The oldest man-made structure in South East Asia, and why you've never heard of it
The Bujang Valley (called Lembah Bujang in Malay), is an area of 224 square kilometres, and is littered with ancient Bhuddist temples. The oldest of these ruins is estimated to be more than 2,500 years old, making it the oldest in SE Asia. It is located in Kedah, a Malaysian state.
For reference, Angkor Wat in Cambodia (the supposed largest religious complex in the world), is 1.6 square kilometres. Angkor Wat's construction took place from 1122-1150.
So why isn't it more well known?
To be clear: I am not a historian with extensive knowledge on the subject, I was just curious when I heard about it, and decided to make this post mostly for my own reference. As a Malaysian myself, I was surprised when I heard about for the first time over dinner a few days ago with my Gramma, who is Kedahan. So, I've made this (non-comprehensive) list based on research and my own opinions.
Time. As with all historical buildings, these temples (called candi- pronounced "chandi") have faced the onslaught of time. Thanks to Malaysia's humid climate, the wooden roofs have rotted through, exposing the rest of the building to weather and insects. Because of this, many written records and scriptures from the period these temples were in use have also been lost.
Development. In 2013, a 1,200 year old temple was destroyed by propertu developers. This candi was the 11th of 17 registered, and was one of the oldest in Kedah, and led to public outrage. The government of Kedah responded by stating they were not in the wrong because the land was privately owned and it had not been gazetted as a site of historical significance. Since then, the Tourism and Heritage Ministry has agreed to 'consider' gazetting it, and has been nominated by Malaysia (and backed by numerous Asian countries) into the UNESCO World Heritage List. This happened in the same year (2013), but still has not made it.
Disorganisation. The museum in Bujang Valley itself is unkempt and disorganised. Relics and artifacts from the numerous candi are also scattered across the Malayan Peninsular, from Muzium Negara (the Nation Museum) to Singaporean museums (as Singapore was once a part of Malaya). Because of this, it must be difficult for scholars to write extensive research; the resources are not readily avaliable.
Funding & Skills. The original archeological dig was lead in part by Western archeologists that have since left the country. Now, Malaysia is not a wealthy country, and to be honest, the government's focus just simply isn't on history. Despite the revenue tourism and outside eyes would bring, the time and cost it would take to restore the candis is not yet seen as "worth it". Thankfully, the government announced in 2017 that they would do more research and preserve Bunjang Valley's incredible historical significance. However, with the recent political climate (3 elections in as many years, as well as the imprisonment of a former Prime Minister) as well as storms and flooding throughout Peninsular Malaysia, it is not surprising that not much progress has been made. Currently, local graduate archeology students are the ones spending the most time at the different sites across Lembah Bujang, uncovering and organising new relics such as stone caskets, ceramics, ornaments and Hindu icons.
Location. There is evidence from "resting" ships buried under the earth, and records from elsewhere in Kedah, that the region was once a bustling port. The reason for this is simple: an abundance of iron. Gunung Jerai (Mount Jerai) is rich in haematite and magnetite. The ore was then smelted and traded at these ports for weapons, chariots, and armour, which explains the wealth uncovered within the temples. However, this is no longer the case. With the aforementioned "resting" ships, alongside the fact that this area is no longer as rich as it once was, it won't have escaped your notice that something happened to change the economic and geographical landscape of Lembah Bujang. This factor was falling sea levels. The ports dried up, and such trading was no longer convinient for sea-farers.
And that's all I have the time to write right now. I'm not sure how many people will see this, so if you did, I hope it was an interesting read! With that being said, this was just the culmination of a couple days research, and is not an academic paper. If you have any more knowledge on Bujang Valley and its temples, please share! I'd love to hear more insight on the topic :)
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Trip ke Tempat Menarik JB-Alor Setar-Kota Bharu-JB : Bukit Melawati, Selangor
Trip ke Tempat Menarik JB-Alor Setar-Kota Bharu-JB : Bukit Melawati, Selangor
Setelah tak beberapa lama kami keluar dari Latar Expressway-Tol Ijok kami pun sampai ke bandar Bukit Melawati. yang korang nampak di atas ialah berupa seperti replika rumah api( lighthouse) yang terletak di bawah Bukit Melawati, Kuala Selangor.
Bukit Melawati ni sebenarnya kalau korang nak tau ialah salah satu…
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Langkawi
My last visit to Langkawi in 2020 was pretty memorable because on the day I landed, Singapore basically announced that it's going into a lockdown the next day. So I was pretty much screwed and had to serve 14 days quarantine when I came back home. Thank you Covid.
Wasn't really keen to visit it again (I've been to Langkawi like a gazillion times in the past) but my cousin INSISTED that she wants to go there for her 30th birthday, so I was basically forced to visit with her and play tourist guide.
An absolute must-have when you're in Langkawi: Assam Laksa
After two days of eating Chinese seafood, we were really craving for good, homecooked food. Thankfully we found Rao's Curry, tucked away in a quiet corner of Pantai Cenang, surrounded by shady palm trees and rice paddy fields. To say that the food was good would be an understatement because it was absolutely fantastic!
You haven't really visited Langkawi if you never had a night out while you're there.
So here's the sad part: Pantai Cenang is overrun with development. There are buildings so high you would have never guessed there was a beach just next to it, and everywhere, there was some kind of construction going on. Even the beach was not what it used to be; the water was murky and looked like chocolate milk shake.
If you're planning on visiting Langkawi, I'd day, skip it. If you absolutely have to, then you're better off staying elsewhere and perhaps only include Pantai Cenang as part of your itinerary, or give it the miss altogether.
That said, most of the nicer eateries and fun stuff are at Pantai Cenang, so you'll probably have to go there anyway for drinks or dinner.
Adios!
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