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All Malaysia Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) Geopark
AO Edited

Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) Geopark

Home to secret lakes and hidden temples.

Ipoh, Malaysia

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Aksel
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Courtyard temple only entrance via cave   Aksel / Atlas Obscura User
Tasik Cermin   hams Nocete/ CC BY-SA 2.0
Inner exit of cave to temple courtyard   Aksel / Atlas Obscura User
Courtyard temple only entrance via cave   Aksel / Atlas Obscura User
Tasik Cermin   Government Tourist Board
Hidden World   Aksel / Atlas Obscura User
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Just outside the growing industrial landscape of Ipoh, limestone cliffs border a jungle oasis. Caves inside the limestone walls host a series of lakes and hidden temples.

Da Seng Ngan is one of the cave temples in the area, home to many Buddha statues and an underground prayer room. The Sam Poh Tong Temple features a lush inner courtyard and an old monastery where a Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monk used to live in the 1950s. In the cave, rock paintings depict the elements of Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism, showcasing the exchange and fusion of diverse cultures and religions in the area. Other local cave temples include Ling Sen Tong, Nan Tian Tong, Kwan Yin Tong, Perak Tong, and more. 

Two secret man-made lakes can be found within the park. In the 19th century, large deposits of tin were found in the area. A tin rush followed and turned the old merchant town of Ipoh into an industrial city of miners. Two large tunnels where abandoned when the mines were depleted and shut down. The tunnels flooded after being abandoned, forming two lakes that remain today.

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Hidden Lakes Temples

Know Before You Go

Tasik Cermin is a 20 minute drive from Ipoh’s old town. The main lake can be visited by foot through a 90-meter long miner’s  tunnel (if not flooded). The second lake can be visited by boat through a 295-foot water tunnel. The entrance fee is about 10 RM by foot, or up to 60 RM to visit both lakes by boat.

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Aksel

Published

May 13, 2025

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Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) Geopark
31 Jln Perniagaan Sengat
Ipoh, 31350
Malaysia
4.555643, 101.115105
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