Gopeng is a town located in

Mukim Teja A mukim is a type of administrative division used in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The word ''mukim'' is a loanword in English. However, it was also originally a loanword in Malay from the Arabic word: (meaning ''resident''). The cl ...

Kampar District The Kampar District (Kinta South) is a district in Perak, Malaysia. It was a district on 21 May 2009 after the Sultan of Perak declared Kampar the state's 10th district, which is the smaller district in the state. Its local government is Kampar ...

, Perak, Malaysia. It is situated approximately south of Ipoh, the state capital.

History

Gopeng was the most important town in the

Kinta Valley The Kinta Valley is a conurbation in central Perak, Malaysia, surrounding and including the state capital Ipoh. Historically the Kinta Valley was very rich in tin, and their mines have been among the most productive in the world. The valley is ...

until 1890, when Ipoh became more prominent. Gopeng was intensively mined by both European and Chinese miners, the latter having significant

Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...

representation under Chung Keng Kwee, the leader of the

Hai San The Hai San Society (), which had its origins in Southern China,Encyclopædia Britannica was a Penang-based Chinese secret society established around 1820 and in 1825 led by Low, Ah ChongTriad Societies: Western Accounts of the History, Sociolog ...

secret society during the

Larut War The Larut Wars were a series of four wars started in July 1861 and ended with the signing of the Pangkor Treaty of 1874. The conflict was fought among local Chinese secret societies over the control of mining areas in Perak which later involved ...

. He was appointed as the

Kapitan Cina Kapitan Cina, also spelled Kapitan China or Capitan China ( en, Captain of the Chinese; ; nl, Kapitein der Chinezen), was a high-ranking government position in the civil administration of colonial Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo and the ...

after the

Pangkor Treaty The Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was a treaty signed between Great Britain and the Sultan of Perak on 20 January 1874, on the Colonial Steamer Pluto, off the coast of Perak. The treaty is significant in the history of the Malay states as it legitimi ...

, and although his main homes were in

Taiping __NOTOC__ Taiping, Tai-p’ing, or Tai Ping most often refers to: Chinese history * Princess Taiping (died 713), Tang dynasty princess * Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864), civil war in southern China ** Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864), the re ...

and Penang, he maintained his foothold in Gopeng, securing contracts for street lighting there in 1892 as well as building quarters for civil servants thereafter. For the first few decades after British intervention, Gopeng was run by a

tripartite Tripartite means composed of or split into three parts, or refers to three parties. Specifically, it may also refer to any of the following: * 3 (number) * Tripartite language * Tripartite motto * Tripartite System in British education * Triparti ...

; the Europeans, the Chinese led by the Eu family, and the Sumatrans by the Assistant Penghulu Imam Prang Ja Barumun. Gopeng is also one of the first places where large numbers of Orang Asli came into contact with outsiders in the 19th century.

Amenities

* Pejabat Pos Gopeng * Balai Polis Gopeng * Gopeng Fire and Rescue Station * RTC Gopeng * Padang Bandaran Gopeng

Commercial services

* Pasar Awam Gopeng * Medan Purnama * Hup Teck Soy Sauce Factory * Gopeng Light Industrial Park

Transportation

Road network

Gopeng is located on the west side of the North-South Expressway stretch of Tapah-Simpang Pulai. The expressway cuts through the limestone hills and the

Titiwangsa range The Titiwangsa Mountains ( Malay: ''Banjaran Titiwangsa,'' بنجرن تيتيوڠسا, ), also known as ''"Banjaran Besar"'' (Big Range) by locals, is the chain of mountains that forms the backbone of the Malay Peninsula. The northern section o ...

, and Tapah-Gopeng stretch is one of the most scenic routes on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. On clear days, the

Lata Kinjang Lata (Hindi: लता) is a Hindu/Sanskrit Indian female given name, which means "creeper" and "vine". Lata may refer to: Notable people named Lata *Lata Bhatt (born 1954), Indian singer. *Lata (born 1975), Musician. *Lata Mangeshkar (1929–20 ...

waterfall could be seen on the right side of the highway for drivers heading up north to Gopeng.

Bus

* Stesen Bas Gopeng

Education

Primary schools

Vernacular schools

* SJK (C) Man Ming * SJK (C) New Kopisan * SJK (C) Lawan Kuda Baru

National schools

* SK Gopeng Taman Gopeng Baru (previous building now Pusat Giat Mara) * SK Gopeng Jalan Ilmu (previous English School Gopeng) * SK Sungai Itek * SK Ulu Geruntum *Sekolah seks bebas antarabangsa

Secondary schools

* SMK Idris Shah * SMK Seri Teja * Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Gopeng

Tertiary institutions

* Perak Matriculation College * Kolej Komuniti RTC Gopeng * Akademi Kemahiran KEMAS Gopeng

Tourist Attraction

Tempurung Cave Tempurung Cave ( ms, Gua Tempurung) is a cave in Gopeng, Kampar District, Perak, Malaysia, located within the Kinta Valley Geopark. It is popular among spelunkers, or caving enthusiasts. More than 3 km long, it is one of the longest caves in ...

Gopeng Heritage House Gopeng is a town located in Mukim Teja, Kampar District, Perak, Malaysia. It is situated approximately south of Ipoh, the state capital. History Gopeng was the most important town in the Kinta Valley until 1890, when Ipoh became more prominen ...

* Taman Herba Negeri Perak * My Gopeng Resort * Nomad Adventure Sdn Bhd

Notable personalities born in Gopeng

Lat Lat or LAT may refer to: Places * Lat, Fuman, village in Gilan Province, Iran * Lat, Rasht, village in Gilan Province, Iran * Lat, Mazandaran, village in Iran * Lat-e Disar, village in Mazandaran Province, Iran * Lat, Qazvin, village in I ...

- Malaysian cartoonist, winner of the

Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize The is an award established by the city of Fukuoka and the Fukuoka City International Foundation (formerly The Yokatopia Foundation) to honor the outstanding work of individuals or organizations in preserving or creating Asian culture. There are ...

in 2002 * Burhanuddin al-Helmy - Malaysian politician, President of the

Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) The Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS; ms, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia; ms, ڤرتي إسلام سمليسيا, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) is an Islamist political party in Malaysia. As the party focused on Islamic fundamentalism, PAS's ...

from 1956 to his death in October 1969 *

Chew Swee Kee Chew Swee Kee ( zh, c=周瑞麒, p=Zhōu Ruìqí; 15 May 1918 December 1985) was a Singaporean politician. A member of the political party, the Labour Front, Chew served as Minister of Education from 1955 to 1959. Early life Chew was born 15 May ...

- Singaporean politician, served as Minister of Education from 1955 to around 1959 *

Rashid Maidin Rashid Maidin (10 October 1917 – 1 September 2006), sometimes given as Rashid Mahideen, was a senior leader of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM). Personal life He was born in Kampung Gunung Mesah, Gopeng, Perak; coincidentally on the same ...

- senior leader of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM).

References

{{Perak Kampar District Towns in Perak