CHARCOAL FACTORY IN KUALA SEPETANG, PERAK, MALAYSIA

Kuala Sepetang is a coastal town located in the middle of a spectacular mangrove swamp forest 16km away from the old town of Taiping , Perak Malaysia.

Kuala Sepetang has excellent seafoods and also well known for its mangrove swamp reserve park and traditional charcoal kilns which produces some of the finest striking charcoal named : "The Black Gold" (黑金）which was highly in demand as an air purifier or an art, decoration piece.

According to the history background... These charcoal kilns was set up by the Japanese about 70 years ago during the Japanese occupation of Malaya and the Japanese destroyed the charcoal kilns at the end of their occupation of Malaya but those locals being working at the Japanese factory manage to rebuild them and created industry for themselves. 

  

The charcoal factory in Matang (Kuala Sepetang) is located right in the middle of a spectacular mangrove forest with an ingenious canal system  created from the factories site leading to Kapal Changkol river which allowing boatmen to transport the logs to the factories during high tide, 

As presented by the factory's operator.... to extract moisture from the logs by putting them in smoked kilns ~ is still the best traditional methods.  And for the method to work, skilled workers and experts are needed to smell the steam coming out from a vent in the kiln and to feels the steam with his hand to determine whether the kiln is at the right temperature and also  to determine whether the logs are ready after each step of the process including the arrangement of  the heavy logs inside the kiln which to be placed vertically and make sure none of them fall during the smoking process. This fascinating process has made the factory one of the most interesting tourist destinations around the Taiping area,

A hot empty kiln.

Logs filling work in progress.

A completely filled klin.

The interior shot of  those logs placed vertically in circle .

The kiln are sealed and the logs burn very slowly to transform into charcoal. 

The packaging corner for the cooking fuel charcoal.

Yes, the charcoal factory area was hot and the floor was full of charcoal dust, but the air was surprisingly clear and the factory was relatively clean and we did not leave the place with our clothes dusty or dirty. 

From Taiping Town head southwest on Jalan Kota toward Jalan Kelab Cina.  

At 1km ahead Slight Left onto Jalan Taiping-Kuala Sepetang/Route 74. 

At 15km ahead, Charcoal Kilns, Kuala Sepetang  will be on the left.