Birch Memorial Clock Tower, Ipoh

Birch Memorial Clock Tower, Ipoh Overview

Located in Kinta District, Birch Memorial Clock Tower, also referred to as Menara Jam Peringatan Birch is a beautiful clock tower in a square inside Old Ipoh. The four-sided tower is surrounded by four statues representing four pillars of British administration.

According to some people, the four sides or the four bells of the clock tower depicts four stages of civilisation. The Clock Tower was built in 1909 at a cost of 25,000 dollars. It was constructed in honour of James W. W. Birch, the first British resident of the Malaysian state Perak who was murdered by a local Malaysian chief (Datuk Maharaja Lela) in 1875. It is a beautiful place for walking around and capturing some amazing pictures.

Architecture of Birch Memorial Clock Tower

The four sided Victorian style tower majorly consists of two levels.
On the first level of the tower there are four statues around the centrepiece which demonstrate the pillars of British administration namely justice, loyalty, patience and fortitude.
The four distinguished panels on the second level elucidate the growth and development of civilization with the mesmerising murals.
Panel A towards north depicts the iron age and stone age, Panel B towards west depicts the far East, Greece and Rome, Panel C towards South depicts The Age of Chivalry and the Byzantine Empire, Panel D towards East depicts modern science, social service and art.
The murals exhibit some famous professions from different eras which include soldiers, astrologers, sculptors, scholars and displays some influential figures from the past such as Buddha, Moses, Shakespeare and Charles Darwin to name a few.
There is a chief 6 feet 6 inch bell with a 1.95m-diameter bell and four other bells used for striking the chimes of Big Ben.

Birch Memorial Clock Tower, Ipoh — The tall clock tower (Source)

How to Reach Birch Memorial Clock Tower

Birch Memorial Clock Tower can be reached by a taxi or a bus. Bus numbers T32, T33a, T33b and T37 can be boarded to Jalan S.P.Seenivasagam or St.Michael's Institution Ipoh.