Ipoh

Introducing Ipoh

Ipoh, which takes its name from the poison­ous ipoh tree (Antiaris Toxicaria) which once grew in profusion here, was established in the 1870s and quickly made its fortune from the rich tin mine of the Kinta valley; the city’s elegant mansions testify to the success of many Chinese miners. Today, the ‘Bougainvillea City’, as it calls itself, is one of the largest cities in Malaysia, but it’s not quite as bustling as its size might indicate, and has retained many of its historic buildings.

For the visitor, Ipoh is mainly a transit town, a place where you change buses if you’re heading for Pulau Pangkor or the Cameron Highlands. However, the grand colonial architecture of the ‘Old Town’ west of the Sungai Kinta (Kinta River) is well worth exploring and gives a good impression of just how wealthy and important this city once was.

At the end of the 19th century, the city expanded east over the river into the ‘New Town’, which, with its chaotic traffic and mix of crumbling Chinese shophouses and ugly modern blocks, holds less appeal. This is a generally dingy part of town, with a notorious prostitution problem and no real attractions. However, for those who do decide to stay longer, Ipoh makes the perfect base for discovering outlying sights such as the Buddhist cave temples, the royal town of Kuala Kangsar and Kellie’s Castle.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009