Somebody Stole My Post - The Oriental Garden of Sam Poh Tong, Ipoh

I HAVE NOTHING TO WRITE TODAY.

I AM SHOCKED AND I AM VERY ANGRY!

!@#$%^;*()_+

It has come to my attention, recently, that my old post titled, The Oriental Garden of Sam Poh Tong, Ipoh which was published on 28 July 2009 has been posted by another blogger in another blog without my permission and knowledge. It has the same post title, same contents and images and even my watermark!


My original post link: The Oriental Garden of Sam Poh Tong, Ipoh.

The pirated link: Also exactly the same name. Click here* . The Oriental Garden of Sam Poh Tong, Ipoh, published on 27 April 2010. The link was also posted in Facebook.



Note: The post has since been removed. As the blog is still in operation, I have removed this link*. Clicking on it will redirect the traffic from my post here to that blog which amounts to more advert money and better page rank for it.



Excerpts from my stolen post:
Sam Poh Tong, when translated means The Tripple Gems Cave. Some like to call it The Cavern of Tripple Gems. Discovered in 1890 by a monk from China, this Chinese Buddhist temple was built within a natural limestone hill and managed by monks and nuns. Inside the cavern, there are beautiful Buddha statues, natural stalactite and stalagmite formations and a tortoise pond. There is also vegetarian food and a columbarium here.

(a) It is difficult to accept and understand why some bloggers can just copy and paste to earn money and copy and paste to earn money and copy and paste to earn money or maybe there's no need to, can just use robots or what kind of sophiscated technology that I don't know about.

If it can happen to me it can happen to you too!

Be warned and Beware!

(b) If I don't write anymore, my blog will disappear into oblivion in cyberspace. Maybe it will be of use to some 'smart genius' who can repackage old wine in new bottles from the old blog posts. And then, when visitors go click, click, click, they earn $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ from Adsense, Amazon, Nuffnang, and other advertisers.


(c) This is sad and horrible. Where is the integrity and respect for another person's intellectual property?

CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME?

UPDATED on 2nd July 2010 

The following are some useful links recommended by fellow bloggers:

From Garden Bloggers dotcom:

a) Feed Scrappers III
b) Feed Scrappers II
c) Feed Scrappers - Guest Post by Dave Townsend

RoseBelle of Three Wisdoms blog has written 2 posts on this matter:
a) Protect Yourself From Copyright Infringement here,
b) How To Protect Your Published Contents on Blogger here.

A Hike Up the Perak Cave Temple - Part 3 of 3

What do The Kentucky Bluegrass of US, Guilin & The Stone Forest of China, The Burren of Ireland, Minerve of France, Phang Nga Bay of Thailand, Halong Bay of Vietnam and the Perak Caves of Malaysia have in common?

The answer is the unique and picturesque karst topography landforms, characterised by limestone hills, rough uneven pavements, beautiful carverns, stalactites and stalagmites.

You would have heard about the environmental friendly vertical garden or sky farm concept for modern highrise buildings that was invented by Patrick Blanc. We too have a natural vertical rainforest jungle right here in Malaysia.

In this final episode of my trip to Perak Cave Temple, we are going on a hike up to the peak of this limestone hill. Can you see the sun shining through the trees high up above ? Yes! That's the place. There's a garden up there, you know. And so, our adventure begins here.......

“A Hike Up The Perak Cave Temple - Part 3 of 3”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on October 24th, 2009.



This is where I started my journey up. There are about 500 steps to climb. After dropping a small donation into a box provided nearby and saying my prayers, I began my journey with my dear trusted lifeguard and protector. Nope, I didn't use any ropes, hooks or any other kind of climbing gear. My equipment were my own hands and feet and my camera.

Oh, yes, do make sure that your camera has enough battery power. This is speaking from the experience of an absent minded fella like me. On the safe side, I brought along 2 cameras. What I didn't expect was that my new camera, an Olympus FE-4000 was running out of battery power just as I reached the top and my antique Olympus Zoom 3000 was completely conked out even before I started.

This is the way up. The stairs may be slippery and wet while the walls are cold. Afterall this is a limestone cave, so you may find water dripping from the ceiling at certain points. It is quite dark inside here but you will feel a sense of calmness around you.

Halfway up I saw these inscriptions in red.

There's another one here. Can you see the steep stairway on the left? Those are the steps I need to take. It is brighter here as more sunlight can filter through the opening from above.

