Taiping Travel Guide, Perak       
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Taiping, the town that tin builtTaiping is the second biggest town in Perak after Ipoh Located to the north of the state, Taiping was established during the tin mining age, and saw much of the activities associated with that ore. When the seat of Perak's administration moved to Kuala Kangsar in Upper Perak in 1877, Taiping became the administrative capital of Perak. It was only after the Second World War had ended, in 1945, that the state administrative capital was moved to Ipoh.Taiping is basically a two-street town. The two main roads in Taiping are Jalan Kota (Kota Road) and Jalan Taming Sari (Main Road). Cutting perpendicular to these two main roads are cross roads to form a grid. This town plan dates from 1880, when a massive fire destroyed much of the old town, giving the British authorities an opportunity to re-plan the town. The Larut Matang District office is located at the northern end of the town while the Indian Muslim Mosque at the southern end. Taiping can easily be explored on foot. To get to Taiping, it is advisable to drive. Getting into TaipingBy roadMost people go to Taiping by road. Taiping is accessible from the North South Expressway. Coming from the north, you use Exit 148 to Kamunting, while coming from the south, you use Exit 146 at Changkat Jering. There are buses to Taiping from Penang (Sungai Nibong Express Bus Terminal) and Kuala Lumpur (Puduraya). By flight: There is no regular commercial airport in Taiping, so the closest are Penang International Airport and Ipoh Airport. Penang is 1½ hours away on the road, depending on traffic situation, while Ipoh is an hour away. By train: The Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM, official website) operates train services linking Taiping to Butterworth in the north, and Kuala Lumpur in the south. Check the KTM website for details. Getting around TaipingTaiping is a fairly compact town, and most of the places of interest can actually be visited on foot, except for places like the Taiping Lake Gardens, Taiping Zoo and Maxwell Hill. For these, taxi is probably the only option. Otherwise, it is advisable to drive.Accommodation in TaipingThe following are accommodation if you wish to spend the night in Taiping. Alternatively, if you prefer to book online, use the Budget Accommodation Guide website to find suitable accommodation in Taiping. You can straightaway book your accommodation by placing a 10% deposit for it. There is no booking fees charged.Aun Chuan 25 Jalan Kota, 34000 Taiping Location: At the junction of Halaman Pasar (Market Square) and Jalan Kota, above KFC Tel: +60-5-807 5322 Comment: Least expensive option in town Fuliyean Hotel 14 Jalan Barrack Location: Within a stone's throw from the post office Tel: +60-5-806 8648 Fax: +60-5-807 0648 Web: see under Furama Hotel Comment: Sister hotel to the Furama Furama Hotel 31 Jalan Peng Loong Tel: +60-5-807 1077 Fax: +60-5-807 0648 Email: reservations@hotelfurama.com.my Web: http://www.hotelfurama.com.my/ Comment: Sister hotel to the Fuliyean Legend Inn 2 Jalan Long Jaafar, 34000 Taiping Location: Corner of Jalan Convent and Jalan Masjid Tel: +60-5-806 0000 Fax: +60-5-806 6666 Email: info@legendinn.com Web: http://www.legendinn.com/ Comment: Near bus station Panorama Hotel Jalan Kota. 34000 Taiping Tel: +60-5-808 4111 Email: panoramatpg@hotmail.com Comment: Centrally located Peking Hotel 2 Jalan Idris, 34000 Taiping Tel: +60-5-807 2975 Fax: +60-5-808 5698 Comment: Budget hotel housed in a traditional Chinese house built in 1929 Seri Malaysia Hotel 4 Jalan Sultan Mansor, 34000 Taiping Location: Lake Gardens, near the Taiping Prison Tel: +60-5-806 9502 Web: http://www.serimalaysia.com.my Comment: Quiet, lakeside retreat, with breakfast included Taiping HistoryTaiping is located in the Larut district, which is an early tin mining settlement in Perak. The history of tin mining in Taiping began in 1848, when a young Malay adventurer by the name of Long Jaafar stumbled upon tin deposits while bathing in a stream.Long Jaafar engaged the services of the Penang-based Chinese leader, Chung Keng Kwee (aka Ah Quee, and who was later made Kapitan China by the British), who dispatched a band of Chinese coolies to mine the tin ore. The first batch descented on the mines at Klian Pauh (klian, also written kelian, is a Malay word for mine, while pauh is a type of manggo). Klian Pauh was the name of the place before the town of Taiping was founded. The coolies were Hakka Chinese who fled China following the Taiping Revolution. They belonged to the Hai San secret society headed by Ah Quee. Later, a runaway elephant led to the discovery of another mining area at Klian Baru (New Mine), when its hooves were covered with mud encrusted with tin ore. After Long Jaafar died, his son Ngah Ibrahim became the Mentri (menteri, or minister) of Larut. Ngah Ibrahim built his fort and residence, Kota Ngah Ibrahim, in Matang. Ngah Ibrahim's house is today known as Kota Ngah Ibrahim, or Ngah Ibrahim Fort, because he had to fortify it with a wall to protect against attacks during the Larut Wars. By 1861, rivalry between the tin miners of Klian Pauh and Klian Baru degenerate into open warfare between the secret societies of Hai San, who are Hakkas, and Ghee Hin, who are Cantonese. While it is true that the Chinese communities were at war within themselves, the Malay society has also split into two camps following a power struggle for the throne of Perak. These protracted feuding, called Larut Wars or Perang Larut, took place in 1861, 1865, 1872 and then last one in 1873. First Larut War, 1861The first war between the Hai San and Ghee Hin erupted over control of the watercourse to the tin mines. It led the more numerous Hai Sans driving the Ghee Hins out of Klian Bharu. The Ghee Hin brought the matter to the Straits Settlement government. As a result, the Ghee Hins received a compensation of $17,447 from Ngah Ibrahim, the Mentri of Larut, on behalf of the Sultan of Perak.Although both sides returned to their mines, neither party was happy. The Ghee