Gopeng
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gopeng is a small town about 20 km south of Ipoh, which is the state capital of Perak in Malaysia. The town, along with a stretch of North-South Expressway, between Tapah and Gopeng is one of the most picturesque areas on the west side of Peninsular Malaysia. Gopeng is also well-known for a limestone cave, Gua Tempurung. The cave is located 5 km from the town centre. Gua Tempurung has become a popular weekend getaway for many local and overseas visitors.
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[edit] Town layout
In the central area of Gopeng, there is an old bus station. There are mosques, Buddhist temples, Hindu temples and a Sikh temple located near each other. The Gopeng Police Station is located near the Gopeng Post Office and a field. This area is considered the central area of Gopeng since the field is essential for the locals for various occasions, especially for local soccer matches and other special events. Central Gopeng is filled with old pre-war shophouses which are extremely valuable for conservation and perhaps tourist attractions.
[edit] Demographics
More than half of Gopeng's population is Chinese (i.e., about 60%). The once booming tin mining industry attracted many Chinese immigrants to live and work in Gopeng. There are also significant numbers of people of Indian descent (mainly Tamil), Malay and Orang Asli (Peninsular Malaysia's indigenous people) living in Gopeng.
It is estimated that about 100,000 people live in Gopeng.
Among the main settlements in Gopeng are:
- Kopisan Baru
- Lawan Kuda Baru
- Taman Kinta
- Taman Gopeng Baru
- Kampung Tersusun Kampung Pulai
- Kampung Tersusun Gopeng
- Desa Lawan Kuda
- Kampung Jahang
- Kampung Jelintoh
- Kampung Sungai Itek
- Kampung Pintu Padang
- Kampung Gunung Mesah Hulu
- Kampung Gunung Mesah Hilir
- Kota Baru Estate (a small railway station town)
- Kampung Gunung Panjang
Most of these settlements are located along the prominent, straight and long Jalan Gopeng connecting Ipoh to the north and Kampar to the south. Some of the villages are located away from the main road but are still accessible by various types of vehicles.
[edit] Education
Gopeng has several schools such as:
- SK Gunung Panjang Gopeng
- SRK Gopeng Jalan Ilmu (Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Gopeng Jalan Ilmu)
- SRK Gopeng (Sekolah Kebangsaan Gopeng)
- SRK Sungai Itek (Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Sungai Itek)
- SRJK(C) Man Ming Gopeng (Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Man Ming Gopeng)
- SRJK(C) New Kopisan Gopeng (Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina New Kopisan Gopeng)
- SRJK(T) Gopeng (Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Gopeng)
- SMK Idris Shah Gopeng (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Idris Shah Gopeng)
- SMK Sri Teja Gopeng (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sri Teja Gopeng)
- SBPI Gopeng (Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Intergrasi Gopeng)
There is a matriculation college, Kolej Matrikulasi Perak (KMP), located near the small town of Kota Baru Station, in the outskirt of central Gopeng. Located on a small hill in an oil palm estate, KMP is well known for its breathtaking scenery overlooking the Titiwangsa Mountains and numerous limestone hills especially on a clear day.
[edit] Famous residents
- Dr Sun Yat Sen, the leader of the historic Chinese revolutionary leader, stayed in Gopeng briefly during the period 1909-1911.
- Mr. Eu Kong Pui (1853-1892), founder of the traditional Chinese herbal medicine under the title of "Eu Yan Sang"
- Mohammad Nor Khalid, also known as Lat, is a famous Malaysian cartoonist. He was born in the small village of Kota Baru, (not the state capital of Kelantan) on 5 March 1951. Most of his cartoons portray the daily life of Malaysians in various perspectives and are published in mainstream newspapers such as the New Straits Times. One of his famous Kampung Boy books was published by the French. Kampung Boy was also adapted into an animated series on local and international television.
- Rashid Maidin was born on October 10, 1917 in Kampung Gunung Mesah Hilir, Gopeng. He was one of the senior leaders in the Malayan Communist Party during the Second World War. He died at the age of 89 on September 1, 2006 in Sisakoin, Narathiwat, Thailand.
[edit] External links
- Some history related to Gopeng
- Gua Tempurung - Weekend Escape in Gopeng
- My Gopeng Resort - Adventure And Holiday in Gopeng
