Welcome to Taiping

Lake Garden Taiping

Established in 1880, the Taiping Lake Garden is one of the oldest garden in Malaysia. This 62 hectares of park is also known as Taman Tasik Taiping in the Malay language. The huge lake was formerly a tin mine but was since transformed into a beautiful well used and well maintained park where flowers, birds, insects, animals and lush greeneries thrive. Drop by this lake and take a stroll if you are visiting Taiping Zoo, one of the better zoo in Malaysia. Bukit Larut, used to be known as Maxwell Hill is located just within the vicinity.

The oldest golf course in Malaysia within the vicinity was closed in the year 1995 due to the hazard it posed to the users at the lake garden. The course has since been converted to parks where trees, flowers and playgrounds have replaced the common sight of a golf course.

Some of the facilities and attractions that are available here include:

A Lotus Pool where you will see the beautiful pinkish colour lotus on the pond near the entrance to Taiping Zoo.
A Japanese Garden
A Zig Zag Bridge
A Pagoda Bridge
A Rollerskating Rink
Paddle-Boat Rides are the rides that children will be glad to embark on.
Children's Playground
Jogging tracks
Reflexology tracks
Open Air Gymnasium with instructions that describe the various exercises that you can do.

During the weekends, families with young children can be seen having their picnics while the older ones jog around the garden.

Rain Trees

Of particular interest to most photographers is the huge rain trees that grow by the lake. You will notice the branches that stretch across the road and dipping into the waters of the lake. It is as though the branches are quenching their thirst by taking in the water from the lake. The pictures of this rain trees can be seen in magazines and calendars. Sometimes, couples who are getting married can be seen posing here in their wedding clothes for a shot to remember the most important event of their life.

Bird Watching

If you are into bird watching, this is one place that migratory birds stop by here while escaping winter from the North or South Hemisphere. Arm yourself with a camera, binocular, books about birds and be prepared to learn some of the species of birds that you have yet to encounter.

Perak State Museum

The Perak State Museum is a museum located in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. It is the oldest museum in Malaysia and highlights the history of the state.

Lenzi, Iola (2004). Museums of Southeast Asia. Singapore: Archipelago Press. pp. 200 pages. ISBN 981-4068-96-9.

Perak Museum, Taiping on the map.

GPS coordinates N 4°51'38'', E 100°44'42''

Also See

This is not to be confused with The Perak Museum in Ipoh erected in 1926 by a rich and successful tin miner called Foo Choong Kit. The Perak Museum in Taiping is the first and oldest museum in Malaysia. It owes its establishment to the fund-raising efforts of Sir Hugh Low, third British Resident of Perak and Sir Frank Swettenham who was later the Governor of the Straits Settlements. The Perak Museum at Taiping was founded by Sir Hugh Low, the British Resident of Perak, in 1883. The museum was initially concerned with natural history particularly ethnography, zoology and geology, key areas of interest of its founder Sir Hugh, and botany an interest share by both Sir Hugh and its first curator Leonard Wray Jr., who was curator from 1883 to 1903. While construction of the museum began with renovations to the former government offices in 1883 the main building was only completed in 1886 due to lack of funds. In 1889 extensions to the front and back were added and in 1900 a two-storey extension.

Bukit Larut

Bukit Larut, formerly known as Maxwell Hill (but still often referred to by its latter name), is a hill resort located 10 km from Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. Founded in 1884, it is the oldest hill resort in Malaysia.^[1]^[2] It is approximately 1250 m above sea level. Bukit Larut receives the highest rainfall in Malaysia because it is located in the wettest part of the country.^[3]

Maxwell Hill was named after William George Maxwell, who was the British Assistant Resident in Perak.^[4]

Not as developed as other hill resorts such as the Genting Highlands and Cameron Highlands, Bukit Larut retains a colonial atmosphere with its quaint bungalows and English gardens.

Access is available only by (government owned) resort authority's Land Rovers (private vehicles are not allowed without a permit),^[5] although people are free to walk up the hill as many do for exercise (reaching the peak can take up to 3–5 hours).

Taiping War Cemetery

Taiping War Cemetery (Malay: Tanah Perkuburan Perang Taiping) is a graveyard for those killed during World War II. It is located in Bukit Larut (formally Maxwell's Hill), Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. Many soldiers, including some from the Royal Malay Regiment, Gurkhas, British and Australian troops, were killed during the Japanese Invasion of Malaya. This graveyard was erected by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.