Hins felt that Ngah Ibrahim favoured the Hai Sans. The Hai Sans, on the other hand, were annoyed that the Ghee Hins were not driven out, but instead given a cash compensation. Second Larut War, 1865A gambling quarrel sparked of the second series of warfare between the two camps. The Hai Sans attacked the Ghee Hins, capturing 14 members as prisoners. They killed 13 of them. One managed to escape, and reported to his clan. The Ghee Hins retaliated by attacking the Hai San village, killing 40 men.With the help of Ngah Ibrahim, the Hai Sans fought back. They burned Klian Bharu and took possession of the Ghee Hin's tin stock. The Ghee Hins, numbering two thousand, fled to Province Wellesley. The fight spreaded there, and then to Penang, where other secret societies aligned to the Hai Sans and the Ghee Hins also joined in. In 1867, the fight took to the streets of George Town, as was known as the Penang Riot. Casualties were heavy on both sides. Exchausted from all the fighting, eventually both sides had to call for a truce. They were fined $5,000 each for causing disturbance in Penang, and their leaders were banished. Third Larut War, 1872An illicit love affair brought the Hai Sans and the Ghee Hins to the battlefield once more. The leader of the Ghee Hins was said to be engaged in an affair with the wife of the nephew of the Hai San leader, Chung Keng Kwee. The couple was caught, tortured, put into a pig basket and drowned in a disused mining pond. To avenge the death of their leader, the Ghee Hins engaged 4,000 professional mercenaries from China, and this time, they succeeded in driving the Hai Sans out of Larut. Ten thousand Hai San members had to seek refuge in Penang.Meanwhile, it was a shaky time for the Perak sultanate as well. When Sultan Ali passed away in 1871, a succession dispute ensued. Raja Abdullah was supposed to be appointed the next Sultan of Perak, but instead Raja Ismail was elected instead. Raja Abdullah, still considering himself the ruler of Perak, got his friend in Singapore, Tan Kim Ching, to write a letter to Sir Andrew Clarke, expressing his desire to place Perak under British protection, and to have "a man of sufficient abilities show him a good system of government." As the conflict has threatened their tin production, Chung Keng Kwee on 26 Sept 1872 sent a petition signed by himself and 44 other Chinese leaders of Penang, seeking British interference. In the subsequent months, the Hai Sans launched counterattacks. With the help of Ngah Ibrahim, they recovered their mines in Matang and Larut. This was the beginning of British intervention in Perak. Fourth Larut War, 1873Just weeks after the Hai Sans regained Larut, the Ghee Hins fought back. This time they too have a Malay ally, in the form of Raja Abdullah. They counterattacked with men and weapons brought in from Singapore and China. This time the Malays also suffered loses. Ngah Ibrahim's house and fort in Matang was badly damaged. He escaped to Penang, where he recruited help from Tristram Charles Sawyer Speedy, alias Captain Speedy, who was at that time the superintendent of police in Penang. Captain Speedy resigned from his post to work for Ngah Ibrahim. He brought troops from India to restore order in Larut.The result of the British intervention was a treaty signed on board the steamship The Pluto, at the mouth of the Perak River, near the island of Pangkor. It was aptly called the Pangkor Treaty of 1874. Pangkor TreatyThe terms of Pangkor Treaty included:In addition to the terms already spelled out above, the effect of the Pangkor Treaty was wide ranging. Firstly, it segregated the tin mining areas in Larut among the Hai Sans and the Ghee Hins. Secondly, it created two towns, the town of Taiping, which means Everlasting Peace, in the area around Klian Pauh, given to the Hai Sans, and the town of Kamunting, around Klian Baru, given to the Ghee Hin - who were very disappointed because they wanted the superior mining area of Klian Pauh. The Resident turned out to be the de facto ruler, to the great dismay of the Malay rulers. The first British Resident of Perak was James Wheeler Woodford Birch. He only lasted one year - from November 1874 to November 1875, to be precise. The Malay rulers were so irked by his arrogance and his interference with Malay customs that they plotted for his liquidation. The person who masterminded the assassination was Dato Maharajalela, who was aggrieved that Birch had outlawed slavery in Perak, and yet kept women slaves in his home for personal reasons. The outlaw of slavery affected Dato Maharajalela's income, for he depended on the capturing and selling of orang asli as slaves. The assassination took place by the bank of the Perak River at Pasir Salak. Malay chiefs implicated in the murder were parcelled off into exile in the Seychelles. This include Ngah Ibrahim and Sultan Abdullah. Dato' Maharajalela was sentenced to death by hanging. All this took place in 1877, and while it was bad news for the Malay chieftain on the wrong side of the fence, it was good for Taiping, which became the new administrative capital. As an administrative capital, Taiping enjoyed the privilege of being the first town to receive many of the state-of-the-art amenities. It was in Taiping that the first railroad in Malaya was built. It connected Taiping to Port Weld, which is today known as Kuala Sepetang. The importance of Taiping was slowly eclipsed as the Kinta Valley further south grew in importance as an even more significant tin mining area. Although Taiping continued to be the administrative capital, its role was challenged by the new town of Ipoh which eventually took over the role of state capital in 1945. Even as the limelight shifted away, Taiping continued to be a very livable town. Today the residents of Taiping enjoy a high standard of living coupled with a relatively low living cost. The town is surrounded by much greenery in the form of Taiping Lake Gardens and Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut).
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Taiping Tourist Attractions
Travel Destinations near Taiping
