There's no better way to get to know a place than to walk its streets, eat its food and speak to its local community.
If you’ve ever been to Ipoh, Perak you would know that exploring the city’s Old Town on foot is the best way to learn more about the history of the place, and the state in general.
A large part of Perak was developed by folks involved in the tin industry, mining and trading the natural resource that was once found in abundance in the area.
Today, all that’s left from the state’s golden tin mining era is a beautiful legacy of the former glory days, mostly reflected in the architecture of the century-old colonial buildings in the Old Town. Not all of these buildings made it through the decades, unfortunately, as the ravages of time have rendered them uninhabitable. But there are still a number that managed to be restored, though not all were able to be completely preserved.
Some of the buildings have also been transformed into functional spaces, like museums, offices, shops and cafes.
According to S. Sundralingam, a local tour guide who specialises in cultural and heritage trails in Ipoh, visitors who wish to go on a learning experience through the Old Town would need a few hours to fully capture the area’s essence. His tour, particularly, offers insights into the rich history of the town.
Here are some of his recommendations on what to check out.
In 1914, the construction of a new railway station began, this time with an adjoining hotel, to replace the first one. This new station was designed by English architect Arthur Benison Hubback, who also designed a couple of other iconic buildings around Malaysia.
The Ipoh Railway Station was opened in 1917 when the Majestic Station Hotel was still under construction. Due to the shortage of materials during World War I, work on the hotel was held back for many years; it was finally completed in 1935.
The building was often referred to as “the Taj Mahal of Ipoh” by locals, thanks to its British Raj-style facade that included Moorish domes, turrets and verandahs.
Today, the station provides a popular backdrop for photography enthusiasts. It is located within the Ipoh Station Square, which is the starting point of most heritage trails in town.
The Cenotaph War Memorial was built in 1926 and has five plaques, representing those who gave their lives in World War I and II, the Malayan Emergency, the Indonesian Confrontation, the Re-Insurgency Period and the construction of the Thailand-Burma Death Railway.
The memorial can be found right outside the Ipoh Railway Station.
Situated in the heart of town, this is no ordinary padang or field. Funds were raised by the Chinese community back in 1898 to build this field, to mark the 60th anniversary of Britain’s then Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne, which actually took place the year before.
Today Ipoh Padang is not just a football field, but a recreational space for locals to hang out. On weekends, some folks would even have picnics there.
Just a stone’s throw away from the railway station and located next to St Michael’s Institution, is the 115-year-old Indian Muslim Mosque, which is also known as Shaik Adam’s Mohammedan Mosque.
The mosque’s facade and interior are beautiful, thanks to the delicate craftsmanship of the builders. It was constructed in the early 1900s by a wealthy trader named Sheikh Adam.
St Michael’s Institution was originally a bungalow that was obtained by a group of La Salle Brothers, who then turned it into a missionary school. In 1912, the school started operating with just 37 students, but the numbers kept increasing throughout the years.
When the bungalow could no longer fit the number of enrolled students, French architect Brother Vernier Augustus began designing and constructing a bigger building; it was completed in 1922. This is the building that still stands today.
Like many other old buildings in the Old Town, St Michael’s Institution has also gone through great ordeals during the multiple wars that took place over the years.
For instance, the school was turned into a shelter for British soldiers before the arrival of the Japanese in 1941.
Once the Japanese Occupation started, the school was taken over by Japanese soldiers and it became their headquarters.
Today, it is again an educational institution, but it is now known as SMK St Michael.
This three-storey building served as the only European tin smelting firm in 1907 – the rest of the companies were owned by Chinese businessmen.
Because of this, the architecture of the Straits Trading Building is very different from the others in the area. The design reflects more of an Italian Renaissance style: Essentially a cube-shaped building with lots of pillars, it has a tower in one of the corners.
Today, the whole place is occupied by a bank.
As you walk away from the Straits Trading Building and down Jalan Dato Maharajalela towards Jalan Sultan Yusof, a blue-tinged building will come into view ... that’s S.P.H De Silva, one of the earliest commercial buildings to be built in Ipoh.
It was constructed at the turn of the last century and designed in the Renaissance style, and consists of three storeys.
For many decades, the S.P.H De Silva company manufactured trophy cups, shields and medals. Today, there are several stores and companies occupying the building.
Han Chin Pet Soo was founded as a Hakka Tin Miners’ Club in 1890 by Hakka tin mining mogul Leong Fee. But the building suffered damages and was later rebuilt in 1929, which is the version that still exists today.
Although the building itself may not be all too interesting, this is probably the best place to go to if you are interested in learning about the history of tin mining in Ipoh. Currently a museum, Han Chin Pet Soo features artefacts, photographs, documents and many other things that are connected to the tin mining industry.
What’s also interesting to discover is Leong Fee’s background (he was said to be the first Chinese Member of the Federal Legislative Council), as well as the backgrounds of other prominent tin mining moguls like Yau Tet Shin.
This building on Belfield Street, although still standing today, has seen better days. It is currently a restaurant but back in 1911, the shop was an unassuming Mikasa Photo Studio. As it turns out, a Japanese spy by the name of Masaji Fukabori (alias Masaji Hosaka), worked at the photo studio and kept sending information about Malaya back to the Japanese Army Intelligence!
The shoplot is now a cosy cafe.
Other interesting landmarks in Perak
Here are a handful of other historical buildings and landmarks you can check out in Perak.
IPOH
- Town Hall and Old Post Office
- Perak Library
- Birch Memorial
- Rumah Dato Seri Adika Raja
- Royal Ipoh Club
- Perak Hydro Building
- The Chennai Potty’s
TAIPING
- Kapitan’s House
- Taiping Post Office
- Telegraph Museum
- Larut Matang District Office
- Assistant Resident’s Quarters
- Officers’ Mess
- Wisma Perwira
KUALA KANGSAR
- Raja Bendahara Residence
- Malay College Kuala Kangsar
- Pavilion Tower
- Ridzwaniah Mosque
- Kuala Kangsar Clock Tower
- Idris Club
- Istana Kenangan and Istana Ulu
OTHER AREAS
- Captain Speedy’s Bungalow in Matang
- Kota Ngah Ibrahim in Matang
- Sitiawan Settlement Museum in Sitiawan
- Persatuan Koo Kang Chow building in Kampar
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