In its hey day, Sungai Lembing used to be a bustling tin mining town 42 km northwest from Kuantan.
Lembing means spear and sungai means river.
It is claimed that the local ruler during that period saw a vision of a spear in the nearby river and thus named his town after this vision.
From 1891, the Pahang Consolidated Company Limited (PCCL), under British control had a 77-year lease to operate underground mining in the area. PCCL managed the mine from 1906 until its liquidation in 1986 when world tin prices collapsed.
The mines were closed in 1986 due to high operational costs and low yields.
The total tunnel length for the underground mines is 322 km, with a depth of between 610 m and 700 m.
This museum highlighting the tin mining industry was opened in 2003. The museum was previously the house of the manager of the mine.
Today the town of Sg Lembing is in decline although it was once the richest town in Pahang, known as El Dorado of the East.
In the 1940's it is estimated that about 1400 people worked in the mine.
Today many of the wooden shoplots are closed and residents have moved to bigger and better things.
I am made to understand from conversations with one of the remaining residents who was a previous miner that during the 40's, they were getting a salary of 1,000 dollars due to the nature and dangers posed by the job. I did not probe in what currancy as we were then under british occupation.
It was big money back then. I remember my grandmother used to only get 20 cents daily as pocket money for school.
The same resident also informed that, back then they were so rich that they use 10 dollar notes to roll their tobacco to smoke in the absence of cigarettes. In the dark if they would drop a 20 cent coin, they would it up 10 dollar bills for light to find the 20 cent coin.
Imagine that. How much times have changed as you can see from the pictures.
It is a far cry from its glory days.
Looks like the wild wild west, or east
An engine lying around
Sungai Lembing plaque
Operating hours
Lot of explanation is provided
If you like rustic buildings, then you will feel right at home
Sungai Lembing and Tok Tangguk
Mining was a predominantly Chinese community
Back then, I feel people were more open and fashionable, it looks as if we are going backwards
A display of how the passage in the mining tunnel would have looked like
Mining dulang
What is contained in our earth
Various minerals and rocks
Display of the underground mining
What is left of the mining factory
50 year old mini mok. It was used by the Assistant manager and engineer for site visit. Can sit 4 at most
A long walk to the top
Fire extinguisher
Due to the heat in the mining tunnels, this was the accepted dress code
Winch used for pulling steel parts
I understand that this was the Asst Managers House
Some of the houses left by PCCL
