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Ipoh city in the state of Perak is situated in west Malaysia (Malaya), on the Kinta River. Surrounded by steep hills, except to the south, it lies on a flat alluvial plain in the Kinta Valley . The name Ipoh comes from a local tree, whose poisonous resin was once used by Aboriginals for hunting.

Perak State, in actual fact, has been in existence since the prehistoric age. Kota Tampan in Lenggong is the one and only proof that the Palaeolithic Age existed in Malaya. Perak went through numerous evolutions between 400,000 BC and 8000 BC.

Ipoh in Perak is the third biggest city in Malaysia. Perak had been renowned for its rich tin deposits since the 16^th century, which made it vulnerable to attempts from rival chiefs to seize the throne and thus gain control of the lucrative tin trade.

However, it wasn't until the discovery of a major field in 1880 that Ipoh's fortunes turned; before long it became a prime destination for pioneers, merchants and fortune-seekers from all over the world, and a cosmopolitan city, something reflected in the broad mix of cultures today.

To accommodate the rapidly increasing population, the city expanded across Sungei Kinta between 1905 and 1914 into a "new town" area, its economic good fortune reflected in a multitude of colonial buildings and Chinese mansions.

Fukuoka and Ipoh's history of international exchange began in 1977 when Fukuoka first sent a "Youth Exchange Flight" to Malaysia. Two years later, Fukuoka began receiving youth delegations from Malaysia. This and other exchange activities resulted in Ipoh extending an invitation to become a  sister city to Fukuoka. The sister city relationship was officially concluded in March 1989, in the presence of the King of Malaysia.

As the nation's mining capital, Ipoh is the most important station on the Kuala Lumpur–Butterworth railway and the focus of highways across the valley. A small airstrip links the area with other major west coast cities.