Another piece of calligraphy here. Can somebody please help me read the words and meanings?

I turned back and looked down just to get the 'fear factor' feeling and rush of adrenalin. I like this feeling, so I took a picture of the rocks below.

Looking up, I saw this staircase, the steepness was about 60 degrees, I guess. Wow! I could see the sky and green trees above. This looked like a stairway to heaven. So, up I go. Luckily the passage was quite narrow, just enough for one person at a time. I could hold on to the 2 side walls beside me. The walls were quite rough and perfect for holding on to with my bare hands. What would happen if someone were coming from the opposite direction? I don't have to crack my head over this because during that date and time, the whole place up here belongs to me and hubby. If anything happens, just scream your lungs out or call the fire brigade for rescue. Ah yes, this reminds me of my favourite childhood TV series called Rescue 51 starring Randolf Mantooth.

Coming out from the dark cavern into this open area is like entering into a different world. I felt like I have just discovered a secret passage that leads to a private garden. So I scaned around the area to see if there was an eccentric spiritual guru deep in meditation or a wizard/witch testing out his/her magical spells. No luck. However, there is a lot of greenery here with big trees and thick undergrowths. I can see a pavillion further up. That's where I shall take a rest. My fitness level is not up to par and by now I was panting and sweating. Guess what? I forgot to bring along a bottle of drinking water!

Oh, what a welcome sight! A beautiful scene and a good place to rest. Can you see the vertical hill on the left and the steep downward slope towards my right? Looking down from here, I could see the rows and rows of houses that looked like little match boxes in the distance below. I was also wondering how a big tree could grow securely on such a steep slope.

It was a nice feeling, sitting there and enjoying the cool fresh morning air. The sourroundings was calm and quiet. In front of me here is a piece of calligraphy to enjoy. I know this word. It means 'Buddha'.

There are a lot of these succulents with pretty pink flowers growing along the slopes. Can you see the red insect with a black bottom resting on the Zebrina pendula (Wandering Jew) flower? This picture is quite blurr because my camera was overworked.

Hey, I know you. You are the red leafhopper, bothrogonia ferruginea! I bet you must be enjoying yourself living here, with no naughy little fellas to catch you and boil you just for fun. Or are you a reincarnation of a departed sage? Or maybe a witch/wizard who is experimenting with transfiguration techniques?

After my first and second stop, I climbed some more steps before I finally reached this rest area. Here are more words written on the pillars and roof. It was nice, sitting here. I could enjoy the cool and tranquil surroundings. I even began to imagine hermits and sages climbing up here to meditate. Do artists come here to get inspiration for writing poetry and painting beautiful pieces of art?

I spent some time at the peak enjoying the panorama of Ipoh city. Look at the faraway blue mountains covered with clouds and mists. I have this nice feeling of being on top of the world, above everyone else. The Carpenters' song is playing in my head now..., the song about being on top of the world...

Ipoh city is situated in the Kinta Valley, sandwiched between the Main Titiwangsa and Kledang mountain ranges. As I looked at the beautiful scenery in front of me, I could feel a 'pleasing sense of happiness'. Is that why some people find it so fulfilling to hike up the tallest mountains and bask in the glory or calmness?

But then, as I look more closely, I could see the remnants of hills chopped and blasted bare by quarrying and industrilization. A big stretch of Ipoh's limestone hills has disappeared and replaced with factories and housing estates. Some hills are left standing bare, wounded and at different stages of destruction.

Is this what we want? Why can't we preserve the beauty of the blue mountains for our future generations to enjoy. If we do not take care of Mother Nature, one day she will be angry with us. We all know how great her fury can be.

I remember a novel I read a very long time ago. It was about Heidi and her grandfather Peter living in a village near the Swiss Alps. For days, I would spend my time with Heidi, living in that beautiful little remote village in Europe. I could imagine how beautiful life can be living there and loving the mountains. And yes, there is also Julie Andrews and her Sound of Music. During the show, I enjoyed seeing the beautiful mountain scenes as she sang "the hills are alive with the sound of music..." I truly do not want the beautiful mountains and hills of Kinta Valley to disappear into oblivion.

While I was cracking my head silly pondering over these issues, I saw a butterfly fluttering around me and landing on a plant in front. It was a beautiful black and white butterfly.

With my last remaining battery power, I snapped this photo. Then it was time to go back.

