MCA division giving old tin mine town a boost by promoting 20 tourist attractions
By FOONG THIM LENG
Tuesday April 12, 2011
GOPENG in Perak is fast becoming a tourist destination in the Kinta Valley with its heritage, cuisine and eco-tourism attractions developed by the locals themselves.
Serene environment: Visit an orang asli village in Ulu Geroh
In support of their efforts, the Gopeng MCA division is hoping to promote at least 20 tourist attractions in the parliamentary constituency with the aim of helping the town to regain its past glory.
Division chairman Albert Chang said the promotion would include holding photography competitions, producing a documentary, distributing calendars, organising heritage walks and food festivals, and publicity through the media.
“Gopeng, which was founded before Ipoh, was once the richest tin mining town in the country and has a rich history involving personalities like Eu Tong Sen and his father Eu Kong who started the Eu Yang Sang Chinese Medical Hall here.
Historical monument : Kellie's Castle is an unfinished mansion built by Scottish planter for his wife
“The town’s fame even attracted Dr Sun Yat Sen who made a visit to raise money for his revolution in China,” he added.
Chang, who is also Gopeng Barisan Nasional co-ordinator, said the town’s 160-year history was documented at the Gopeng Museum and visitors could visit the Heritage House in nearby Jalan Sungai Itek to see how locals lived when Gopeng was the richest tin mining town in the country.
He said eco-tourism had become popular and several resorts and homestay facilities had started in the town and the serene and natural environment in Ulu Geroh .
“Ulu Geroh is the home of the rafflesia, the world’s largest flower, and the Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing, an endangered butterfly species.
“Visitors can enjoy the greenery or visit the orang asli villages in the jungle to taste the wild durians when they are in season.
Refreshing dip: A hot spring near a stream found off the Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands road
“The latest attraction in Ulu Geroh is the gaharu farm surrounded by an 8km-long wall resembling the Great Wall of China,” he said.
The more adventurous can go for cave exploration at Gua Kandu and Gua Tempurong, or white water rafting along Sungai Kampar which some visitors said was more exciting than anything they had experienced before because of the steep terrain and number of rapids they had to overcome.
Chang said Lawan Kuda was another attraction with over 200 farms rearing several species of colourful and popular fishes such as goldfish, angel fish, koi and carps.
He said several cave temples including the Sam Poh Tong, Kek Look Tong, Nam Tien Toong and Kwong Foo Ngam and the Gopeng Kwan Yin temple were also being promoted.
“Other attractions to be promoted are the Kinta Nature Park with the largest heronry in the country, the waterfalls and hot spring found near the Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands road, Kellie’s Castle, an unfinished mansion built by Scottish planter William Kellie Smith for his wife in 1915, the Herbal Park and the Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort.
“Food and fruits famous in the constituency like the Gopeng rice noodle, wildlife meat, petai, Gunong Rapat heong peah (biscuit with caramel filling) and the juicy pomeloes in Ampang will also draw in visitors,” he said.
Once this town was bustling with tin miners and locals who busied themselves with the great tin mining industry of Malaysia until the collapse of the tin empire in 1980s.
According to locals, there were once French, British and local tin mining companies deve-loping tin mining industry there.
Among them was Osbourne & Chappel, which opened in one of Gopeng’s rich tin mines.
People started to move out and seek better opportunities in neighbouring towns and cities soon after the tin collapse of the 1980s. -- The Star Metro
RSS Feed
0 comments:
Post a Comment