Ipoh is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Perak. Ipoh’s historic core is split into two sections by the Kinta River which are Old Town and New Town. Ipoh’s history begins with the Old Town during the tin rush. Ipoh was only a small village during the Malay Rajas period. Around 1877, Ipoh was transformed into New Town when British colonial ruled Perak and Chinese people came to seek their fortune. Ipoh began to grow rapidly in the 1880s following the discovery of huge deposits of tin in its vicinity.
Unfortunately, on 1 June 1892 a fire broke out and destroyed over half of the city. After the incident, it gave planners the chance to map out the streets in a more organized grid pattern, and the town was rebuilt and transformed into a business and social centre and become known as the “CITY OF MILLIONAIRES”.
By 1895, it was announced as the second largest town in the Federated Malay States, which also included Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang. Ipoh’s location between Kuala Lumpur and George Town has made it a major land transportation hub within West Malaysia.
The Ipoh Railway Station is one of the Ipoh’s iconic architecture. It was built in 1915, the original railway station which a small connection shack was replaced by majestic white building designed by government architect A.B. Hubback, the same guy who designed the Kuala Lumpur railway station. Due to its Moorish Indian architecture, local residents and tourist refer to this building as Ipoh’s Taj Mahal because of its magnificent domes and wide arches.
Ipoh was declared as a town in 1988. In recent years, the popularity of Ipoh as a tourist destination has been greatly enhanced by efforts to retain its British colonial architecture. The city is also well-known for its cuisine and natural attractions, such as its limestone hills and caves.
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