By now I was starting to get worried over the descend down the hill. It was scary looking down the very steep slope. Luckily the climb down was smooth and easy. What I noticed was that I had not seen any bats during my whole visit to the Perak Caves.

Something to ponder

Due to recent cases of rock falls , mudslides, landslides around the limestone belt, many people are apprehensive about visiting caves. The recent earthquakes in neighbouring lands made it worse. Maybe I was foolish as to endanger myself and my beloved, by being stubborn and insisting on going up to the peak. What would become of our dependents if something bad were to happen to both of us, the sole breadwinners of the whole family. At that moment, I just felt that I need to go up there to have a look and to take pictures to keep for rememberance.

I wish to add that currently there is a Malaysian Karst Society based in Ipoh which is a non-profit NGO formed to conserve karst areas in Malaysia. Hopefully, they will succeed in getting some headway. But then, will Perak Caves will be included in their list?

As for me, I may not be brave enough to make the hike up to the peak again, considering the safety issues involved. However, I will certainly visit the Perak Caves again because there are still many other things to do and see.

Do you think this place is worth a visit?

Do you think it is worth saving?

This is my entry for Scenic Sunday #67. To participate or view other pictures from around the world, please click here.

This is my also entry for My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 3, a meme, strictly non-profit, where we have fun by showing you our world. My special thanks to the MyWorld team: Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and Sylvia. See how others view their world or to participate, click here.

Post publication updates:

1. My grateful thanks to Mr Rajesh CTR from India for adding my link to his post titled "Perak Tong Temple" in his Hill Temples blog which is about temples around the world.

2. According to our local English daily, The Star report on 23 Jan 2010, titled "Ipoh Attraction Back in Favour", it is heartening to note that this temple is once again receiving many visitors and tourists.

An Art Gallery at Perak Cave - Part 2 of 3

This post is about Chinese Art and Culture as depicted at the Perak Cave Temple.

During my recent visit to Perak Cave Temple, I had expected to spend less than an hour covering the whole area but I ended up spending a few hours there, the maximum I could spare before my journey back to Kuala Lumpur. There was so much to see and photograph. Now, I shall take you inside the temple. OK, OK, I'm so sorry if you are bored but I need to write this, otherwise I won't be at peace with myself. Think of me as a little girl who has just found the entrance to a cave of ancient treasures and can't wait to show it to you. If you wish to skip this post, I would like to invite you to read my other posts about gardening. For those who are coming along with me,

WELCOME !!!

Welcome to the world of Chinese Arts and Culture, a world of magical adventures and voyages, where mythical creatures, gods, goddess, fairies, demons and spirits live among mortals and immortals. With 5,000 years of history, we have come a long way...

This is the main entrance to the interior of Perak Cave Temple. If you look at the pillars, you will see chinese writings on all the pillars. How I wish I am able to interpret the meaning and explain to you in detail. Nevertheless, I'm sure they are either poetic verses or auspicious, meaningful words. I truly regret to say that I can't read chinese words! Otherwise, I would have rewritten all the poerty and writings in English. Maybe I am suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) because I need to find the answer and put into words anything that inspires me. It is so difficult to live with ignorance of something that is so fascinating.

“An Art Gallery at Perak Cave - Part 2 of 3”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on 17th October 2009.



As you walk into the temple, you will be greeted by these 2 ceramic Fu Dogs guarding the entrance. Fu Dogs are mythical creatures that look quite similar to lions and they are used as protective symbols to ward off evil and killing energy. As you can observe here, Fu Dogs are not identical twins nor a couple. They are actually a family. The pair of Fu Dogs are usually placed quite high on a pedestal with the male positioned on the left side of the main door (inside looking out) and the female on the right. The male is usually seen with a ball but this one seems to be holding a ruyi. The female has a baby fu dog with her. Together they make a happy protective family that brings peace and prosperity to the homes or buildings that they guard.

On the left here is the main sales counter where devotees can buy incense, joss sticks, candles or other offerings to Buddha and other deities. The table and chairs on the right is actually a fortune telling counter. The method used in fortune telling is called the 3 Lifetime Book. Based on your date and time of birth according to the lunar chinese calendar, the teller will be able to interpret your past, present and next life. The past refers to a previous life before you were reincarnated into this world as a human being. Here they are talking about karma and reincarnation. The teller makes the interpretation from a book called the 3 Lifetime Book ( 三世书 - 'sang shi shu' in Mandarin or 'sam sai she' in cantonese). They will charge a small fee for doing the reading. People say the readings are very accurate and it may stunt you! Do you believe in getting your fortune read? As for me, I'd agree with Doris Day in her Que Sera Sera song, "Whatever will be will be, the future's not ours to see, what will be will be"........

