De' Beauty of Scenery :): Teluk Intan

This is my first entry that I will talk about the interesting and attractive place in Perak. Teluk Intan is one of the great places to visit when you are in Perak. The place that I want to talk about is Teluk Intan Leaning Tower. Leaning Tower is a pride of Teluk Intan that is similar to the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy. Teluk Intan also formerly known as Teluk Anson. First of all I would like to talk about the history of Teluk Intan Leaning Tower.

The front view of Leaning Tower

Teluk Intan Leaning Tower was built in 1885 by a Chinese contractor named Leong Choon Chong. The first time it was built, it was known as the High Clock Tower because of the clock on it and it is still working up till today. But as it starts to tilt towards the northwest, it gained notoriety as the most famous leaning tower this side of the world. The tower is standing at 85ft (25.5m tall), it has eight different levels but actually it has only three storeys. There are 110 steps connecting the floors which are 15.5 feet high. The base of the structure is 43 feet in diameter. The structure was straight at the first time it was built but it began tilt about 1.8 meters towards Jalan Bandar between 1889 and 1895.

When you take a close look at the tower, you can see the Chinese architectural elements in the design especially at the mortar strips, roof eves and drippers. It wasn’t surprising because the contractor was a Chinese. Throughout the long history of the tower, it has served different purposes. During the Japanese occupation, for example, it was used as a watch tower.