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Coordinates: 4°36′N 101°04′E / 04.60°N 101.07°E / 04.60; 101.07
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|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
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|leader_name = Datuk Haji Roshidi Hashim
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|area_magnitude = 1 E8
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|area_total_km2 = 1,975
|area_total_km2 = 1,975

Revision as of 04:28, 6 June 2012

Ipoh
怡保
ஈப்போ
Nickname: 
'City of Millionaires' or 'Bougainvillea City'
CountryMalaysia
StatePerak
EstablishmentAround 1880
Government
 • MayorDatuk Haji Roshidi Hashim
Area
 • City
1,975 km2 (763 sq mi)
 • Metro
13,544 km2 (5,229 sq mi)
Elevation
21.95 m (72 ft)
Population
 (2010)
 • City
767,794 (6th)
 • Density432/km2 (1,120/sq mi)
 • Metro
1,499,000 [1]
Time zoneUTC+8 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)Not observed
Websitehttp://www.mbi.gov.my

Template:Contains Chinese text

4°36′N 101°04′E / 04.60°N 101.07°E / 04.60; 101.07

Ipoh (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈiːpoʊ/) is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km (125 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway.

Ipoh developed into one of Malaysia's main cities around the turn of the 19th century due to the booming tin mining industry. During the British colonial era, Ipoh was Malaysia's second city for administrative purposes. Architecturally, the city centre is characterised by colonial era Chinese shop houses. There are also several impressive historical buildings from the British Colonial era such as the Railway Station, the Town Hall and the Court House. Economically, the city's growth stagnated following the collapse in tin prices in the 1970s, so a very large proportion of the historical buildings still exist and function, in contrast to cities like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore where a greater proportion of the colonial era buildings have now been demolished.

70% of Ipoh's population is of Chinese origin.

History

Ipoh came into existence in the 1820s as a village at the highest navigable point of the Kinta River [2]. It was less prominent at that time compared to the early mining town of Gopeng, 20 km south of Ipoh. Following the great fire of 1892 [3], the town was rebuilt.

Ipoh Railway Station

From the turn of the early 20th century, when more British tin-mining companies were set up in the city, Ipoh gained greater prominence. Influential institutions such as The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China Limited opened offices in Ipoh in 1902. It provided credit to the Straits Trading Company and later the Eastern Smelting Company. More Colonial-era firms started to set up offices in the booming town such as the stockbroker Botly and Co., A.H Whittaker & Co., Chartered Accounts, Evatt & Co., and Estate Visiting Agents Milne & Stevens.

Town Hall

Its geographic location in the rich tin-bearing valley of the Kinta River made it a natural centre of growth. It grew rapidly as a mining town, especially in the 1920s and 1930s. A local Hakka miner, millionaire Yau Tet-Shin started developing a large tract of the city in the early 1930s, today known as the New Town section of the city from the eastern bank of the Kinta River to Greentown [4].

Ipoh was invaded by the Japanese on 15 December 1941. During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, Ipoh was made the capital of Perak, in place of Taiping. In March 1942, the Japanese Civil Administration or Perak Shu Seicho had been set up at the St. Michael's Institution. After the liberation of Malaya by British forces, Ipoh remained the capital of Perak, till this day.[5]

In the 1950s, Ipoh was characterised by the proliferation of large numbers of cinema halls, amusement parks, cabarets and night life [citation needed]. Two of the largest entertainment groups then, the Cathay Organisation and Shaw Brothers Company had set up cinema chains in Ipoh. Ipoh was also one of the four original towns served by Malayan Airways (now Malaysia Airlines), the other three being Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

With the collapse of tin prices and the closure of the tin mines in the late 1970s, Ipoh's growth stagnated and resulted in migration to other parts of Malaysia (particularly metropolitan areas such as Kuala Lumpur) and Singapore.

Ipoh currently has a vibrant food scene with a vast proliferation of hawker centres and restaurants. It is well known for dishes such as "Sar Hor Fun" (Chinese: 沙河粉). Other dishes from Ipoh include "Hor Hee", flat white rice noodles served with fish cakes and/or fish balls, "Nga Choi Kai" (Chinese: 芽菜鸡), a chicken fillet with soy sauce and beansprouts with pepper spread on top, "Hakka Mee" (Chinese: 客家面), yellow rice noodles served with mince meat (pork) sauce and "Heong Peng" (Chinese: 香饼), a type of biscuit. Ipoh is known in Malaysia for its "Ipoh white coffee".

Main article: Ipoh cuisine

Cityscape

Today, "Ipoh" usually refers to the territory under administration of Ipoh City Council or Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh, which includes the smaller towns adjacent to the city such as Pengkalan, Silibin, Chemor, Jelapang, Menglembu and Tanjung Rambutan.

