Taiping, the Heritage Town
Taiping began as a small tin mining town and grew to become the first state capital of Perak. Today, it remains distinguished by its unique character and preserved history, earning it the title of the proud Heritage Town of Perak.
Taiping is the capital of the Larut, Matang, and Selama district. Did you know that before 1937, Taiping was the state capital of Perak, not Ipoh? The old name for Taiping was Klian Pauh. 'Klian' means mine, while 'Pauh' is a type of small mango. The word Taiping means "PEACE" or "TRANQUILITY" in Mandarin. Once upon a time, there was a conflict between immigrant factions from China who were mining tin in the Larut district, namely the Ghee Hin and Hai San, who were numerous in Klian Pauh at the time. Secret societies from these two factions clashed over tin mining rights and waterways. After reaching an agreement to make peace, Taiping was chosen as the new name for the town in the Larut district. Taiping is located at coordinates 4.8° North and 104.7° East. It is situated on high ground, particularly in the Bukit Larut area. Gunung Hijau (1,448 meters) is the highest mountain here. Taiping is the place that receives the most frequent heavy rainfall, occurring on almost 320 days a year. Consequently, the terrain is often wet, especially at the Taiping Lake Gardens. The rain is of the orographic type, coming from the Bintang Range in the East. However, Taiping is not prone to flooding, except for the mangrove areas in the West.
In 1880, the town of Taiping was developed by British colonialists because the district was rich in tin ore resources around the Larut River. Before the arrival of the British, this district (formerly known as the Larut Territory) was administered by the Minister of Larut, Dato' Long Jaafar, who had been empowered by the Sultan of Perak at the time to govern the territory. Long Jaafar built his administrative center in Bukit Gantang and made Kuala Sungai Limau in Trong the main port of the Larut Territory.
Also in 1880, the state capital of Perak was moved from Bandar Baru to Taiping after J.W.W. Birch was assassinated by Dato' Maharaja Lela in Pasir Salak in 1875.
In 1874, after the British colonized Perak following the signing of the Pangkor Treaty, the Larut Territory was administered by Captain Speedy as the Assistant British Resident.
In 1937, Taiping ceased to be the capital of Perak. Ipoh was chosen as the state capital due to its strategic location in the center of Perak, despite strong opposition from the residents of Taiping, as it was in Taiping that the foundations of organized government, prosperous business, and peace between various races were first established. Therefore, Taiping was indeed suitable to be the capital of Perak. There may be some history of Taiping not mentioned here, my apologies. If you don't mind, please share any history of Taiping that you know with us. Thank you. Adios!!