Here are 2 statues of the Four Heavenly Kings on one side of the temple. There is another 2 more on the opposite side. They are the Guardians of the Four Compass Directions, also known as Four Deva Warriors, Four Lords of Dhamma and Four Keepers of the World. Can you see the demons they are stepping on from under their feet?

This is the main statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in the main chamber. It is 40 ft (15m) high. There are also statues of the Laughing Buddha, Thousand-Hand Guan Yin, Master Monk and other deities which are not photographed here.

The wall behind the Buddha is decorated with paintings of deities and there are 2 dragons looking at a magical pearl on the wall above. It is believed that fairies, deities and immortals, all have one of these magical pearls which they have swallowed and which gives them the power of immortality.

Even the metal bell here has inscriptions on it. Perak Cave Temple has more than 200 paintings, calligraphy and poetry by famous artists from Malaysia, South East Asia and the Far East. The contours of the cave walls further enhances these murals. The paintings were drawn with painstaking attention to the intricate details. During the old days, chinese paintings were done by artists who were also wise, learned scholars and great philosophers. Most of the paintings come with a piece of poetry or meaningful quotes.

Here's a painting of a beautiful Goddess. Can you see the stalactites and stalagmites formations and more paintings behind?

These are masterpieces of Eastern art. I like the beautiful flowers, bamboo, pine trees, birds, sages and deities. Some of the flowers are lotuses and peonies. Birds are often depicted in pairs while sages and deities are at rest or deep in meditation. Can you see a halo around their heads?

Cranes are symbols of longevity. They also signify wisdom and preseverence. Here is a picture of a pair of white cranes with a tuff of red feathers on their head, standing beside a pine tree. If you have visited rich Chinese homes, maybe you would have noticed such a picture. This picture denotes a happy, harmonious household lead by the patriach and matriach.

Besides the traditional Eastern art like those above, some artists have blended in Western art influences. Due to time constraints and dwindling camera battery power, I have only managed to photograph a few paintings. There are many more. The interior of this temple is just like an Art Gallery or Art Exhibition hall, except that entrance is FREE!

For some additional information about the art gallery, please visit here.

I would like to admit that this is only the first time that I begin to appreciate the art and the paintings here. As a child, I had thought that they were cave drawings done by ancient cave men. When I learnt enough from the history books to know otherwise, I thought these drawings were done by commercial painters hired by the temple committee. So little is written about the artwork and so much has been left unsaid. There is also not much information available from the tourism brochures. I do hope that more people will come here to admire and appreciate the masterpieces of art and culture and write about it. Meanwhile, most of the information and photographs come from other bloggers' personal experiences.

If you have read my post this far, thank you very much for your time and patience. I hope I have inspired some of you to make the journey there. If you have visited the Perak Cave temple, do let me know your views in a comment here. It doesn't matter if the comment comes a long time after this post is published but it will certainly bring great joy and happiness to me. In my next and final post, I will take you on a hike up to the peak of this limestone hill. Until then, have a Happy Weekend !

This is my entry for Scenic Sunday #66. To participate or view other posts around the world, please click here.

This is also my entry for My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 2, a meme, strictly non-profit, where we have fun by showing you our world. My special thanks to the MyWorld team: Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and Sylvia. See how others view their world or to participate, click here.

Post Publication Update:
On Monday, 15th Nov 2010, The Star ran an article about Dr. Sun Yat Sen pertaining to the 22nd Joint Conference of the Sun Yat-sen and Soong Ching-ling memorials in conjunction with the International Centennial Celebrations of Sun Yat-sen's "Penang Conference" to be held between Nov 19-22, 2010. The full article titled, "Perak's Former Tin Mining Towns Linked to Sun Yat-sen " can be read here.

Excepts:
Perak Cave Temple chairman Chong Yin Chat said Yu was a friend of his father Chong Seng Yee, who was the last batch of graduates of the prestigious Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou. Yin Chat had set up a Sun Yat-sen Gallery at the temple in 1995 in honour of the Father of Modern China. On display at the gallery are photographs of Dr Sun, a bust presented by the Sun Yat Sen memorial museum in Taiwan, calligraphy works and reproductions of letters by Dr Sun.

