| Malaysias
third city, Ipoh is an ideal stopover between Kuala Lumpur (135
miles) or the Cameron Highlands and Penang. Known for its excellent
Chinese food, Ipoh preserves an impressive number of traditional
Chinese and colonial buildings in its old town beside the Kinta
River. Other symbols of Ipohs past wealth are the Moorish-cum-Victorian
railway station (setting of the well-named Majestic Hotel) Alsoworth
seeing too, are nearby Tambun's hot springs, and the Buddhist
temples built into ancient limestone caves. |
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Some
50 miles to the north of Ipoh is Taiping, backed by the green
Bintang Mountains and one of Malaysia's oldest towns. Once Perak
State's main mining centre (Perak or 'silver' in Malay - was
the silvery tin ore from which the state gained its wealth),
Taiping gained its present name (meaning 'Eternal Peace') after
quarrels between early Chinese immigrant mining groups. were
resolved by a British-imposed truce. |
