. Despite this improvement, the fire fighting personnel failed to save the town from a big blaze in the year 1911. Since then, various improvements had been made and as a result, the Kinta Fire Brigade is what we all see today.

Ipoh Railway Station
The Ipoh Railway Station which was built in the year 1935 is located not far away from the Darul Ridzuan Museum. For the travelers who have visited Kuala Lumpur’s railway station, they may realize that the Ipoh Railway Station resembles part of Kuala Lumpur’s railway station. The Ipoh Railway Station is indeed an impressive landmark here in Ipoh as the architectural design of the railway station combines both Moorish architecture and modern adornments. There are many historical facts behind this railway station where one of them states that the Ipoh Railway Station was indeed the first pioneer in train travel across Malaya.

Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation sits grandly at the corner of the main streets nearby to the Ipoh Main Field (Padang Ipoh) and as well as the F.M.S. Bar and Restaurant. Many may wonder what is so special regarding this building, the truth is, this 1931 building is one of the best examples of Victorian neo-Renaissance architecture that was very popular amongst British Banks. The impressive architectural works on this building is best seen during the night time as lights are shine upon this building.

Perak Tong
Within the caves of Gunung Tasik, there is the Perak Tong where it is a temple which was built in the year 1926 by Buddhists priests from China. As of today, this temple houses more than 40 Buddha statues with the centerpiece of the Buddha statue being 12.8 meter high. Beyond the temple’s entrance, there is a passage way which leads into the interior of the cave where once inside, one will certainly be amazed by the entire mystical paintings found on all sides of the cave’s walls.

Kek Lok Tong
Aside from the famous Perak tong, there is another popular cave in Perak where the cave is known as Kek Lok Tong. The Kek Lok Tong was first opened to the public in 70s where it is by far, one of the most recent caves in Ipoh. In addition to various status of Buddha and the impressive rocky formations, the Kek Lok Tong also has a very beautiful park behind the cave. The park is like a portal of a different world as it is completely separated from the outside world and only surrounded by numerous tall mountains.

Gua Tempurung
Gua Tempurung is by far, one of the most famous and frequently visited caves here in Ipoh. The Gua Tempurung stetches over 1.3 kilometers and it is believed to have been existed since 8000 BC. The reason why it is called Gua Tempurung is because the huge domes and ceilings inside the cave resemble the coconut shell and one of each dome has a different formation of stalagmites and stalactities. There are various tour packages to choose from here in the Gua Tempurung where these packages are tailored for the less adventurous tourists to the thrill seekers constantly seeking excitements.

In addition to all these wonderful caves and architectural buildings, Ipoh is also a town which is famous for its local delicacies. Some of these must try delicacies include the famous Ipoh Hor Fun (Flat rice noodles), Dim Sum (a variety of cuisines which was believed to be originated from Hong Kong) and as well as the Ipoh Chicken Rice. For travelers visiting Ipoh, there are quite a few reputable accommodations such as the Syuen Hotel, the Heritage Hotel and the Casuarina Parkroyal Hotel.

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