The Old Town

St Michael's Institution

The Old Town is located to the west of the Kinta River. There is a vibrant commercial district with many historical 'shop-houses' centred around Leech Street (Chinese: 烈治街; now Jalan Bandar Timah). Other notable features include:

  • Ipoh Town Hall, an Edwardian Baroque municipal building located across the road from the Railway Station.
  • Padang Ipoh or Ipoh Field is located on Jalan S.P. Seenivasagam. The field is surrounded by historic buildings that feature classic colonial architecture, including the mock-Tudor style Ipoh Club, FMS Bar, HSBC Building and the magnificent St Michael's Institution secondary school.
Anglo-Chinese School, Ipoh
  • Muzium Darul Ridzuan is a historical museum of Perak, located in a pretty former tin-mining tycoon's mansion on Jalan Kuala Kangsar.

The New Town

D.R. Seenivasagam Park, formerly Coronation Park

The so-called "New Town", to the east of the Kinta River, was developed by Yau Tet Shin around 1908 [6]. The New Town houses the Perak Medical University and Ipoh City Hall building, among others. There are numerous shops, shopping malls, and hotels.

D. R. Seenivasagam Park (Coronation Park), located in the heart of Ipoh (New Town), is known for its scenic beauty and recreational facilities. It comprises recreational fields, an artificial lake filled with fish, a nursery for potted plants and a children's traffic playground. The latest addition is the newly landscaped Japanese garden featuring a Japanese carp pond.

From the late 1980s Greentown, located beside the New Town, was transformed from old government quarters to an administrative and commercial centre of Ipoh, often overshadowing both the Old Town and New Town.

Sports

There are a few sporting venues in Ipoh. A portion of land located in the Kampong Simee area has been selected by the City Council for the Sport Center. The main sports stadium for football (soccer) and other track and field events is the Perak Stadium. There is an indoor sports stadium beside it, the Indera Mulia Stadium, playing host to events such as badminton. Ipoh is also home for the Perak Football Association.

Ipoh has Malaysia's first velodrome, Velodrom Rakyat (The People's Velodrome), costing RM 3.25 million; funds were raised in a country-wide donation drive (led by Tan Sri Darshan Singh Gill). In addition, Ipoh has an Astroturf stadium for hockey, the Azlan Shah Stadium.

For golf, the courses are the Royal Perak Golf Club off Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah (Tiger Lane), the Meru Golf Club in Jelapang, and Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Club en route to Batu Gajah.

Other sports venues include the Kilat Club in Pasir Pinji, Ipoh Field (Padang Ipoh) in the Old Town, the Polo Grounds, and the Iskandar Polo Club, in Ampang Baru.


Geography

Topography

Ipoh is located within the state of Perak, which is in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The city is located in the middle of the Kinta Valley, on the bank of the Kinta River and the confluence of smaller rivers, namely Sungai Pinji and Sungai Pari. The city is surrounded by limestone hills, which can be found around suburban areas to the northeast, east and southeast of the city.[7]

The Kledang mountain range stretches from the north to the west of the city. This range runs parallel to the Bintang mountain range with the Perak River flowing on its left bank and the Kinta River to its right. This range is interrupted to the north of Ipoh by a tributary of the Perak River called the Pelus River, which is sourced from the Titiwangsa mountain range, which runs to the east of Ipoh.[8]

Limestone caves, mountains and lakes.

The Gua Tempurung Limestone Caves

Ipoh is surrounded by limestone caves due to the surrounding karst formations especially the Tempurung Cave which is the largest and deepest in Peninsula Malaysia. The Sam Po Tong (Chinese 三宝洞; Cavern of Three Precious) temple, is a Chinese temple built within a limestone cave. Its sister temple, Perak Tong (Chinese 霹雳洞; Perak Cave), has a steep staircase in the interior of the cave rising up to the top of its hill where there is a panoramic view of Ipoh and its surroundings. The statue of Buddha in Perak Tong was the tallest and largest of its kind in Malaysia when first commissioned. Both these cavern temples have vegetarian food available.

The Kek Lok Tong (Chinese 极乐洞; Cavern of Utmost Happiness) is a cave temple that lies on the other side of the same range of limestone hills as Sam Poh Tong. It is accessible through the Gunung Rapat housing area. It has a cleaner, quieter and more cooling environment and has the best scenic cave view.

Limestone hills extend 20 km north of Ipoh and also 20 km to the south. There are many caves in these hills; cave temples are built in some of these caves.[9] Gua Tempurung, near Gopeng south of Ipoh, is a show cave open to the public.

Sam Poh Tong, one of the many beautiful temples located in Ipoh‎

Lakes in Ipoh include the Taiping Lake Gardens and the Lang Mountain Lakes.