Perak Cave Temple - Part 1 of 3

During my trip back to Ipoh recently, I went to visit the Perak Cave Temple. It has been 10 years since the last time I set foot on these concrete steps. Standing here again in front of this old historical temple, I felt a sence of inner peace and calm. Then, one by one, the memories began to unfold. Yes, I have been here many many times before. But I still want to come here again and again.

“Perak Cave Temple - Part 1 of 3”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on October 11th, 2009.

Many like me who hails from this silver state of Perak, Malaysia would have visited this place at least once. If we search our personal and family photo albums, we are bound to come across some pictures of this temple, taken at some point of our lives. This cave temple has been Ipoh's famous tourist attraction since the good old days when Ipoh first became known as the town of millionaires. We bring our visiting friends and relatives to this place because we are proud of this landmark.

Today, my story is about this cave temple and you most likely won't find this information from the usual tourism brochures. Why? Because the experience will be my very own. First, I came here as a a little girl with my parents, later it was with teacher and friends. When I grew up and fell in love, I came here with hubby. After I got married, I came with my own children and in-laws. Now, I bring my friends here too. At the moment, I just can't help thinking about my parent's favourite song by Doris Day, Que Sera Sera......

Can you see this tall casuarina tree here? I bet it is more than half a century old. I have dashed up and down this pavement, playing catch and hide and seek with my siblings and cousins while mum and dad were busy praying inside the temple. I even remember there was a parrot nearby who could mimic human conversations and swear words and we children had a fun time teaching naughty words to the parrot. We had a good laugh listening to the parrot speak and boy, that parrot could even do a wolf whistle at girls!

Many famous personalities and film stars have been photographed here during its heydays from the 50's right up to the 80s. The writings you see on the walls are actually calligraphy works by artists and poets from South East Asia and the Far East. Walking down this road, you will come across some pine trees and other big trees where many monkeys roam. That's the place where I photographed those monkeys fooling around in my earlier Wordless Wednesday post.

The Perak Cave Temple was founded in 1926 by Mr Chong Sen Yee and his wife Choong Chan Yoke who came here from Jiao-Ling County in Guangdong Province, China. At that time, there were many surrounding natural limestone rock formations with dense tropical rainforests. This couple was enchanted by the beauty of this part of Ipoh town which bore a close resemblence to the beautiful mountains and waters of Guilin, China and they applied to the Perak State Government for approval to develop the place. After their demise, this place is now managed by their son, Mr Chong Yin Chat who had carried on this legacy with diligence and respect.

The main attractions here include a beautiful landscaped garden, a giant Buddha statue, statues of dieties in various poses, more than 200 pieces of original artworks, poetry, murals and caligraphy by renown chinese artists and scholars, stalactite-stalagmite formations and the most breathtaking view of Ipoh at the inner peak of this limestone hill.

Here's the landscape garden with summer pavilion, and the grand statue of Guan Yin or Goddess of Mercy in the centre of the pond. She is usually seen holding a vase and standing/sitting on a lotus flower. This pond used to be filled with pink lotus plants but they are gone now. I just love these graceful chinese willows and the bonsai tree next to the rock. Can you see the red inscriptions here? It is also not surprising to see couples coming here to take their outdoor wedding photos.

This is one of the 2 bell towers.

This is the main block of the Perak Caves Temple complex.

This is the restaurant that serves vegetarian food. Most of the time, you can find pomelos being sold here. There is also a souvenir shop and a crematorium with columbarium at another section (not photographed here).

During my recent trip back here, I find that Perak Caves has lost much of its lustre. Numerous beautiful limestone hills in the vicinity have been destroyed by years of quarrying while the surrounding industrial and housing developments have displaced and forced many wildlife out of their natural habitats. The recent rockfall in January 2009 didn't help either. I sincerely wish that something could be done by the authorities before it is too late. I do love this place and I hope to leave behind a legacy for my future generations to enjoy. I do not want it to become another dinosaur in our history books. So my friends, if you are in Malaysia, do visit The Perak Cave Temple and help them revive this place. This temple relies heavily on public donations for its maintenace and upkeep.

The temple is opened daily from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

I would like to end here with this precious old photo taken in 1958. Can you recognise the place? The clue is in the Chinese writings meaning" Perak Cave" or "Pi-Li Tong". I found this from the stacks of Ex-Files left behind by my parents. My mom gave this picture to my dad. She was 21 then. How did I know? She wrote a message to my dad with the date behind the photo! Here she is seen with her mom and dad and 8 other siblings. I think they are standing on the same concrete steps that I have stepped on.

