Ipoh Tai Pak Koong Temple

Ipoh’s Tai Pak Koong Temple, also known as Paloh Khoo Miu, is located near the Kinta River in Ipoh’s Old Town area.

The temple was built in 1894 and has played an important role in Ipoh’s history as a community centre and sponsor of the long running educational centre on an adjacent site which provided free education to those not eligible to study at Government run schools. The school shut down in 1994 and the temple has continued to make charitable contributions to local educational groups ever since.

About Tai Pak Koong Temple

The name Paloh Khiu Miu relates to temple’s early association with the tin mining industry. ‘Paloh’ mean mine in the Hokkien dialect and this is the name by which the town of Ipoh was popularly known by at the time when the temple was built. Ipoh’s principal industry at the end of the 19th Century was tin mining and this is the reason why so many Chinese people immigrated to the area. For Chinese immigrants coming to Ipoh literally meant coming to the tin mine. 

In 1872, a successful tin mining entrepreneur from China, Leong Fi, brought a statute of a Taoist Deity to Ipoh which was installed at a location near the current site of Ipoh Tai Pak Koong Temple. Paloh Khiu Miu was constructed to house the deity. The temple became known as Ipoh Tai Pak Koong because the deity it houses is the God of Prosperity (Tai Pak Koong in Chinese).

This small temple has some interesting features and old artefacts. As you enter there is pond with koi carp and a magnificent fountain in the shape of a dragon. On either side of the entrance door there are statues of lions.

Inside the temple there are also some artefacts which are more than 100 years. As you enter there are 8 bronze ceremonial spears. The joss stick holders near the altar are over a century old and come from China. The other things worth looking out are the carvings around the sides of the altar and the 10 very old wooden blocks which were used to stamp descriptions on the side of package of traditional Chinese medicine.

Ipoh Tai Pak Koong Temple is open Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 16:00 and Saturday to Sunday from 07:00 to 15:00. Admission is free. The temple becomes particularly busy on Chinese New Year and on the birthday of Tai Pak Koong will falls around the middle of February each year, although if you want to go on this day you need to check the exact date as it changes each year according to lunar calendar.

Location of Tai Pak Koong Temple

• Tai Pak Koong Temple is located at 89-91, Jalan Bijih Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia.