Sitting pretty in a valley at the foot of Bukit Larut (aka Maxwell Hill), Taiping is one of the rainiest places in Malaysia. It drizzles pretty much every evening, and the rain is woven into the fabric of life in this little town. Down in the market square, elderly Chinese men sitting in kapil tiams at historic Taping Market entertain themselves by staking money on the timing of the inevitable ‘first raindrop of the evening’. Other people have more prosaic concern and go about their business with umbrellas at the ready. But nobody gets too flustered, because this laid-back little town is no more than a compact grid of neat leafy streets and getting around isn’t a hassle.
In part, Tapping is reminiscent of a small European spa town, with its orderly tree lined streets and many fine colonial buildings, survivors from Taiping tenure as capital of Perak. Its past was scarcely as idyllic. In the Mid-19th century, Taiping was riven by wars over control of the lucrative tin trade with Europe. Immigrant Chinese miners, organized in antagonistic secret societies, lapsed in to bitter fratricide in the 1860s. A conflict with a curious Indian soldier of fortune under a Caption Speedy, hired by Ngah Ibrahim, the mantra of Larut and son of Long Jaafar, who discovered tin here, were roped in. And decades latter, the 6th and 15th Indian brigades would be stationed here following the Japanese invasion of Malaysia in 1941. You can see and sole reminder of their presence here I the tombstones at Taiping’s Commonwealth War Cemetery, en route to Maxwell Hill. Hindi inscriptions on their sacrifice, and also mark the British line of retreat.
Taiping is now transformed in to something closer to the meaning of its name – Town of Everlasting Peace. A peace that few tourists come to disturb. A lovely, sleepy little place to spend a day or two, admiring its rather impressive architecture, both colonial and Chinese. Or take walks. Or go cycling along the path around the takes. Or just take in the fresh air those so enthused early English visitors. Here you have a ‘small-town atmosphere’ in the nicest possible way – a throwback to an age before shopping malls and Starbucks, when the market square was the nucleus of social life. In Taiping, it still is.
Orientation
Legend JI = Jalan; Mkt = Market; KL = Kuala Lumpur; RM = Malaysian Ringgit
The town is a neat grid of streets. Its four main streets run parallel to each other and you couldn’t get lost if you tried. Taiping Market, in the center of town, makes for a good reference point. The tourist office is located in the clock Tower barely half a kilometer to the east of Tapping Market. The Lake Gardens are slightly farther away, north-east of the market. ▪ Maps The Taiping Heritage Map, produced by the Taiping Municipal Council, is a good guide to the town and sight a around.
Things to See & Do
Taiping become a key location for the Brits during the Japanese invasion of Malaysia in 1941, due to its proximity to the British line of retreat on the western coast. Small wonder then, that the town is chock-a-block with historic colonial buildings, some of them, such as the old railway station, under constant threat of‘re-development’. Adding to Taiping’s antiquity is the oldest golf course in Malaysia. Explorer these and the well-known Lake Gardens at leisure.
Shopping
There are some shops selling fabric and can ware, baskets, small brass items and Muslim devotional items in the wooden Malay Bazaar building, beside Taiping Market. There are two branches of The Store in the main market area on JI Theatre, as well as a Fajar Deportment Store, which has some reasonably priced clothing and shoes. There’s also a place called the Catalog Store on JI Sultan Abdullah that has really cheap clothes. On Cross Road 8, off JI Market, is Plaza Perbandaran, which has some stalls selling clothes, handbags, etc.
Where To Eat
While Taiping isn’t exactly full of what one would call ‘restaurants’, the food here is actually excellent, as there are quite a few hawker centers and kopi tiams in which it’s possible to eat very well, Cheap. On JI Tokong, behind Guan Hin Chan, are two spotless and popular Chinese places, Kedai Kopi Prima and Restoran Khar Lock, which between them serve everything from chicken rice and asam laksa to bak kut-teh. The food’s very good, through these joints aren’t fancy. Nearer the market area, the ground floor of Peace Hotel, on JI Theatre, is occupied by a good and popular kopi tiam. Right next to it is a hug hawker center, with stalls serving a vast variety of Malay and Chinese food. There’s an excellent nasi lemak stall here and, in the mornings, a good range of buns. Taiping Market also houses many hawker stalls.
Vegetarians can head for the Taiping Vegetarian Restaurant on JI Sultan Abdullah. For nasi Kandar, there’s Nasi Kandar Plaza on JI Idris, just past Peking Hotel. This street also has a really pleasant little cakes-and-coffee place that also dose meals and savoury snacks called Avena Pastry Café. The fruit trats are fabulous. The other eating options are the fast-food places clustered around Market Square – KFC, pizza Hut and McDonald’s.
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