Malaysia's Pisa
A clear tilt in pagoda style.
Mszf 92 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marufish from Alor Setar, Malaysia — CC BY-SA 2.0
A leaning pagoda-style clock tower nicknamed Malaysia's Tower of Pisa, twenty-five metres tall, which looks from outside like an eight-storey building but has only three floors inside. The contractor Leong Choon Chong built it in 1885 as a water tank for dry spells and firefighting, and as a clock by which the town set its time. Over the years the weight of its tank and the soft ground beneath made it tilt, turning it into the town's emblem and best-known sight. The Japanese used it as a watchtower during their occupation of Malaya in the Second World War, and after independence it was declared a national monument. The tower stands in a square in the town centre and can be seen and photographed for free at any time, looking best in the morning light. The visit is short, so make it a stop on the road. Teluk Intan lies on the Perak River about an hour and a half's drive from Ipoh, and fits on the road between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur or on a trip to Pangkor Island.
A clear tilt in pagoda style.
Built for firefighting and timekeeping.
Witness to the tin era and the war.
Central Teluk Intan, about 80 km south-west of Ipoh
Its interior sometimes opens to visitors, but not on a fixed schedule, and the view from outside is enough for most people. Ask on the spot whether it is open on the day of your visit.