Apr 20, 2001 08:47 AM
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Taiping in the Northern Malaysian State of Perak was formerly known as Klian Pauh, a place famous for its tin deposits. It was renamed Taiping to mark the end of the Larut War back in 1874 and ... ''Taiping '' comes from the Chinese word ''..Tai-peng..'' which means eternal peace.
After 1874 there was considerable development in Taiping and it was the first Malaysian town to have a central market, a rest house, a court house, an airstrip, a prison, a telegraph office, a museum, a lake garden and a railway station!
Today there are a number of attractions for visitors in Taiping. These include the Perak Museum in Jalan Museum which was established in 1886 and is the oldest museum in the country. It houses three main collections dealing with anthropology, zoology and local history, and houses over 3,000 artifacts. Open daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, this is a good place to get an insight into Perak and its interesting history.
Another prime attraction is Taiping Zoo which is the oldest such place in Malaysia. It is located in a beautiful natural setting in Taiping Lake Gardens and has Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut) in the background. Covering a total of 24 acres, the Taiping Zoo has more than 800 animals from some 150 species : it is especially renowned for elephants, tigers, hornbills, tapirs and pheasants. The daily opening hours are from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm.
The Taiping Lake Gardens is one of the most beautiful urban parks in Malaysia. It was developed in 1880 and was magnificently sculptured out of the natural environment and presents a very serene, tranquil, panoramic landscape. It also offers a veritable profusion of flowers and a lake with a watertheme park.
Bukit Larut or Maxwell Hill is the oldest hill resort in Malaysia and was named after a British Resident, George Maxwell. It has been appreciated for over a century for its unique highland atmosphere, rich history and ecology. Rare and interesting fauna include Gibbons, the white-bellied Rats and the Lowers Horseshoe Bat. Bukit Larut also harbours around 200 different bird species including Falcons, the Cutia and the Mountain Peacock Pleasant. At the summit are the cottages and a resthouse.
Taiping is located 95 km north of Ipoh, the state capital of Perak and is well worth a visit. The town has a number of comfortable, reasonably priced hotels and a range of eateries serving very tasty food. It's ideal for a short stay!
