Gua Tambun

Gua Tambun is an archaeological site with rock paintings on a limestone cliff face, featuring reddish-orange depictions of humans, animals, and geometric patterns. The artworks spread across the rock surface and can be viewed from a short walking trail that approaches the site.

The site was discovered in 1959 during a military exercise by a British Army officer and later recognized as a significant prehistoric location. These paintings come from an era when prehistoric communities lived in this region and left their mark on the rock.

The rock paintings depict dugongs, tapirs, wild boars, and deer, showing what animals lived in this region when ancient communities thrived here. These images reveal which creatures mattered most to the people who created them.

The site is located near a petrol station on Jalan Tambun in Ipoh and can be reached via a track beside a polo field. A short walk brings you to the cliff where the rock paintings are visible, and sturdy shoes are helpful for the terrain.

Research has identified over 600 individual prehistoric art elements at the site, making it possibly the largest rock art collection in the country. This number reveals the intensity of artistic activity that took place at this single location.