Known for its historical sites and memorable events,Taiping held two exciting and interesting programmes last year that were not only beneficial but also fun for the public.
Preserving Trees
First, there was the Raintree Walk, held in December 20 last year by the Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) where one public road in Taiping Lake Garden was closed permanently to vehicular traffic in an effort to save the centuries-old trees that are scattered along the 630m road.
Jalan Pekeliling housed over 31 trees, commonly known as Pukul Lima trees and were first planted back in 1898 in the era of R. Derry, the officer who was in charge of the government parks. What’s interesting about these trees is that they provide a rather unique canopy cover and their branches have slowly reached over towards the lake.
During the event Datuk Abdul Rahim Md Ariff, the president of MPT said that this road will be the first in Taiping to be declared as a car-free zone.
“We have received more than 700,000 visitors to the Taiping Zoo and Night Safari every year. Since it is located near these trees, The Raintree Walk will be another attraction for them to walk around,” said Rahim. He then added that the road closure will not have any effect on the traffic flow since they do have another alternative road beside Jalan Pekeliling which is Jalan Samanea Saman.
Larut British Malaya
Another interesting event was held a week later where it received over 60,000 visitors in just five days thanks to the unique exhibition that was held in conjunction with Visit Perak Visit 2017. The Larut British Malaya was held in Taiping on December 25 and was organised by Syaeba Pictures Sdn Bhd at Cross Street No. 2, Jalan Kota.
The five-day event was filled with various activities such as the District Tourism Market, International Explorace From Taiping With Love, International Mangrove Photography and International Heritage Costume. Cross Street was decorated with props of how the 80s used to look: old shops, locals wearing traditional clothes and playing traditional games. The event director, Hilal Azman who was also an actor, decided to hold the event to showcase the life back in the 80s and let the public see beautiful cultures, fashion and more.
“Together with my team, we decided to have the event in Taiping since many great things were first started in Taiping. For example, the first railway opened in Taiping back in 1885 where it connected Taiping and Port Weld. The Taiping Prison is also the first and the oldest prison in Tanah Melayu. Taiping is also one of the oldest cities in Malaysia,” said Hilal.
According to Hilal, the programme was also held as one of the closing events for Visit Perak Year, giving some sweet memories for everyone who paid a visit.
Ili Aqilah
