Historical town boasts of many firsts

5 AUGUST 2014 @ 8:01 AM

Diana Yeoh streets@nst.com.my

TAIPING: THE Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) has lined up interesting events until the end of the year to promote the landmarks and historical places here.

Its Tourism and Media Welfare Department head, Hanim Ramly, said the calendar of events designed for Taiping includes a Taiping Zoo Carnival (Sept 13-21), 57th Merdeka celebration (Sept 6), Activity @ Library (Sept 6), Perak Museum Exhibition Carnival (Sept 12-14), Art & Craft Carnival (Sept 13-14), Taiping Peaceful Carnival (Sept 19-21), Peaceful Cycle (Sept 21), Baba & Nyonya Nite (Oct 12), Taiping Raptor Watch (Oct 26), Exotic Orchid Show (Nov 9), Heritage Ride & Walk Treasure Hunt (Nov 30) and Airshow Festival (Dec 12-14).

It is part of the council’s effort of promoting The Town of Everlasting Peace as a Heritage Tourism Town.

MPT recently recorded its “33 Firsts in Taiping” which is a showcase of the best heritage places recommended for travellers visiting the town.

The list of the 33 places are printed on the council’s Taiping Tourism Calendar of Events 2014 brochure, obtainable from the council office itself.

Among the historical places are — Taiping Town (1874), Assistant Resident Residency (1875), Roman Catholic Church (1875), Town Rest House (1879), Maxwell Hill (1879), Goal/Prison (1879), Clock Tower (1881), Market (1884), Lake Garden (1884), Railway (1885), Port Weld (1885), Perak Museum (1886), War Cementery (1947) and Night Safari Zoo (2003).

MPT president Datuk Abd Rahim Md Ariff said the calendar of events was to promote Taiping as a heritage town highlighting its places of interest.

“This calendar of events is now into its second phase. We have selected the best 33 out of 100 historical places in Taiping for Visit Malaysia Year 2014,” said Rahim, adding that the first phase which started in January ended in June.

“We carefully chose the first 33 places based on criteria such as strong historical background, age and popularity with the tourists,” he said.

Rahim said the state government, through the state Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi, had allocated RM60,000 to MPT to kickstart the calendar of events.

The money was used, among others, for printing the brochures which were distributed to hotels and tourists.

Rahim said the calendar of events is a mock-up of its upcoming Taiping Heritage Trail 2015.

The Taiping Heritage Trail 2015, incorporates the routes leading to the 33 historical places, which will be unveiled next year.

“We will be upgrading the roads to cater for the trail, put up signboards, lamp posts, cycling tracks, police beats, ample parking areas and an information kiosk.”

He added that the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) would be funding RM2.9 million for the upcoming heritage trail.