About Taiping

As readers of my blog know, I love Taiping and I have written many posts about what I consider to be my 2nd hometown.

They will also have noticed that I can be quite critical about Taiping, Bandar Warisan (Heritage Town).

Before I write a blog about my last visit to Taiping, it may be good to report here about the opinion of others..:-)

In January and February 2018, the Malaysian television channel Astro Awani has aired six episodes of a documentary about Taiping, brought by the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority and the Taiping Municipal Council.

I missed the broadcast last year, but discovered later that all episodes are available as YouTube videos. You find them below.
When you click on an episode, you get the full version (each about 25 minutes), including an intro and with several breaks between the different topics. You can also view each of the topics in that episode (click on the start time)

Altogether almost 50 topics, a lot of variety. And everything very positive 😉

Episode 1

  • Trong Leisure Farm & Resort 2:20
  • Ethno Valley Resort, Bukit Gantang 6:00
  • Antong Coffee Mill 8:40
  • Taiping Lake Gardens 11:50
  • Doli Kuay Teow Goreng 16:30
  • Spritzer Eco Park 18:10
  • Trong Hot Spring 19:50

Episode 2

  • Kampung Sempeneh, rock climbing & bat cave Batu, Kurau 1:55
  • Kelulut Honey Farm, Jelai 7:55
  • Mee Udang Banjir Mak Teh, Kuala Sepetang 11:00
  • Matang Museum 12:50
  • Matang Mangrove Eco-educational Centre 16:10
  • Kuala Sangga Fishing Village 22:25

Episode 3

  • Kuala Sepetang Charcoal Factory 2:05
  • Ansari Famous Cendol 5:45
  • Batu Kurau Fruit Farm 7:40
  • Kampung Anak Kurau, Bertam weaving 9:15
  • Kampung Dew Firefly Jetty 11:10
  • Fadzil House restaurant, Pokok Assam 15:00
  • Burmese Pool 16:35
  • Ulu Tupai Nature Retreat 20:05

Episode 4

  • Zoo Taiping 2:55
  • Mergastua Restaurant (Zoo) 6:35
  • Night Safari 7:25
  • Gate Cafe, Taiping 10:15
  • Bukit Larut 12:20
  • Nafis Kitchen restaurant, Taiping 15:50
  • D’Muhibbah Nasi Lemak 18:35
  • ATV Adventure Park Larut 19:00

Episode 5

  • Taiping Heritage Trail 1:50
  • Oasis Restaurant, Assam Kumbang 9:50
  • Taiping Prison Gallery 12:05
  • Little India 14:35
  • Tai Sian Hoot Temple 15:20
  • Indian Muslim Mosque 15:50
  • Tanuntaya Batik, Assam Kumbang 16:55
  • Raintown Brother Western restaurant, Kamunting 19:40
  • Cross Street Bazaar 21:05

Episode 6

  • Pesta Taiping 1:55
  • Warisan Anak Utura (pottery), Changkat Jering 4:20
  • The Train restaurant, Taiping 7:20
  • Taiping Street Art 9:20
  • The Greenhouse restaurant, Taiping 10:00
  • Perak Museum 10:55
  • 5D Art Paradise 14:25
  • Locs & Thyme restaurant 17:15
  • Coronation Swimming Pool 20:14

I have decided not to give my opinion about the documentary, but I invite my readers, and especially the Taipingites among them, to send comments to this blog. Some comments have already been given on YouTube.

I came across these YouTube videos, after I read a few months ago in the New Straits: Times: Taiping makes it to 2018 Top 100 Sustainable Destinations . Probably I was not the only one who was surprised. Taiping a sustainable destination, even belonging to the top 100 in the world?

I searched for more information and found this list:

And here is a world map with (in green) the 2018 top 100 selection and (in purple) the 2019 top 100 selection. It looks like each year there is a new top 100!

This map and the list come from the Sustainable Destinations Top 100 website. When you click on this site the green circle for Taiping, you get a webpage about Taiping with this text:

Perak’s second-largest town is defined by water and greenery. Locals laud it as the ‘City of Peace’ for trailblazing Malaysia’s first museum, first railway and first newspapers in English, Malay and Tamil. But it’s Taiping’s ‘Rain City’ title that has stuck. Taiping has the biggest volume of rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia: all the better for its verdant lake gardens (and the pastime of ‘rain betting’, where locals take a punt on what time downpours will start and stop).

Taiping is a tourism destination with elements of nature such as mountains, waterfall and wildlife. Taiping is popular with the beauty of flora and fauna that attract tourist. Taiping always gets the most frequent rainfall catchment that is near 320 days per year.

Taiping’s nature welcomes wildlife and lush plants. The beauty of the nature is able to give a feels of relaxation to the tourists that come to Taiping. Tourists can enjoy the beauty of Lotus Flower in the lake and other plants around the garden.

The page contains four photos (Raintree Walk, Perak Museum, Lake Gardens and the former First Galleria, now the Municipal Gallery) and a video, the first episode of Discover Taiping. That’s how I got to know about the Astro Awani documentary 😉

Not only did Taiping make it to the 2018 Top 100 Sustainable Destinations, here is an article from the STAR, 7 March 2019: Taiping is No 3 most sustainable city in the world :

Taiping was placed third, behind Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, and Vancouver, Canada in the “Best of Cities” category, which awards cities that show leadership in urban sustainability and in avoiding disruptive over-tourism.

The awards were presented at the ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism trade fair.

Here is part of the (long) awards list. The whole list can be found here. No idea why for the Best Of Cities award, only Ljubljana is mentioned and not the no. 2 and 3, Vancouver and Taiping.

Here is the presentation of the rewards to representatives of Ljubljana and Taiping.

Also here I will refrain from giving my opinion. Comments are welcome

3 thoughts on “About Taiping

  1. Be careful what you wish for! The run offs from Maxwell’s hill provide the town’s drinking water, waters the green lake gardens and eventually make it to the various river mouths where our mangrove forests are the best managed which is also the source of fresh seafood. Any disruption caused by sullied waters from construction will have a domino effect on the tourism industry of the town and the lives of local residents

Leave a Reply to Francis Lee Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *