Chemor is a town established north of Ipoh in the 19th century. The town is sandwiched between the 2 granite ranges, known as the Main Range (east of it), and the Kledahg Range (west of it). The limestone outcrops of Gunung Kuang located westwards, and Gunung Kanthan on the north, are also visible from the town.

The locals believed that the name “Chemor” came from the Malay word “cemar”, meaning to dirty or pollute, when migrating elephants frequently stained themselves due to the mud in the area while travelling between Kuala Kangsar and today’s Ipoh.

Like many other towns in Perak, Chemor also began booming in population when more and more mining land were opened up in the vicinities. One of the stations along the earliest rail lines in peninsula Malaya was also established in Chemor, following findings of great deposits of tin, which drew even more people into the town. Chemor was also an important “market town” due to the agricultural activities there, with British companies also setting up rubber plantations in the area.

Some of the earliest businesses in Chemor involved farmers selling their crops, as well as Chinese shops selling timber and rattan furniture. Today, the town of Chemor is home to a large population, with a range of amenities encompassing convenience stores, mini markets, petrol stations, clinics, pharmacies, banks, restaurants, eateries, and more within. There is also a great number of schools in the town of Chemor, including SJK (C) Pei Cheng, SK Haji Mahmud, SK Seri Kelebang, SJK (C) Kuala Kuang, and SMK Dato’ Haji Mohd Taib among others.

Some of the main roads which enable accessibility to and from Chemor are Jalan Kuala Kangsar, Jalan Chemor, and Jalan Chemor-Tanjung Rambutan. Jalan Kuala Kangsar connects the town to the Ipoh city centre, about 18km south of it, while the royal town of Kuala Kangsar is approximately 35km in the opposite direction, via Jalan Kuala-Kangsar-Chemor. The North-South Expressway (NSE) is also reachable from Chemor via Jalan Kuala Kangsar, just before Ipoh.