Stand at the base of the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan and you can see the tilt for yourself: the structure leans out over Jalan Ah Cheong, its clock still ringing every fifteen minutes. Around it, the town spreads along a bend of the Perak River, with colonial buildings and Chinese shophouses standing beside newer blocks.
Teluk Intan suits travellers who are passing through Perak and want a half-day or a full day of looking at a town's older layers rather than a resort stay. The centre is compact, and the main sights sit close to one another.
This guide covers the places worth your time in the town, followed by a plan for a single day.
Top things to do in Teluk Intan
1. Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan
The town's best-known structure, erected in 1885 by a Chinese builder, Mr. Leong Choon Cheong. It was built as a water tower and as a beacon to guide ships into Teluk Intan Port, and it began to tilt four years after construction finished because of an underground stream. The clock at the top still rings every fifteen minutes. It is known locally as Jam Tinggi and is recognised as a National Heritage.
The area around the tower has been paved with bricks and made into a plaza, so you can walk around the base and judge the lean from different angles. Come at a time when the clock is due to ring. The main street at the centre of town, Jalan Ah Cheong, is named after the builder.
2. Batu Tenggek (War Memorial)
Batu Tenggek, or the Sitting Boulder, sits at a junction in the town centre. It is also described as the Growing Rock: it was believed to have been placed by a British soldier at the size of a matchbox, and to have grown larger each year until it reached the size of a boulder.
It is a quick stop rather than a long visit, and it works well as part of a walk through the town centre rather than as a destination on its own.
3. The old town centre and its buildings
The town has a number of colonial buildings and Chinese shophouses alongside modern buildings, shopping complexes and a modern cinema. The township plan itself was drawn up by Sir Archibald Anson in 1882, and the street layout still carries that origin.
Walk the centre on foot and look at the mix of old and new frontages rather than trying to cover it by car. The shophouses and colonial buildings are the reason to slow down here.
4. The Perak River and the oxbow
The town was founded on the bank of the Perak River, which forms an oxbow meander as it flows through, so the town is built around the loop. Watergates and banks protect the town, though during high tides some parts can still flood.
Walk or drive along the river side to see the shape of the meander for yourself. This is the feature that explains why the town sits where it does.
5. Durian Sebatang
Durian Sebatang is one of the villages around which Teluk Intan developed, along with Pasir Bedamar and Batak Rabit. It is also where the meeting was held between Raja Abdullah, Dato' Maharajalela and other Malay chieftains to plot the killing of J. W. W. Birch, the first British Resident of Perak.
If you have an interest in the history of British intervention in Perak, this is the place in town tied to that episode. Birch himself was later killed at Pasir Salak.
6. Batak Rabit
Batak Rabit is one of the largest villages in Teluk Intan, and one of the villages around which the town grew. It sits within the town's wider area rather than in the centre.
Pair it with a look at the town's edges if you want to see how the township and the surrounding villages sit together.
7. Kampung Bahagia
Kampung Bahagia is the other of the two largest villages in Teluk Intan. Like Batak Rabit, it is part of the settlement pattern that predates the planned township.
It is a straightforward addition to a drive around the town's outskirts rather than a standalone stop.
8. The former royal palace site
Teluk Intan was one of four towns playing a role in Perak's ruler succession system, and a crown prince stayed at Teluk Intan Palace before the next stage of becoming Raja Bendahara. The former palace is located just outside the town and has fallen into disrepair.
View it from outside only, and treat it as a point of historical interest rather than a maintained attraction.
9. The town's markets and shops
Shopping centres, a modern cinema, shops and educational institutions bring people into Teluk Intan weekly, and the tourism industry here is growing. The town also has a textile industry and shipbuilding among its activities.
Use the shops and market area as a break in the middle of the day, when the heat makes walking the streets less pleasant.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan on Jalan Ah Cheong. Walk the brick plaza around it, look at the lean from a few angles, and wait for the clock to ring. From there, walk into the town centre to see the colonial buildings and Chinese shophouses, and stop at Batu Tenggek at the junction in the town centre.
Afternoon: Head to the Perak River to see the oxbow meander that the town is built around, then continue to Durian Sebatang, one of the villages the town grew from and the site of the meeting against J. W. W. Birch. If you have time, drive out to view the former royal palace site from outside, and pass through Batak Rabit and Kampung Bahagia on the way.
Evening: Return to the town centre for the shops and the market area, and finish with another look at the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan as the clock rings.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan lean?
It started to tilt four years after its construction finished, because of an underground stream. It was built in 1885 by Mr. Leong Choon Cheong as a water tower and as a beacon to guide ships into the port.
Can you still hear the clock?
Yes. The clock at the top of the tower still rings every fifteen minutes.
What is Batu Tenggek?
Batu Tenggek, or the Sitting Boulder, is a rock at a junction in the town centre. It was believed to have been placed by a British soldier at the size of a matchbox and to have grown each year until it reached the size of a boulder.
Is the old palace open to visitors?
The former palace is located just outside the town and has fallen into disrepair, so plan to view it from outside rather than as a maintained attraction.
Decide on your dates, set the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan and the town centre as your first stop, and build the rest of the day around the river.