| The town of Taiping in Malaysia means "Eternal | | | | temple, the unassuming Tseng Lung Hakka |
| Peace" and is Perak State's foremost historic | | | | Association still stands proudly since its |
| town. It is located 80 km from Ipoh, the State | | | | construction in 1887. From here, you can already |
| capital. Formerly, known as Larut, the town was | | | | see the Taiping Market ahead. Truly relics of a |
| in the midst of a bloody feud between Chinese | | | | bygone era, it consists of two buildings: Old |
| secret societies who worked the lucrative tin | | | | Market and New Market. The former was built in |
| mines in the 1870's. After peace was declared | | | | 1884; the latter, 1885. Made of ironwood timber, it |
| between the feuding parties in 1874, the town | | | | is protected by an iron roof. |
| changed to its present name. Before the founding | | | | From Jalan Pasar, get back to Jalan Kota to see |
| of Kuala Lumpur in the south, Taiping prospered | | | | the Police Station. A former timber building |
| for several decades, scoring a number of firsts: | | | | constructed in 1881, the present structure was |
| first museum in the country, first English | | | | completed in 1936. It is topped with a fortified |
| newspaper; first swimming pool. Today, it is | | | | clock tower, and also doubled as a fire station. In |
| chock-a block with heritage buildings. | | | | fact, the first fire brigade of the Federated Malay |
| Exploring the town is easy as its main roads -- | | | | States was based here. Proceed to Jalan Sultan |
| Jalan Stesyen, Jalan Taming Sari, Jalan Pasar, Jalan | | | | Abdullah where a well-preserved building at No. 19 |
| Kota -- run parallel, and are criss-crossed with | | | | is occupied by Guan Chin Han, a trading company. |
| small ones. An excellent starting point for a | | | | In the 1930's, the building was actually a cigar |
| walkabout tour is the Post & Telegraph | | | | factory built by a Burmese merchant who |
| Office at Jalan Stesyen. Built in 1884 and featuring | | | | brought in women from Burma to roll tobacco |
| buttresses on its walls, this building was built in | | | | into cigars. During the Japanese Occupation, it |
| 1884 and bears the distinction of being the first | | | | functioned as a warehouse for military supplies. |
| post office of the Federated Malay States. (The | | | | At Jalan Tokong stands the Cantonese |
| term Federated Malay States refers to a grouping | | | | Association and Temple for the Immortal Girl |
| of states ruled by British Residents during the | | | | within a common compound. Founded in 1887, the |
| 1890's). Now, proceed southward to the | | | | association was set up to preserve the interests |
| pitched-roofed Town Rest House that was built in | | | | of early migrants from Kwangtung province in |
| 1894. Rich in colourful history, this rest house has | | | | China. Its front courtyard is guarded by a pair of |
| once played host to past rajas and colonial | | | | lions which were installed in 1954 when the building |
| officials. | | | | was renovated. Inside the same compound, |
| Twenty metres further south, the ruddy | | | | Temple for the Immortal Girl is dedicated to the |
| brickwork of King Edward VII School peeps | | | | deity Ho Sien-ku Miao. It dates back to the 1940's. |
| through the foliage of angsana trees. Tudor | | | | Turning right into Jalan Kota, you are now at the |
| arches and wide verandahs are the hallmarks of | | | | outskirt of the town leading to the Lake Gardens. |
| this building that was built in 1905. During the | | | | At the end of Jalan Kota, the Public Library is |
| Japanese Occupation (1942-45), the dreaded | | | | housed in a white-washed building with a pillared |
| Kempetai (Japanese military police) used the | | | | porch. Constructed in 1882, it was the former |
| school as their headquarters. Classrooms were | | | | premises of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia |
| converted into torture chambers and its grounds | | | | and China, which later became Standard |
| were turned into vegetable plots to supply food | | | | Chartered Bank. |
| for soldiers. Strolling southward about a hundred | | | | A leisurely twenty minutes' stroll from here brings |
| paces takes you to the Ceylon Association on the | | | | you to Jalan Esplande which joins Jalan Kelab Baru. |
| other side of the road. An unassuming building of | | | | At Jalan Esplanade, near the base of a hillock are |
| brick and wood, it was constructed in 1899. The | | | | two Chinese tombstones that date back to |
| next heritage building greeting you at the end of | | | | mid-1800's. They are the remnants of a Chinese |
| Jalan Stesyen is St. George's Institution, built in | | | | cemetery once found at the foot of the hillock. |
| 1928. The wall of its grounds floor is adorned with | | | | Atop the hillock stands the District Officer's |
| friezes. During the Japanese Occupation, the | | | | residence. Built in 1890's, it was once the home of |
| building doubled as a Japanese school and a | | | | the Secretary to British Resident. |
| Japanese officers' hotel. | | | | After the District Officer's residence, continue for |
| To continue the tour, turn left and proceed to the | | | | another ten minutes to British Officers' Mess. A |
| end of Jalan Taming Sari; then make a hairpin turn | | | | right turn leads to Jalan Taming Sari where the All |
| into Jalan Kota. As you proceed northward along | | | | Saints Church is situated. Founded in 1886, it is the |
| this road, look out for the Hokkien Association | | | | first Anglican Church in the Federated Malay |
| was built in 1931. This building was the clan-house | | | | States. The churchyard contains the graves of |
| of the early settlers who migrated from Fujian | | | | early British settlers who had failed to return |
| province in China during that era. Another fifty | | | | home through some misfortune such as being |
| metres further on at the junction of Jalan Masjid | | | | struck down by malaria. |
| and Jalan Kota stands Old Mosque (Masjid Lama). | | | | The grand finale to the walkabout tour is the |
| Harking back to 1897, it features a six-sided | | | | Perak Museum at the end of Jalan Taming Sari. |
| façade and a brick wall enclosure. Its | | | | First opened in 1883, it exhibits ceramics, |
| grounds contain the mausoleum of a Muslim | | | | weapons, and stuffed animals, including the skull of |
| scholar named Sheikh Makhbuli. | | | | an elephant that charged at a train in the 1950's. |
| After passing the Old Mosque, turn right at the | | | | The statue of Colonel Walker, considered the |
| first junction to head to Jalan Idris and proceed to | | | | "Father of the Malay States Guide" stands in front |
| building No. 2 , which is the Peking Hotel. Once the | | | | of the museum. Opposite the museum is Fort |
| premises of Taiping's rubber dealers association, it | | | | Carnavon, built in 1885, which is now a prison. |
| was built in 1929 and displays trefoil arches and | | | | Named after the Earl of Carnarvon, Secretary of |
| narrow vertical windows. | | | | State for the colonies (1894-1878), it was once |
| Backtrack to Jalan Kota and head north. Near the | | | | used as a rehabilitation centre for captured |
| junction of Jalan Kota and Jalan Iskandar, turn left | | | | Communists during the Emergency (1948-60). |
| to get to tree-lined Jalan Pasar. Resembling a | | | | |