Lang Mountains in Ipoh

Gua Tempurung is a cave in Gopeng, Perak, Malaysia. It is popular among spelunkers, or caving enthusiasts. More than 3 km long, it is one of the longest caves in Peninsula Malaysia. Part of it has been developed as a show cave with electric lighting and walkways and there are tours of different lengths and difficulty. A fine river cave, the river passage runs about 1.6 km through the hill. There are five very large chambers and some spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

Governance

The Ipoh City Council governs the city of Ipoh. Roshidi Hashim, appointed in 2008, is the Mayor of Ipoh.[10]

Ipoh is divided into two parliamentary constituencies, Ipoh Barat (Ipoh West) and Ipoh Timur (Ipoh East). The parliamentary seat for Ipoh Timur is held by DAP Representative, Lim Kit Siang while the seat for Ipoh Barat is held by fellow DAP leader, M. Kulasegaran.[11]

Demographics

Ipoh still remains one of Malaysia's largest cities. Today, Ipoh is the fourth largest city in Malaysia. As of 2009, it has a population of 702,464, with a total urban area population of 1,143,778.[12] It ranks as the sixth most populous urban centre in Malaysia. (2007)[13]

Census statistics

The following is based on Ipoh City Hall statistics, 2004.[14][15]

Ethnic groups in Ipoh, 2012 
census
Ethnicity Population Percentage
Chinese 451,361 70.0%
Malay 109,616 17.0%
Indian 80,600 12.5%
Others 3,225 0.5%

Toponymy

The name Ipoh is derived from a local tree, Pohon Epu or now more commonly known as Pokok Ipoh. The sap of this plant is poisonous and was used by Orang Asli (Indigenous Peoples in Malay) to coat the tips of the darts of their blowpipes for hunting purposes.

Nicknames for Ipoh

The Town Built on Tin (Chinese: 锡城) and City of Millionaires (Chinese: 富城) referring to the vast fortunes made during the boom of the tin mining industries.

Affectionately called Paloh till today (Chinese: 壩羅) by the local Chinese, referring to the gigantic mining pumps used for early tin ore extraction.

The Bougainvillea City (Chinese: 杜鹃花城) referring to Bougainvillea as the symbol flower of the city.

The Hill City (Chinese: 山城) referring to Ipoh being centre and surrounded by hills.


Transportation

  • Trunk roads: The old interstate Route 1 connects Ipoh with neighboring towns and other states (such as the town of Gopeng, Tanjung Malim and city of Kuala Lumpur down south).
  • Highway: The new North-South Expressway is a faster and more efficient alternative to Route 1. However, certain towns like Kampar can only be accessible via Route 1. Drivers using the North-South highway can exit into Ipoh from any of these four exits – Simpang Pulai, South Ipoh (Ipoh(S)) or North Ipoh (Ipoh(U)) & Jelapang.
  • Train: Ipoh's railway station is operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) and is situated in the Old Town (however, it does not have intra-city travel like in Kuala Lumpur). The railway only connects Ipoh with neighbouring towns and cities. The railway station is a stately building, referred to by locals as the Taj Mahal of Ipoh. KTM Intercity began the Shuttle Train Service between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh from December 1, 2008 while the modern Electric Train System (ETS) shuttle began from 12 August 2010 with average 145kmh speed, plying Ipoh-Seremban route, cut the travelling distance between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur into 120 minutes. There are 10 dedicated shuttle train services between these two cities daily which begins at 5am from both the stations. Travel time between the cities expected to be reduced from three hours to two hours and fifteen minutes when the new set of EMU trains arrive in mid 2009.[16]
  • Bus: The inter-city bus terminal is located at Silveritage Galleria along Gopeng Road nearby Gunung Rapat, south of Ipoh (formerly situated in Medan Kidd, Old Town) to Ipoh Terminal Bus Station.
  • Air: the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport is the only airport in Ipoh. It is situated near Gunung Rapat. However, only domestic flights (and limited international ones) are available at this airport.
  • Firefly provides two daily flights out of Ipoh to Singapore Changi Airport while Silverfly provides flights to Medan, Indonesia.[17]

Notable people

  • Film and Television:

Angie Cheung Mimi Chu Iqram Dinzly Mamat Khalid Peter Pek Afdlin Shauki Patrick Teoh Dato' Michelle Yeoh Rashidi Ishak

Adibah Noor Shila Ning Baizura, Francissca Peter

Choong Tan Fook Lee Wan Wah Cheah Soon Kit Wong Pei Tty Wong Mew Choo

David Ho Sue San of Hovid Berhad & Carotech Berhad Lee Loy Seng (founder of Kuala Lumpure Keping Berhad) Lee Oi Hian (current CEO of Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd, eldest son of Lee Loy Seng) Lim A. Heng of Yee Lee Edible Oil (Red Eagle Oil) 

