It was actually an unplanned trip. During my outstation trip to Langkap, Perak for Eon Bank project tender briefing, after the briefing ended around 12:30 pm, four of us (Esiang, Zul, Hasni and me) decided to go to Teluk Intan. Reason being is want to visit a Eon Bank job site at Teluk Intan. And, here we goes to the famous Leaning Tower.
Malaysia boasts its own equivalent to the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, right here at the heart of the Teluk Intan town centre or formerly known as Teluk Anson. Like its Italian counterpart, the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan has a leftward slant, and all the ingredients to make it an architectural sight to behold.
The tower itself is surrounding by the hawker centres, old colonial style shops. It is not as high as I though. There is an information signage just in front of the tower. The admission is free. Once I stepped onto the first staircase, we can clearly see the ages of the stone and timber plank itself. Standing at 25.5m tall, its construction appears to comprise of eight different levels but is actually divided into only three storeys.
Once we stepped into the ground floor, there is a well which covered by the M.S. steel grilles and surrounded by timber handrail. The wall itself is displayed by some old yellow photos and pictures. The spiral timber staircase leads us to the 1st floor and 2nd floor, whereby both floors have the walk out balcony. The designs used combination of ceramic patterns with the timber planks for the fencing itself. And the unique thing is on top of the tower is covered with a big water tank which can be seen on the top floor. And, there is a clock mechanism as well.
When it was first built, its structure was straight but it began to tilt about 1.8 metre towards Jalan Bandar between 1889 and 1895. This pagoda-like structure was built by a Chinese contractor, Leong Choon Choong, in 1885. Initially, it was used as a covered water tank to store water sufficient for 800 Teluk Intan residents at that time. During the Japanese Occupation, it was used as an observation post for the Japanese Army. Later, it became headquarters for the Boys Scouts. Today, it stands as an architectural oddity that continues to attract visitors to Teluk Intan.
These days, it just tells the time. Come Wednesdays, the clock tower's caretaker will wind up the clock's mechanism using a crank. Commissioned in London, the clock chimes twice every 15 minutes. The chimes can be heard as far as eight kilometres in radius especially at night.
I really hope that can bring both children here one day…Let them see what their mummy had seen…
Source from www.virtualmalaysia.com & www.cuti.com.my
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