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Ipoh

Ipoh (latitude 4.60°N, longitude 101.07°E) is a city in Malaysia, the capital city of the Perak state, located to the north of Kuala Lumpur. It takes approximately 2 hours to drive to Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur with a distance of approximately 200 km (125 miles).

The name Ipoh originated from a local tree known as the pokok ipoh. This particular plant is known for its tree sap which is poisonous and is used by the orang asli in their blowdarts.

Ipoh is located in the rich tin bearing valley of the Kinta river. It grew up as a mining town. For that reason, Ipoh's growth has stagnated ever since the development of the country and the closure of the tin mines, causing emigration to other parts of Malaysia, particularly Kuala Lumpur. In spite of this, Ipoh still remains one of Malaysia's largest cities, with a population of 637,200 (2004) and urban area population of 798,800 (2004), placing it in the top five cities in Malaysia by population.

Ipoh is famous for its fruits and nuts. (Pomeloes, peanuts and durians from the Ipoh area are famous throughout Malaysia). Ipoh is also famous for its cuisine. Natives claim that the water in the area, which is relatively hard due to Ipoh being located amongst a large karstic formation, makes the food especially tasty. Famous examples of Ipoh food are Ipoh chicken rice or "tauge ayam", which consists of chicken meat, assorted chicken innards and beansprouts boiled in the abovementioned hard water and served with soy sauce and sesame oil; and "Ipoh Sar Hor Fun", which are rice noodles prepared in the hard water and served in a clear chicken and prawn soup with chicken shreds, prawns and spring onions.

Famous attractions in Ipoh include Kellie's Castle, which is the deserted mansion of an eccentric English planter half an hour's drive from Ipoh city centre. Its main appeal lies in the belief that it is haunted and that secret passages leading to hidden chambers exist. Another sight worth seeing is the Sam Po Tong temple, which is a Chinese temple built within a gigantic limestone cave. Its sister temple, Perak Tong, has a steep, tall staircase in the interior of the cave rising up to the top of its hill where one is greeted by a panoramic view of Ipoh and its surroundings.

One of Ipoh's most famous natives is actress Dato' Michelle Yeoh, who acted in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. Also the Hong Kong actress Angie Cheung Wai Yee was also born in Ipoh.

Today, Ipoh has developed significantly. The Greentown area near the City Council is fast becoming an entertainment hotspot with the construction of the Greentown Business Center, where restaurants and cafes are abundant. Ipoh's very own 'Bangsar' (akin to Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur) is located in Ipoh Garden, and is one of the famous places for its nightspots.

External links

  • All Malaysia.info http://allmalaysia.info/news/attraction.asp?id=563&pt=4
  • Ipoh Online http://www.ipoh.com.my/
  • Ipoh - The Chinese Food Haven! http://www.thingsasian.com/goto_article/article.2580.html
  • Ipoh - Food in the city http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MC_ipohfood.htm



Last updated: 01-28-2005 08:30:10
Last updated: 03-18-2005 11:16:12