Kuala Kangsar - Usually placid Kuala Kangsar is a hive of activity as the royal town prepares to welcome Zara Salim Davidson who will wed the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, in a ceremony spread over three days next week at the Istana Iskandariah, here.
The town witnessed the last royal wedding almost two decades ago when Raja Yong Sofia, the youngest daughter of Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak, married Tunku Kamel Tunku Rijaludin of the Kedah royal household in December 1987.
One story has it that Kuala Kangsar, situated 48km north of Ipoh, is said to have derived its name from the "kangsar" tree (hibiscus flocossus) which grows in abundance along the banks of the Sungai Kangsar, a tributary of the Sungai Perak.
Another says the name was handed down by explorers who established a settlement at the mouth of the river. They had called the place "Kuala Kurang Sa", short for "Kuala Kurang Seratus" which means "one short of hundred" because there are 99 tributaries there.
As Perak‘s oldest town and first capital, Kuala Kangsar is known for many things, among them old and historical buildings. It also boasts the first rubber tree planted in Malaysia, now more than 100 years old and still standing in the compound of the Kuala Kangsar District and Land Office.
The Royal Museum of Perak, located in Kuala Kangsar, was the temporary residence of Sultan Iskandar Shah, the 30th sultan of Perak, while the Istana Iskandariah was being built, according to a statement of the Museums and Antiquities Department.
That palace, known also as Istana Kuning, Istana Lembah and Istana Tepas, was built in 1926 by carpenter Haji Sopian and his children according to Malay traditional architecture but without the use of a single nail. The walls are made of bamboo laths patterned in diamond motifs.
The building stands on 60 pillars and is in the form of a sheathed sword, and was home to the Perak royal household until 1982 when Sultan Idris Shah, the sultan then, handed the building over to the Museums Department. It was turned into a museum four years later.
Kuala Kangsar is also known for the Ubudiah Mosque, which has a golden dome and was built in the early 1900s, and the Istana Iskandariah which was completed in 1933 in Bukit Chandan using Indo-Saracenic architecture as well as West Asian architecture, as seen from the shape of the domes.
Besides being famous as a tourist destination, Kuala Kangsar is also known for its handicraft industry which produces such items as the "labu sayong" earthenware, "tekat benang emas" gold embroidery and copper, even to this day.
The craft bazaar along the Sungai Perak offers local handicraft items such as "bubu hiasan" or decorative fish traps, "tikar mengkuang" mats and "anyaman rotan" (rattan woven) items.
Kuala Kangsar is also known for its food, including the "laksa gandum" made of wheat flour as compared to the northern "laksa" of rice flour, which goes along well with the "cendol" or "ais kacang" drink at the riverside stalls.
The traditional "kuih" (delicacies) of the town are still prepared in the traditional way. A popular delicacy is the "kuih apam tepung beras".
The town is also famous for its "gulai tempoyak" (fermented durian dish) prepared with the "patin", "baung" or other river fish.
Source: www.dailyexpress.com (18 Mei 2007)
