Ipoh
Known as the city that tin built, Ipoh, the capital of Perak is a picturesque City of the past and present. Grand buildings once ocupied by the city founders are a reminder of Ipoh's early days. The name "Ipoh" comes from the "Epau" tree, a colossal jungle tree that used to be very common in the area.
From a pioneering tin mining town in the 1870's, Ipoh grows to become the commercial hub of the Kinta Valley and a crossroad for road, rail and river transport. A predominantly Chinese town, Ipoh's heritage bears testimony to the early Chinese miners, Malay aristocrats, European engineers and planters, Ceylonese printers, Indian railway builders, Sikh and Pathan police and soldiers who all played a role in the development of Ipoh.
The city of Ipoh is surrounded by what can only be described as awe-inspiring limestone outcrops and caves. Many of these caves house Buddhist temples and Hindu religious shrines. The "Perak Tong" just 6 Km north of Ipoh is actually a Buddhist temple found within the huge Gunung Tasik cavern. Built in 1926, it houses over 40 Buddha statues, the largest being a sitting Buddha 13 meters high. A passage behind the main altar leads to the cave interior where a steep climb up 385 steps brings one to an opening at the top, providing spectacular views of the surrounding countriside.
Ipoh is also the "Food capital" of Perak. There is an astonishing variety of eating places. Malay, Chinese and Indian food, abound but Thai, Japanese, Korean and Western food are easily available. Early Chinese workers brought their cooking styles with them and introduced noodles, bean sprouts, bean curd and soy sauce. Two of the most popular Chinese dishes are Hainanese Chicken rice and Hor Fun, flat rice noodles served in a soup with shredded chicken, bean sprouts and shallots.