LONE's rantings for all interested, COMMENTS/KOPI-0s welcomed. Comments are solely the views of their makers
MALAYSIA, a great place to be in, BUT we can, will and must make HER better.
You may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one.
IMAGINE:youtube::John Lennon
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
TAIPING Bandar Warisan// TAIPING's Many Firsts
Taiping is a town with many many firsts. The list given by MPT or Majlis Perbandaran Taipingl records a total of 40 firsts in the country. Dated as early as 1844, these firsts are either in monuments or events.
1 Open tin mining activity in the peninsula (1844).
2 Hill resort - Maxwell Hill/Bukit Larut (1844).
3 Swimming pool - Kolam Renang Kemahkotaan/Coronation Pool (1870).
4 Mosque - Masjid Tengku Menteri (1870).
5 Rest house (1870)./now Hotel Lagenda.
6 Artillery warehouse (1870).
7 Magistrate court (1874).
8 Balai penghulu (1875).
9 Resident's house (1877).
10 Port - Port Weld (1877).
11 English school - Central School Kamunting (1878).
12 Police force team (1879).
13 Government offices (1879).
14 Telegraph and post office (1880).
15 Lake gardens - Taman Tasik Taiping (1880).
16 Hospital, private and government (1880).
17 Club - New Club (1880).
18 Railway station and warehouse (1881).
19 Museum - Muzium Negeri Perak (1883).
20 Market building - Taiping Market Square (1884).
21 Prison - Penjara Taiping (1885).
22 Railway track - from Port Weld to Taiping (1885).
23 Turf club - Perak Turf Club (1886).
24 Anglican church - Old Saints Church (1886).
25 English girl's school - Treacher Girls' School (1889).
26 Clock tower - Menara Jam Besar (1890).
27 Esplanade - Padang Esplanade (1890).
28 Malay newspaper - Seri Perak (June 1893).
29 English newspaper - Perak Pioneer (July 4, 1894).
30 Tamil newspaper - Perak Verthamani (1894).
31 Armed Forces - Malay States Guides (1896).
32 Teaching college - Maktab Perguruan Melayu (1898-1900).
33 Ceylon association (1899).
34 Punjabi association - Khalsa Diwan Malaya Association (1903).
35 Indian association (1906).
36 Recreation park - Coronation Park (1920s).
37 Airfield - Padang Kapal Terbang Tekah (1930).
38 Golf course (some claimed in Southeast Asia, now no longer in existence).
39 Library - Perpustakaan Merdeka/Perpustakaan Awam.
40 Fire brigade.
TAIPING's 41st first, is that she is the first town in Malaysia to be honoured with a first day cover. She will be celebrating her Heritage Month in September this year. For more information contact MPT.
How to get to TAIPING ::
Taiping is just off the North-South Highway, 88km from Penang, 80km from Ipoh and 302km from Kuala Lumpur. Via the highway, it takes about an hour's drive from Ipoh. There are frequent bus services from all major towns in Peninsular Malaysia and even Singapore. Marked as the site for the country's first railway track, the train is, of course, a good choice of transportation to the town. By air, Malaysian Airlines flies to Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
Map to TAIPING
Map of TAIPING TOWN
Accomodation in TAIPING ::
Accommodation is relatively cheap in Taiping. Hotel rooms start from RM55 while a stay in a rest house can go as low as RM15 per night. Though Taiping offers no top class hotel, they are fairly impressive, being housed in either heritage buildings or surrounded by historical buildings. Casuarina Inn (from RM69) Tel: 05-8041339; Hotel Fuliyen (from RM55) 8068648; Hotel Furama (from RM58) 8071077; Lagenda Hotel (from RM70) 8053333; Legend Inn (from RM90) 8100000; Maxwell Hill Rest Houses (from RM15) 8077241; Meredien Hotel (from RM55) 8081133; Panorama Hotel (from RM75) 8084111; Seri Malaysia Hotel (from RM90) 8069502.