The first market built in Taiping was in 1884 and 1885. Due to the rapid growth of population in the town, there were more markets that mushroomed around the town to provide basic facilities to the folks. Below are the major markets that were constructed in 1884 until the late 1960s.
Located at the commercial town center at the Market Square, there are two markets that built separately and separated by the Kota Road. The Old Market was built in 1884 and the New Market in 1885. Both buildings stood 220 feet in length and 60 feet in width. The buildings were built with timber pillars, concrete slab and iron roof. [1] There was an iron fountain donated by Mr Ng Boo Bee that originally stood in front of the market, many years later it was removed and replaced with a simple concrete clock tower. These markets served two different functions, one as a dry market and the other as a wet market. During the heyday, these markets were stocked with fresh vegetables, fish and meats, almost everything was available from here. The price for all goods was controlled by the government according to a report made by Sir Frank Swettenham when he served as the Acting Resident of Perak in 1884 until 1886. [2] Sir Frank Swettenham also acted as the man who responsible for the establishment of the markets, he suggested to the then British Resident of Perak, Sir Hugh Low that a market was needed as the population growth of the town was drastic. Eventually the proposal was granted, in Sir Hugh Low’s journal was written that, "the town has a good model for others, with a well maintained market for the public use". In 2023 the Local Government Development Minister, Ngo Kor Ming, announced that funds would be allocated for the restoration of the market which had suffered 'severe damage to the wooden structure', and that it would be designated as Malaysia's first national heritage market. [3]
The Pokok Assam Market is located at the New Village (Kampong Bahru) of Pokok Assam. This concrete structure market was built in 1956. This market was built to accommodate the non-Malay communities only. [ citation needed ]
This concrete structure market was constructed in 1965.
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The Federated Malay States was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula - Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang - established by the British government in 1895, which lasted until 1946, when they, together with two of the former Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay States, formed the Malayan Union. Two years later, the Union became the Federation of Malaya, which achieved independence in 1957, and finally Malaysia in 1963 with the inclusion of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore.
Gopeng is a town located in Mukim Teja, Kampar District, Perak, Malaysia. It is situated approximately 20 km (12 mi) south of Ipoh, the state capital.
The Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was a treaty signed between Great Britain and the Sultan of Perak on 20 January 1874, on the Colonial Steamer Pluto, off the coast of Perak. The treaty is significant in the history of the Malay states as it legitimised British control of the Malay rulers and paved the way for British imperialism in Malaya. It was the result of a multi-day conference organised by Andrew Clarke, the Governor of the Straits Settlements, to solve two problems: the Larut War, and Sultanship in Perak.
Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham was a British colonial administrator who became the first Resident general of the Federated Malay States, which brought the Malay states of Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang together under the administration of a Resident-General based in Kuala Lumpur. He served from 1 July 1896 to 4 November 1901. He was also an amateur painter, photographer and antique collector.
Taiping is a town located in Larut, Matang and Selama District, Perak, Malaysia. It is located approximately 48 km (30 mi) northwest of Ipoh, the capital of Perak, and 78 km (48 mi) southeast of George Town, Penang. With a population of 245,182, it is the second largest town in Perak after Ipoh, the state capital.
Sir Hugh Low, was a British colonial administrator and naturalist. After a long residence in various colonial roles in Labuan, he was appointed as British administrator in the Malay Peninsula where he made the first trials of Hevea rubber in the region. He is often considered the first successful British administrator in the region, whose methods became models for subsequent British colonial operation in the entire South East Asia Region.
Khoo Kay Kim was a Malaysian historian and academic of Chinese descent. He was honoured with Emeritus Professor title by the University of Malaya in 2001. In January 2011, Khoo was appointed Chancellor of KDU University College.
Kapitan China Chung Keng Quee was the founder and administrator of modern Taiping in Perak, Malaysia. Appointed "Capitan China" by the British in 1877, he was a millionaire philanthropist and known as an innovator in the mining of tin. He was involved in many other industries including farming, pawnbroking and logging. He was respected by both Chinese and European communities in the early colonial settlement. His survival in the chaotic era owes much to his standing as leader of the Hai San, a Chinese secret society in British Malaya during the time of the Larut Wars (1862–73). a position he is said to have held till early 1884 although in all probability he continued to remain a leading member. The old fort at Teluk Batu was built by him to safeguard the mine that he opened there. He was a member of the Commission for the Pacification of Larut and sat as one of six members of the Advisory Perak State Council appointed by the British. Commenting on the role of the Perak Council, Richard James Wilkinson wrote,
"It is for the reader, in the light of subsequent events, to judge how far the Councillors were right or wrong, and to see for himself who really did the pioneer work of building up the prosperity of Perak. In the published accounts of British rule in Malaya, sufficient prominence has not always been given to the efforts of these early pioneers; the reaper, intent on his own work, is apt to forget the man who sowed. These Council Minutes are the record of the work of the sowers. A study of that record will show how much the State owes to Sir Hugh Low and to his fellow-Councillors, especially Raja Dris, Sir William Maxwell, and the Chinese towkays, Ah Kwi [Chung Keng Quee] and Ah Yam."
