Feb 4 - Yesterday I organized a boat tour into the Matang Mangrove Forest Preserve. This is the largest mangrove forest in Malaysia, about 40,000 hectares, and its about a 30 minute drive west of Taiping. The only port entry for the forest is at the town of Kuala Sepetang.
Before we leave Taiping to the boat, we swing east through the large city park first. Its dominant feature is a series of lakes. These are not natural but tin mining pits that have been filled in with water channeled down from the nearby river. This was done so long ago that it now looks natural. The only feature that might betray something artificial is that the lakes are at an unusually high level compared with the river and town.
The port of Kuala Sepetang is not a natural harbor, but created entirely from the swamp by building a railway line from Taiping. Tin mining started (at large scale) in this area in the 1820’s, and spread from here down to KL. The railway was the easiest way for the British to export it as efficiently as possible, even though it meant building up a solid base for many kilometers through soft mud. The port of Kuala Sepetang doesn’t face the open ocean, but rather just a large estuary channel.
There are three main industries in this town. The most important, historically, is the production of charcoal. The need for this is coupled with the original railway line and ships of the 1800’s, both of which required fuel in the form of coal. Perhaps surprisingly, mangrove wood is good for charcoal, if prepared in a very specific way. It is still produced today, though at a much smaller scale, and is only of use for private individuals. I noticed some store fronts selling it wrapped in red bows, trying to give it some aesthetic like a Chinese New Year’s present. The irony of getting a piece of (char)coal for Christmas seems to not be a thing here.
A bit about mangrove logging. This is a managed forest, in that only certain areas are permitted for cutting. First, a partial cutting is made (thinning) at 15 years, then a second cutting of the larger trees remaining occurs at 30 years. This ensures that there is some tree cover at all times.
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In our wanderings at night to seek out dinner in Taiping, we come across a stage set in the local mall, obviously geared for Chinese New Year.