Taiping, Perak
| Taiping | |||
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| City | |||
| Bandar Taiping Taiping Town 太平 تاءيڤيڠ |
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Kota Road at night
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| Nickname(s): The Rain Town, The Heritage Town | |||
 Taiping
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| Coordinates: 4°51′N 100°44′E / 4.850°N 100.733°ECoordinates: 4°51′N 100°44′E / 4.850°N 100.733°E | |||
| Country | Malaysia | ||
| State | Perak | ||
| Languages | Bahasa Malaysia, English, Hokkien | ||
| Established | 1874 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Municipality | ||
| • District Officer | Harun Bin Rawi [2] | ||
| • Mayor | Tuan Omor Bin Saad [3] | ||
| • Member of Parliament | YB Nga Kor Ming (DAP) [4] | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 186.46 km2 (71.99 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2011) | |||
| • Total | 217,647 [5] | ||
| • Density | 1,025/km2 (2,654/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC+8) | ||
| Postal code | 34xxx | ||
| Area code(s) | 05 | ||
| Website | www.mptaiping.gov.my | ||
Taiping (Chinese pronunciation: /tʰaɪ̯⁵¹piŋ/; Malay pronunciation: /taipeŋ/)(Chinese: 太平, Tàipíng; Jawi: تاءيڤيڠ, Ta'iping) is a town located in Larut, Matang and Selama District, Perak, Malaysia. With a population of 217,647 (in 2011), it is the second largest town in Perak after Ipoh, the state capital. Taiping took over Kuala Kangsar's role as the state capital from 1876 to 1937, but was then replaced by Ipoh. Its growth slowed down after that, but in recent years the town has been developing rapidly again. Perak State Museum is located in the town.
Taiping also receives some limelight for being the wettest town in Peninsular Malaysia. The average annual rainfall is about 4,000mm in Taiping while the peninsula's average is 2,000mm – 2,500mm. Its unusual rainfall has also led to a fertile collection of flora and century-old rain trees in the Taiping Lake Gardens.
The area developed quickly in the 19th century when tin was discovered. The mines attracted large numbers of settlers, particularly Chinese. Feuds began between the different groups of Chinese immigrants and became so bitter that in the early 1870s, the British intervened and assumed control of the town. Taiping was the capital for the districts of Larut, Matang and Selama in Perak. Before 1937, Taiping was the capital of the state of Perak and the centre of a long and drawn out war resulting in a change of rulership for the state. Taiping used to be known as Klian Pauh – Klian meaning mine while Pauh is a type of small mango.
Long Jaafar has been historically credited with the discovery of tin in Larut in 1848. According to legend, Long Jaafar had an elephant named Larut and he used to take this elephant with him when journeying between Bukit Gantang and Lubok Merbau. One day the elephant went missing and when the elephant was eventually found three days later Long Jaafar noticed tin ore embedded in the mud that was on the elephant's legs. It is said that this was how Larut got its name.
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Wikipedia