Batu Arang Heritage Trail...

"Normality is a paved road: it’s comfortable to walk but no flowers grow..." - Vincent van Gogh

(Pekan Batu Arang)

(Batu Arang Heritage Town)

Today we decided to visit the historical town of Batu Arang and trace its heritage trail.

Batu Arang means 'charcoal' in Malay. Coal was first found in Batu Arang in the early 1900s and mining became commercially viable. In mid 1913, a British coal miner, John Archibald Russell, formed the Malayan Collieries Ltd to start mining operations in Batu Arang. In the 1930s, only the Batu Arang mine was still operational and offered jobs to residents. Because of the high demand of coal, the mining activities were operating round the clock employing 5,000 miners working in shifts.

(The map of Batu Arang)

In the early years, Batu Arang became the most developed town in Selangor and was known to local residents as Mini Gold Hill. The developing town even had an airstrip, a railway line, gurkha’s police base, police station and a brick factory. There were also houses for the miners, British officers and bungalows for the mine managers.

The mining operations ended in 1960. Today, the airstrip and railway line are only just memories in pictures. However, the air wells of the mines could still be seen covered in undergrowth. The air well was dug to a depth of 330m and there are hundreds of underground tunnels stretching the entire town of Batu Arang. This is why there are no high-storey buildings in the town or development that requires piling work.

Batu Arang Heritage Trails visited: 

1. Batu Arang Heritage Town Column
GPS 3.31876, 101.47215
03°19′07.54″N 101°28′19.74″E

(The iconic Town Column)

(The start of the Heritage Trail)

(The last time we were here was in 1980)

(Strategically located at the only round about in town)

(Jalan Albert Fenelum, Batu Arang)

2. Rows Of Old Shops
3.31832, 101.47204
03°19′05.95″N 101°28′19.34″E

 

(There are only two rows of shop houses)

(Repainted shops and still in use)

(Old shop lots in the centre of town)

(Wandering herd of cows, a typical local scene)

3. Street Arts of Penki Tea Shop

3.318385, 101.472109

03°19′06.19″N 101°28′19.59″E

(Colourful Penki Tea Shop)

(Parking our pick-up by the road side)

(A welcoming sign)

(Simple map to locate interesting places)

(A brief history of the coal mines)

(Murals of coal miners)

(Street Arts and murals on the wall of a coffee shop)

(Capturing a local scene)

(A typical coffee shop scene)

3. Chinese Traditional Shop House
3.31644, 101.47155
03°18′59.18″N 101°28′17.58″E

(Traditional Chinese Shop House)

4. Former Mine Workers Sports Club
3.31703, 101.47087
03°19′01.31″N 101°28′15.13″E

(Former Mine Workers Sports Club at the end of the field)

(The building is made of red bricks)

(Stone seats for the spectators)

(A large field for sport events)

(The bigfoot taking a rest)

6. Remains of Coal Mining Tunnel
3.31237, 101.46974
03°18′44.53″N 101°28′11.06″E

 

(The site of underground coal mining tunnels)

(Old mining tunnels criss-crossing underneath the greens)

7. Former Asian Officers' Residences
3.31358, 101.46951
03°18′48.89″N 101°28′10.24″E

 

(Residence of former Asian officers)

8. Former Mine Workers' Settlement
3.31124, 101.46943
03°18′40.46″N 101°28′09.95″E

(The site of miners living quarters)

(Many quarters are still standing strong)

(Unoccupied and abandoned)

9. Remains of Batu Arang Railway Station
3.30577, 101.47104
03°18′20.77″N 101°28′15.74″E

 

(Batu Arang Railway Station has become a vegetable plot)

10. Remains of Railway Bridge
3.3056, 101.47315
03°18′20.16″N 101°28′23.34″E

 

(No remnants of the railway bridge to be seen)

12. Former Military Officers' Mess - White House
3.32889, 101.47845
03°19′44″N 101°28′42.42″E

 

(The White House, a former Officers' Mess)

14. Former Charcoal Mining Site

3.32139, 101.47432
03°19′17″N 101°28′27.55″E

(A Charcoal Mining Site)

15. Historic Post Office
3.31882, 101.47291
03°19′07.75″N 101°28′22.48″E

 

(The historical wooden Post Office)

(Located next to the football field)

(An abandoned old mansion)

16. Tuanku Abd Rahman Secondary School
3.31776, 101.4731
03°19′03.94″N 101°28′23.16″E

(Used to be Batu Arang private English school)

(The old school is still in use)

(Silat Seni Gayung is active here)

5. Chap Khuan Chinese Primary School
3.31379, 101.47021
03°18′49.64″N 101°28′12.76″E

(The entrance to Chap Khuan Chinese Primary School)

17. Former Office of Malayan Collieries Limited & Gurkha Soldiers’ Barracks
3.31933, 101.47204
03°19′09.59″N 101°28′19.34″E

(The old barracks were around the corner)

18. Remains of Brick Factory
3.31963, 101.47133
03°19′10.67″N 101°28′16.79″E

(The remains of the red brick walls)

(Brick walls surrounding the brick factory)

19. Air Shaft Building
3.32015, 101.47129
03°19′12.54″N 101°28′16.64″E

(The site of the Air Shaft Building)

(Some remnants of old the building)

20. Masjid Jame' Batu Arang
3.318233, 101.470942
03°19′05.64″N 101°28′15.43″E

(The main entrance of Masjid Jame Batu Arang)

(The back entrance)

(View from the Sport's Club field)

11. Batu Arang Police Station
3.3242, 101.47824
03°19′27.12″N 101°28′41.66″E

(The signage to the Police Station)

(The gate to the Police Station was closed)

(The Police Station looks abandoned)