IPOH

 

Overview

Ipoh is the capital city of Perak and is one of the largest cities in Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur and 130 km south of Penang on the North-South Expressway. 

Due to its geographic location, it became a rapid growing mining town in the rich tin-bearing valley of the Kinta River, especially in the 1920s and 1930s. One of the famous local Hakka miner, millionaire Yau Tet-Shin, started developing a large tract of the city in the early 1930s, today known as the 'New Town', from the eastern bank of the Kinta River to Greentown. In 1937, Ipoh was made the capital of Perak, replacing Taiping.

The city is surrounded by limestone hills, which can be found around suburban areas to the northeast, east and southeast.  The Kledang mountain range stretches from the north to the west of the city. This range runs parallel to the Bintang mountain range with the Perak River flowing on its left bank and the Kinta River to its right. This range is interrupted to the north of Ipoh by a tributary of the Perak River called the Pelus River, which is sourced from the Titiwangsa mountain range, which runs to the east of Ipoh.

The slower pace of life in Ipoh makes for a fine retirement option. Compared to other cities like Penang and Kuala Lumpur, property prices are more affordable here coupled with the smoother and less congested traffic.

Major developers such as Sunway Group has been banking on Ipoh with its Sunway City Ipoh, the largest integrated township in Perak. Besides offering residential homes, Sunway City Ipoh houses the popular Lost World of Tambun theme park. Additionally, the developer is also the brains behind the Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, Malaysia’s first luxury natural hot springs wellness retreat. The township will see further developments and expansion in the coming years with serviced apartments and a mall, among many others.

 

Places of Attraction

Ipoh is filled with many interesting places due to its colonial heritage and British influence. It has a large number of historical buildings. For instance, the Ipoh Railway Station, Birch Memorial Clock Tower, Ipoh High Court and the Ipoh Town Hall building.

Despite the growth, Ipoh residents enjoy a calm and relaxed lifestyle. Besides being surrounded by limestone hills, Ipoh is also well-known for its parks. Notable ones include D.R. Seenivasagam Recreational Park (the oldest park in Ipoh, established in 1950) and Sultan Abdul Aziz Recreational Park or more commonly known as Polo Ground.

Ipoh is also often associated with food. Some local specialties to look out for in Ipoh would include beansprouts chicken.  It is boiled chicken with bean sprouts served with soy sauce, sesame oil and eaten either with rice or noodle. Another famous dish is the Ipoh ‘sar hor fun’, which is flat rice noodles in clear chicken and prawn soup with chicken shreds, prawns and spring onions.  A common take away food item is the salted chicken. It is a whole chickens wrapped in "paper" and then baked in large woks filled with heated salt.  A famous fruit of the region is pomelos.  It is a citrus fruit with massive rind and mild taste, Malaysia's best are reputedly from Tambun, about 10km north of Ipoh city centre.