Quiet Morning at Sungai Lembing Town 27 Jul 2013

After we came down from the Panorama Hill, we reached the food court to have our breakfast. Unfortunately for us the famous ‘San Sui Tofu’ all finished, and we just managed to eat normal noodle soup with some ‘Yong Tau Foo’ only.

The crowds were huge and the queuing is long and have to wait for the noodles. I asked Ika to accompany both Issac & Annabelle find a seating place, while I and Esiang help to order and take the food. We were so rushing until all of us did not take any photo of our breakfast at all.

After our rushing breakfast, then we have a walk in the Sungai Lembing town. The town is so simple, it is actually just like cowboy town – one main street and have one more secondary street.

In the centre of the street, there is a giant old tree standing in the centre of the road. You can’t miss this tree as it is old and huge. It can be considered as a land mark of Sungai Lembing.

During its heyday, Sungai Lembing had the largest, longest and deepest subterranean tin mine in the world and was once the richest town and producer of tin in Pahang.

It was considered as the El-Dorado of the East in the then Malaya, as it contained a large community of white British people at Lembah Sungai Kenau ("Kenau River Valley").

When the British came to Pahang in the late 1800s, the mining concession area at Sungai Lembing was taken over by the British owned Pahang Corporation.

In its heyday, Sungai Lembing is equipped with some amenities such as schools, hospitals, shops, police stations, homes, good transport system and others. Sungai Lembing estimated population at that time was of 10,000 residents.

The fall of Sungai Lembing from 1984 by PCCL mining operations ceased as a result of the collapse of tin prices in the world market.

Furthermore, the global economic crisis in 1986 has caused many companies suffered losses. In 1987, this mine remained closed by PCCL following the expiry of the lease for 21 years, and the area was handed back to the State Government of Pahang.

Closure of the tin mines had many negative impacts on the Town of Sungai Lembing. It has changed the face of this city who had previously been silent noise. The population began to decline, and many migrate to other places to earn a living.

Sungai Lembing at this time the city became like dead because the atmosphere is so gloomy. After a long closed state government has taken over and handed over to local authorities, the Kuantan Municipal Council (MPK) as a tourist attraction.

We walked on the town, still can see the ages of the buildings, especially all the shop houses is made by timber planks and wood. Some of them have converted into the lodge or homestay. There are ATV to be rental too parking in front of the shops.

We re-visited the hanging bridges again this morning after our Sungai Lembing Museum trip. It is so serene and quiet place to live, of coarse for leisure.

During we were driving to the hanging bridges, at the road side, we did come across some places with a big hole at the side of the rocky mountain.

Esiang told us that, it were the mining tunnels previously where they used for mining the tin ores. It looks dark inside and big enough for a man to walk in. We just don’t dare to walk in.

Took a few pictures for Issac. I know they were having fun time too.

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