Perak Turf Club is the major Thoroughbred horse racing facility in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. The Club is a part of the Malayan Racing Association. The Perak Turf Club was established in 1884; it was the first exclusive turf club ever built in Perak. The establishment of the Perak Turf Club at Taiping was the idea of Sir Frank Swettenham, who was passionate about horse racing. The new race course was located at Waterfall Road, later changed to Race Course Road, near the Lake Gardens. It held ordinary racing in the Federated Malay States—the major tournaments held at Penang, Selangor or Singapore. In 1906, it had a membership of about 250. The present course is at Waterfall Road, Taiping, which is 7 furlongs in length. There was an old course, situated about three miles away from Taiping, at which the current races were then run. In 1886, Burma ponies provided most of the racing and the meetings were primarily social functions. The turf club was the only club that attracted people of all classes, especially the Chinese, to mingle around, because of the sweepstakes and lotteries, as they preferred to gamble as their favourite pastime. Sir E.W. Birch, a racing enthusiast, would travel to distant Turf Clubs just to join the major tournament, and was crucial to developing racing interest in the area. In 1934, when the importance of Taiping had declined below that of Ipoh, the club was shifted to Ipoh, still bearing the same name.
The Larut Wars were a series of four wars started in July 1861 and ended with the signing of the Pangkor Treaty of 1874. The conflict was fought among local Chinese secret societies over the control of mining areas in Perak which later involved rivalry between Raja Abdullah and Ngah Ibrahim, making it a war of succession.
Aulong is a suburb of Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. This town has an estimated population of 5000, with the majority being Chinese and Malays. The main town centre consists of the old and new villages. There are a few housing estates in the area, including Taman Pertama and Taman Kami. Together with Pokok Assam, Aulong is a "White village", which was created during the Malaya Emergency in the 1950s.
Pokok Assam is a small town in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. It is the second biggest satellite town in Taiping, after Kamunting, with its famous road side fried chicken and Mee Rebus. It has its own post office, basketball court, police station and wet market.
Taiping Aerodrome is an aerodrome in Taiping, Larut, Matang and Selama, Perak, Malaysia. It is located at Jalan Muzaffar Shah formerly Creagh Road, Assam Kumbang and also called Tekah Airstrip. The airport was built in early 1929, this wooden structure aerodrome was the first airfield in the state of Perak and also in Peninsular Malaysia.
The Perak Museum is a public museum located at the junction of Jalan Muzium and Jalan Taming Sari in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. It is the oldest museum in Malaysia and highlights the history of the state.
Convent Taiping is an all-girls school located on Convent Lane in Kota, Taiping. The primary school is one of the 40 Convent primary schools in Malaysia, while the secondary school is one of 30 Convent secondary schools in Malaysia.
Taiping Hospital, formerly known as Yong Wah Hospital, was one of the first hospitals established in Malaysia. Located at Jalan Taming Sari near the commercial town centre, it is one of the biggest hospitals in Malaysia and is the second biggest in the State of Perak. The hospital is strategically situated 80 km from Ipoh and 85 km from Penang and was able to serve the northern states of Malaysia.
The Taiping Lake Gardens is the first public garden established during the British rule in Malaysia. The garden is located near Bukit Larut, and is equidistant to the town centre and the Taiping Zoo.
The Taiping Clubs were sports and recreation clubs that existed in the city of Taiping, Malaysia, during the 1880s. At the time, the city saw significant growth in European as well as Chinese, Indian, Arab, and Indonesian communities, and thus the need for such clubs arose. The following is a non-exhaustive list of these establishments.
The Taiping railway station is a Malaysian train station located at and named after the town of Taiping, Perak.
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Sandilands Frowd Walker, also known as R. S. F. Walker, was a prominent figure in Malaya during the British colonial era in the late 19th century.