Nowadays, we are so lucky to have the digital camera and internet. We don't have to wait for ages for the prints to be developed and we don't give this type of pictures to our boyfriends anymore. We have Facebooks, twitter and shared secret blogs! My tribute to the 2009 Nobel Prize Winners for Physics, Mr Charles K. Kao, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for their great inventions and big leap forward.

Lastly, I wish everyone a Happy Weekend and to my friends in the US having a holiday for Christopher Columbus Day, Happy Holidays!

The Morning Glory

Here we call it the bunga kembang seri pagi. As the name suggests, this flower opens in the morning where it is at its freshest and most radiant. However, the blooms lasts only a few hours and usually by noon, the flower would have withered. These purple trumpet shaped flowers are actully quite pretty.

It looks like this plant can be found in many places where there is plenty of sun. I can see it along the road, on the ground, on the fields, in rubbish dumps, railway embarkments, fences and also old walls.  It's scientific name is probably Ruellia tuberosa. I can see it everywhere, except in people's home gardens! But  these flowers are quite pretty, hence we should treat it as our Malaysian wildflowers.

Scientific name: Ruellia tuberosa

Common name: Minnieroot, Waterkanon

Family name: Acanthaceae

Category: Perennial creeper

Origin: Central and South America

This picture is taken next to a rubbish dump. I guess they make the rubbish dump less ugly.

Look at this! I think this is a telephone pole. 

Scientific name: Ipomoea cairica

Common names: 

Messina Creeper, Mile A Minute Vine, Cairo Morning Creeper,

Ivy-leaved Morning Glory, Coastal Morning Glory, Railway Creeper

Family: Convolvulaceae

Category: Perennial creeper

Origin: Tropical America

The plant is really an excellent climber. It is on top of the world now, taller than many other plants nearby. It has reached the top of the pole and it is now going to attempt a cross-over along the horizontal line. Do you consider this invasive?

Note: Post updated: 23 Nov 11

The Century Old Casuarina Trees of Ipoh Field

Casuarina trees are native to Australasia and South East Asia. They are also known as she-oak, beefwood or Australian pine and come from the family of casuarinaceae. The casuarina tree is a tall and graceful evergreen tree with slender, drooping branches and pine shaped leaves. Some say it looks like a pine tree while others have mistaken it for a coniferous tree.

These are casuarina trees in front of Ipoh Padang. Can you imagine a tree that has already been around since before your grandparents were born? Standing here on a windy day, I can almost hear a whistling sound as the trees sway gracefully against the breeze. My grandparents had walked along this road. Mum and dad came here during their courting days. I have also brought my family here to enjoy the panoramic view and to tell them about our history. There are quite a number of colonial heritage buildings around this area such as the HSBC Bank building (1920), Standard Chartered Bank (1908), High Court (1928) and the FMS (1906) building that once housed a famous bar and restaurant. Through the decades, our nation has changed from the British colonial time, to Japanese occupation to a brand new independent Malaysia. Through the years, the casuarinas had stood tall, as beautiful as ever.

This is the Ipoh Padang meaning Ipoh Field. Next to the field is the Royal Ipoh Club, a white tudor styled clubhouse established by the British in 1895. The Ipoh Padang was built in 1898 and casuarina trees were planted around this field. Those were the days when the state of Perak, Malaya was a British protectorate state. The British who lived here liked greenery. These trees acted as a wind breaker and provided the shade from the hot tropical sun. Rich tin miners and rubber barrons would patronise the clubhouse while the more adventurous and athletic ones will play cricket in the field. Nowadays, this field is also used for soccer games, morning and evening exercises, entertainment concerts and other state events. Do you see blue mountains behind the buildings ?

This is another view of the beautiful casuarina trees. In front is a building with green outlines and designs. It is the Indian Moslem Mosque, built in 1908. Further behind this mosque is the St. Michael's Institution.

St. Michael's Institution was a Christian (Catholic) missionary school establised in 1912 by a group of La Salle brothers. Now it is a government aided school providing education for primary and secondary school children.

I believe that the area surrounding the Ipoh Field is the most beautiful and symbolic representation of Ipoh. What will Ipoh be without the evergreen casuarinas? Certainly it will lose a big part of its charm. I want my future generations to be able to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the casuarinas just as I had the privilege to do during my time.