Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
World War I Firing Walls
Cercle solaire du Kiischpelt
Kiischpelt’s Solar Circle
Front of the monument from the ground
Niederwald Monument
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Dug-out Dan poses for a picture.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
Rats didn’t take over the city by being foolhardy.
Do New York City Rats Deserve Their Bad Rap?
The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Malaysia Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) Geopark
AO Edited

Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) Geopark

Home to secret lakes and hidden temples.

Ipoh, Malaysia

Added By
Aksel
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
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
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

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.

Related Tags

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.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest

Orangutans, fishing villages & untouched beauty in the Borneo Rainforest.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Aksel

Published

May 13, 2025

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) Geopark
31 Jln Perniagaan Sengat
Ipoh, 31350
Malaysia
4.555643, 101.115105
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Enlightened Heart Buddhist Temple

Tambun, Malaysia

miles away

Rose Centre

Brinchang, Malaysia

miles away

Victoria Bridge

Enggor, Malaysia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Malaysia

Malaysia

Asia

Places 56
Stories 18

Nearby Places

Enlightened Heart Buddhist Temple

Tambun, Malaysia

miles away

Rose Centre

Brinchang, Malaysia

miles away

Victoria Bridge

Enggor, Malaysia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Malaysia

Malaysia

Asia

Places 56
Stories 18

Related Places

  • The entrance.

    Nong Bua, Thailand

    Wat Nong Bua Yai

    An underwater temple submerged for 20 years has resurfaced with an extreme drought.

  • Chhokangparo, Nepal

    Tsum Valley

    A remote area dotted with Buddhist temples and monasteries.

  • Tal Barahi Temple

    Pokhara, Nepal

    Tal Barahi Temple

    Lake Phewa is home to the only island temple in Nepal.

  • Underground Tunnel at Mastani Lake

    Wadki, India

    Underground Tunnel at Mastani Lake

    Once a passageway that led to the Shaniwar Wada palace fort.

  • Kanazawa, Japan

    Myouryuji (Ninja Temple)

    Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

  • Ehécatl offering zone.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Temple Ehécatl

    This Aztec structure remained hidden until the demolition of a supermarket exposed the lost temple.

  • Brooklyn, New York

    Govinda's Vegetarian Lunch

    Every dish is blessed in this basement eatery beneath a Hare Krishna temple.

  • Guanyin.

    Suzhou, China

    Chongyuan Temple's Guanyin Statue

    An enormous effigy of the goddess of compassion hides within the sanctuary.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.