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Exploring Kuala Kangsar
Perak Royal Town, Malaysia

This sight is located in Perak, Malaysia. Your base to visit it is Ipoh, the capital of Perak. Read the Ipoh Travel Guide for useful information about Ipoh. For more background about Perak, read the Perak Travel Guide. To prepare for a trip to Malaysia, read also the Malaysia Travel Guide. Looking for accommodation? Find good, clean rooms at Budget Accommodation Guide


Preparing for Kuala Kangsar? Let us help!
History of Kuala Kangsar
Places of interest in Kuala Kangsar
Read also: Perak Travel Guide


Map of Kuala Kangsar


The Royal Town of Kuala Kangsar is located where the Perak River makes a sharp bend. I have been to Kuala Kangsar a few times, and have organised trips for AsiaExplorers members to visit it. I took the above photograph on a trip which I made with my girlfriend when we explored it to document the sights for AsiaExplorers. This beautifully preserved town is worth exploring, especially for heritage enthusiasts, for this small town is home to some of the most charming architecture in Malaysia.


Right in the middle of town is the Kuala Kangsar Clock Tower.
Right in the middle of town is the Kuala Kangsar Clock Tower.



History of Kuala Kangsar

The name Kuala Kangsar is believed to have come from "Kuala Karong-Sa", which means "99 tributaries", referring to the tributaries that empty into the Perak River. Along the bend of the river, Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin Mudzaffar Shah erected his palace, Istana Sri Sayong. This was a strange decision, as the palace was exposed to enemy invasion as well as the unpredictable river. Even though an invasion did not materialize, its vulnerability to the elements proved to be its undoing when, the Big Flood or Air Bah of 1926 almost swept it away. Only then was a decision made to move the palace to higher ground. The site chosen was a gentle knoll close-by, on which today stands the present residence of the Sultan of Perak, the Istana Iskandariah, a fine piece of Art-Deco architecture.

The royal quarters, which include Istana Iskandariah, Istana Ulu, the Ubudiah Mosque and Istana Kenangan, all stand on one side of Kuala Kangsar, on a knoll called Bukit Chandan away from the rest of town, and separated by a large park along the riverbank called Dataran Sungai Perak.

Places of interest in Kuala Kangsar

The following are dates associated with the major landmarks in Kuala Kangsar:

1877 - First Rubber Tree in Malaya was planted.
1903 - Istana Ulu was built.
1905 - Kuala Kangsar Malay College opened.
1917 - Ubudiah Mosque was built.
1926 - Istana Iskandariah and Istana Kenangan were built.
1930 - Pavilion Square Tower was built.




Perak Travel Guide

AsiaExplorers Homepage

How much have you explored Perak? At AsiaExplorers, you can now explore the following places in Perak directly from your desktop: Bota Kanan (Tuntung River Terrapin Centre), Gua Tempurung, Ipoh (Belfield Street, Cenotaph, Ipoh, Hale Street, HSBC Building, Indian Muslim Mosque, Ipoh Railway Station, Ipoh Flagpole, Ipoh Tree, Royal Ipoh Club, SPH de Silva, St John's Church, St. Michael's Institution), Kellie's Castle, Kuala Gula, Kuala Kangsar (Al-Ghufran Perak Royal Mausoleum, Iskandar Bridge, Istana Iskandariah, Istana Kenangan, Istana Ulu, Malay College Kuala Kangsar, Pavilion Square Tower, Ridzuaniah Mosque, Oldest Rubber Tree, Sultan Abdul Jalil Bridge, Ubudiah Mosque, Victoria Bridge), Kampar, Lata Iskandar, Lata Kinjang, Lenggong (Bukit Jawa, Gua Gunung Runtuh), Lumut (Jambatan Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Lumut Waterfront Promenade), Pangkor Island (Batu Bersurat (Tiger Rock), Dutch Fort), Pasir Salak, Sungai Dindings Recreational Forest, Taiping, (Captain Speedy's Bungalow, Cenotaph, Chung Keng Kwee Townhouse, Clock Tower, Guan Hin Chan, Indian Muslim Mosque, Taiping, King Edward VII School, Larut Matang District Office, Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, Maxwell Hill, Maxwell Hill Tulips, New Club, Taiping, Ng Boo Bee Fountain, Kota Ngah Ibrahim, Old Kota Mosque, Old Saints Church, Perak Museum, Shun-te Hui-kuan, St Louis Church, Stone Slab Grave, Taiping Convent, Taiping Hospital, Taiping Indian Muslim Mosque, Taiping Lake Gardens, Taiping Market, Taiping Prison, Taiping War Cemetery, Taiping Zoo, Temple for the Immortal Girl, The Residency), Teluk Intan (Leaning Tower)

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Kuala Kangsar Ubudiah Mosque First Rubber Tree Ridzuaniah Mosque Pavilion Square Tower Malay College Kuala Kangsar Istana Ulu Istana Iskandariah Istana Kenangan Sultan Abdul Jalil Bridge Iskandar Bridge