Ngan Yin (Ngan Yin Hand Brand Groundnut)

Dr. Wong Jeh Shyan prominent venture capitalist and CEO of CommerceNet Singapore Limited

Film and television

Movies filmed in Ipoh include:

Sister cities

Sister cities of Ipoh include:

  • Gallery of panoramic and street view images from Ipoh
  • Ipoh skyline from Casuarina Hotel
    Ipoh skyline from Casuarina Hotel
  • Street view of "Greentown Walk" in New Town, overlooking Syuen Hotel near Greentown
    Street view of "Greentown Walk" in New Town, overlooking Syuen Hotel near Greentown
  • Anglo Chinese School in Ipoh
    Anglo Chinese School in Ipoh
  • Ipoh Railway Station
    Ipoh Railway Station
  • View overlooking Convent School from Ipoh Parade shopping mall in New Town
    View overlooking Convent School from Ipoh Parade shopping mall in New Town
  • The Lang Mountains in Ipoh
    The Lang Mountains in Ipoh
  • Ipoh Shops
    Ipoh Shops
  • Kellie's Castle
    Kellie's Castle
  • HSBC Ipoh branch, the oldest operating bank in Ipoh
    HSBC Ipoh branch, the oldest operating bank in Ipoh
  • Ipoh Old Town, partially overlooking Ipoh Padang
    Ipoh Old Town, partially overlooking Ipoh Padang

Climate

Ipoh features a tropical rainforest climate. Temperatures show little variation throughout the year. The city's average temperature is 27 degrees Celsius. Ipoh sees high precipitation throughout the year, averaging 2340 mm of rain per year. The wettest month is November where on average 320 mm of rain is seen. Ipoh's driest month is February which sees 70 mm of rain fall on average.

Climate data for Ipoh
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 35
(95) 		36
(97) 		36
(97) 		37
(99) 		40
(104) 		36
(97) 		38
(100) 		42
(108) 		35
(95) 		35
(95) 		34
(93) 		35
(95) 		42
(108)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 32
(90) 		33
(91) 		33
(91) 		33
(91) 		33
(91) 		33
(91) 		32
(90) 		32
(90) 		32
(90) 		31
(88) 		31
(88) 		31
(88) 		32
(90)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72)
Record low °C (°F) 17
(63) 		17
(63) 		17
(63) 		20
(68) 		21
(70) 		21
(70) 		20
(68) 		20
(68) 		20
(68) 		20
(68) 		20
(68) 		18
(64) 		17
(63)
Average precipitation cm (inches) 20
(7.9) 		7
(2.8) 		19
(7.5) 		21
(8.3) 		15
(5.9) 		9
(3.5) 		18
(7.1) 		17
(6.7) 		22
(8.7) 		27
(11) 		32
(13) 		22
(8.7) 		234
(92)
Source: Weatherbase[20]


See also

References

  1. ^ Seremban Urban Area
  2. ^ http://ipohtown.blogspot.com/2008/07/do-you-know.html
  3. ^ http://imagesofipoh.blogspot.com/2011/03/old-fire-bridgate.html
  4. ^ http://www.ipohworld.org/blog/?p=762
  5. ^ Khoo Salma Nasution & Abdur-Razzaq Lubis, Kinta Valley: Pioneering Malaysia's Modern Development, Ipoh: Perak Academy, 2005. pp. 273–292
  6. ^ http://www.ipohworld.org/blog/?p=762
  7. ^ http://www.malaysiahotelreview.com/perak/destination/limestone-hill.shtml
  8. ^ Jacq-Hergoualc'h, Michel (2002). The Malay Peninsula: Crossroads of the Maritime Silk Road (100 BC - 1300 AD). BRILL. ISBN 90-04-11973-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. ^ Caves and Limestone Hills of Malaysia. http://www.cavesofmalaysia.com
  10. ^ http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/7/5/north/21746905&sec=North
  11. ^ http://temanpetunjuk.blogspot.com/2009/02/analisa-dewan-undangan-negeri-dun-perak.html
  12. ^ World Gazetteer statistics
  13. ^ Helders, Stefan. "Malaysia: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World Gazetteer. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  14. ^ Ipoh City Hall portal. http://portal.mbi.gov.my/gis_baru/penduduk.html
  15. ^ Ipoh City Hall FAQ. http://www.mbi.gov.my/portal2/government/faq/faq.htm
  16. ^ http://www.cockatoo.com/malaysia/e-06pera/em-per27.htm
  17. ^ http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/35112-firefly-suspends-singapore-malacca-route-
  18. ^ Sister City Exchange
  19. ^ Sister Cities
  20. ^ http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=52684%7Caccessdate=25 June 2010
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