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Ipoh Sights and Landmarks Guide, Malaysia

Ipoh is the capital city of Perak, Malaysia and has been located around 200 km north of Kualalumpur via North-South Expressway. The New Town and Old Town of Ipoh have been two different Ipoh parts separated by the Kinta River. Most old day pre-WWII heritage buildings, shop houses and government buildings have been located in Old Town and New Town comprises of areas formerly developed by Tet Shin, which stretches all the way from Greentown to Kinta River. There are new shops, shopping malls, housing estates and buildings in the New Town area.

The D.R. Seenivasagam Park, formerly known as Coronation Park, has been situated in New Town and has been popular for its recreational facilities and scenic beauty. The park boasts of many recreational fields, a nursery area for the potted plants, a traffic playground for children and a man-made lake with several types of fishes. There are beautiful arches, shelters, modular framework, pedestrian paths and an Ipoh tree which gives its name to the city. The recent addition is a newly landscaped garden which features typical carp pond from Japan. The variety of flora and its fresh atmosphere are some of the major attractions of the park.

St. Michael’s Institution situated along the Clayton Road is an architectural building. During Japanese occupation in WWII, this school building became the administration headquarters of Japan in Ipoh. The Train Station of Ipoh has elements of Gothic and Moorish architecture and is another popular landmark of the city. Many old day shop houses along the Leech Street still maintain the architectural significance, apart from being a famous spot for drinks and food. Among others, the New Town also houses Ipoh City Hall Building and Perk Medical University.

There are several limestone caves in Ipoh that are formed due to karstic formation around the city. Sam Po Tong Temple has been a Chinese temple constructed within one of the limestone caves. An outside pond houses several tortoises and its sister temple, the Perak Tong, has a tall and steep staircase in the cave’s interior. The staircase rises up to the hill’s top where one can have a panoramic sight of the city of Ipoh and its surrounding areas. The Buddha statue of Perak Tong was the largest and tallest in Malaysia and both the temples serve decent vegetarian cuisine. Another sight that a traveler must see is Kek Lok Tong which is a caves temple lying on the opposite side of Sam Poh Tong.

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