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Taiping is a town located in northern Perak, Malaysia. It is the second largest town in Perak after Ipoh, which most of us went to Ipoh before but not Taiping. Taiping took over Kuala Kangsa’s role as the sate capital from 1876 to 1937, but was then replaced by Ipoh.


Taiping Town Street

Do you know that Taiping receives some limelight for being the wettest town in Peninsular Malaysia? The average annual rainfall is about 4,000mm, and it also know as “Raining Town”, do remember to bring umbrella if you visit this place. During my visit, it rained for the first day when I dropped by Zoo Taiping. Luckily an umbrella was with me.

Its unusual rainfall has also led to a fertile collection of flora and century-old rain trees in the Taiping Lake, you can see very special rain trees every where.

Taiping Rain Tree


100 years rain tree? Seem to be.

Beside the beautiful scenery in Taiping, it also famous with :

40 "Firsts" of Taiping

Due to the booming tin-mining industry in the 19th century and its previous position as capital of Perak, Taiping was a pioneer in many fields, achieving many "firsts" in the country along the way. The list given by the Taiping Municipal Council records a total of 40 firsts in the country. From the earliest in 1844, these firsts are mostly either in monuments or events.

* Open tin mining activity in the peninsula (1844)
* Hill resort - Maxwell Hill (1844)
* Swimming pool - Coronation Swimming Pool (1870)
* Mosque - Masjid Tengku Menteri (1870)
* Rest house (1870)
* Artillery warehouse (1870)
* Magistrate's court (1874)
* Balai penghulu (1875)
* Resident's house (1877)
* Port - Port Weld (1877)
* English school - Central School Kamunting (1878)
* Police force (1879)
* Government offices (1879)
* Post and telegraph office (1880)
* Lake gardens - Taiping Lake Gardens (1880)
* Taiping General Hospital, private and government (1880)
* Club - New Club (1880)
* Club - Perak Club
* Railway station and warehouse (1881)
* Museum - Perak Museum (1883)
* Market building - Taiping Markets (1884)
* Prison - Taiping Gaol(1885)
* Railway track - from Port Weld to Taiping (1885)
* Turf club - Perak Turf Club (1886)
* Anglican church - All Saints Church, Taiping (1886)
* English girls' school - Treacher Methodist Girls' School (1889)
* Clock tower - Taiping Clock Tower (1890)
* Esplanade - Esplanade (1890)
* Malay newspaper - Seri Perak (June 1893)
* English newspaper - Perak Pioneer (July 4, 1894)
* Tamil newspaper - Perak Verthamani (1894)
* Armed Forces - Malay States Guides (1896)
* Teaching college - Maktab Perguruan Melayu
* Ceylon association (1899)
* Punjabi association - Khalsa Diwan Malaya Association (1903)
* Indian association (1906)
* Recreation park - Coronation Park (1920s)
* Airfield - Tekah Airport (1930)
* Golf Club (some claimed in Southeast Asia)

* Library - Perpustakaan Merdeka



* Fire brigade

Others nice scenes:

Taiping Tourist Information Centre

Taiping St. Louis Church

Drive to Taiping ? (How to go Taiping by road)

Taiping is accessible from the North South Expressway. Coming from the north, you use Exit 148 to Kamunting, while coming from the south, you use Exit 146 at Changkat Jering. There are buses to Taiping from Penang (Sungai Nibong Express Bus Terminal) and Kuala Lumpur (Puduraya).

From Kuala Lumpur, I spend around 3 hours to reach Taiping.

Due to lack of time, I wasn't able to cover the entire Taiping tourism hot spots, I think have to stay at least 2 nights if you wish to vist the entire Taiping.

Will get Taiping Zoo, Taiping Lake and Kuala Sepetang to be posted up soon, stay tune.