Taiping Port Weld Railway Station
Perak is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Perak’s capital city, Ipoh was known historically for its tin-mining activities. The first railway in the state, from Taiping to Port Weld (now known as Kuala Sepetang), was built in 1885 to transport the wealth of tin; the result was rapid development in Taiping and Ipoh. However, the tin industry declined in 1980s affecting the state’s economy. Once-thriving towns began to empty and Kuala Lumpur drew increasing numbers of jobseekers out of Perak.
Istana Kuning, Kuala Kangsar, Perak.
The royal capital remains Kuala Kangsar, where the palace of the Sultan of Perak is located. Perak is ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse. The state is known for several traditional dances which are bubu, dabus, and labu sayong, the latter name also referring to Perak unique traditional pottery.
Labu Sayong
One of the most highlighted histories in Perak is the discovery of an ancient skeleton. Known as Perak Man, the skeleton was found inside the Bukit Gunung Runtuh cave at Bukit Kepala Gajah and dated at around 10,000 years old. Apart from that, ancient tools discovered in the area of Kota Tampan, including anvils, cores, debitage, and hammerstones that provide information on the the migrations of Homo sapiens.
Today, Perak has shifted from being busy commercial area for tin to a diverse manufacturing state. Agriculture is one of Perak’s main industries, especially those concerning rubber, coconut and palm oil. Tourism is fast catching on as more people discover Perak’s hidden gems in the form of natural attractions and cultural sights. Tourism is slowly helping Perak to bounce back, with steadily increasing visitors’ numbers throughout the late 2010s.
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