An afternoon in Kuala Sepetang

"You don't always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens..." - Mandy Hale

(The old Port Weld Train Station)

GPS: 4.836191, 100.630366
04°50′10.29″N 100°37′49.32″E

Kuala Sepetang was formerly known as Port Weld named after a British Governor, Frederick Weld. Kuala Sepetang was the original name before being renamed. It is located near the river mouth in Taiping district in Perak. It started as a fishing village.

(The railway was built in 1885)

(A brief history of the Railway Station)

(A walk in the quiet back streets)

(A walkway bridge crossing the river)

The town of Kuala Sepetang is unique because it is a historic town because it houses the first railway station in Malaysia which was opened in 1885. Now Kuala Sepetang is a fishing town and an industrial coal factory. Here is also the Matang sea swamp forest which is the best managed forest in the world.

The main purpose for the British to build the railway from Taiping to Port Weld was to transport a lot of tin ore in Larut, Taiping and Matang. The vast area of ​​sea swamp forest also supplies firewood for the railway steam engines and water pumps in the tin mining area. Before the railroad, tin ore was transported via Sungai Larut and directly to Penang. From the Penang Port tin will be exported to Britain.

(A busy fishing village)

(Fishing boats of Port Weld)

(Houses on stilts and fishing boats)

(Local scenes at Kuala Sepetang)

(Kuala Sepetang tours)

Sungai Larut is no longer suitable for large amounts of tin. The Larut War took place between the Ghee Hin and Hai San groups causing Sungai Larut river transportation to be unsafe. The mouth of Sungai Larut is also getting shallower for ships to enter closer to the shore.