Introduction

For nearly seven hundred years, the Straits of Malacca has always been a bustling scene in the Malay Peninsula. In the north, the mouth of the Larut River marked the onset of the mining boom in Perak after the signing of the Pangkor Treaty between local rulers and the British in 1874. With such an important historical trajectory, the honour of being a renowned ancient settlement is not exclusive to just Taiping (The “Rain City”) and Kangsar (The “Royal City”). Indeed, there is another hidden gem worth exploring.

Kuala Sepetang, a fishing village nestled along the coastal area filled with mangrove forests, was once designated as an important trader’s port during the British colonial period. Consequently, the first railway was constructed here 1 June 1885, spanning 12.8 kilometres from Port Weld to Taiping, one year earlier than the railway connecting Kuala Lumpur and Klang. With such a rich historical background, coupled with a decade of community and environmental education, Kuala Sepetang has gradually transformed from a coastal fishing village, previously overlooked, now into one of the interesting tourist attractions of Malaysia.

Today ecotourism and seafood dining thrive here, making Sepetang a favourite weekend and holiday destination for many tourists – whether passing through on the way to Taiping or intentionally staying overnight. Everyone comes to enjoy the rich local ecology, such as mangroves, fireflies, fish farms and coastal ecosystems. However, the most popular heritage attraction, unique to this area and with decades of history, is the charcoal kilns sourced from the rich mangrove forests.

 Why “Re-Look Port Weld?”

After a decade of progress, Kuala Sepetang has now gained much greater significance. Despite accumulating various resources along the way, this progress should not halt at its current stage. The achievements of the past merely laid foundational stones, and the future trajectory of Sepetang hinges upon contemporary perspectives and community empowerment.

Among all the heritage assets in this village, charcoal kilns are the most valuable historical assets to preserve. What direction should this sunset industry take? Established since the Japanese occupation period, it has evolved from a mere export to Japan and limited local usage to presenting a new realm of opportunities for the present times.

The burning question is: How can we utilize modern technologies and adopt sustainable practices to foster the coexistence and prosperity of mangroves and charcoal kilns?

Therefore, it is imperative to engage the wider public through community initiatives such as the Storytelling Travel Kit, together with other captivating activities and artisanal designs. This will greatly nurture community connectivity with various experts, fostering enhanced resource sharing and synchronized efforts. All these endeavors are aligned fully with our anticipated impacts and goals for the coming decade.

Moreover, the continuous significance of Kuala Sepetang requires the return of more young individuals to their roots, collaboratively advocating for mangrove conservation and revitalizing the charcoal kiln industry. This entails endeavors such as mangrove preservation, fostering sustainability within the charcoal kiln industry, and nurturing ancillary products like the local brand Ni Siap or natural dyes sourced from mangrove bark. By aligning with international demands for environmental sustainability, we can actively communicate and collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including domestic and foreign academic institutions, green energy professionals, artists and tourism experts, alongside the community represented by kiln owners, village committees and residents. Through collective knowledge-seeking, we can explore avenues for growth through discussions, workshops, and exchanges.

Having already tapped into the potential value of mangroves and charcoal, and initiated positive economic chains, we can now expand the industrial value of mangroves through avenues like academic research and technological investments, all within the framework of sustainability. By sharing joy through communal efforts, we can collectively stride towards the international stage.

2024 Ten-Year Anniversary Environmental and Art Projec

The upcoming “2024 Re-Look Port Weld – 10 th anniversary Kuala Sepetang Community Environmental Art Project ” is not a large-scale festival celebration, but rather a series of workshops, roundtable discussions, and dialogues planned for the 10th anniversary, with special emphasis on exploring and reflecting on the past, present and future.

With the involvement of Taiwanese eco-environmental community-building teams, various artists from different fields have been invited for exhibitions, host forums, and exploring the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and other topics. The aim is to cultivate opportunities for local sustainable management of traditional industries, especially charcoal kilns, and to assist in promoting industries and enhancing the value of products through storytelling and creativity, thereby “re-looking” at Kuala Sepetang.

Kuala Sepetang is not just about ecotourism; it has become a place where “Make Community as the Classroom, and the Earth teaches us lesson.” bringing outdoor education into daily life, seeing nature first-hand ! Therefore, the Re-Look Port Weld plan is not a spontaneous occurrence, nor is it a desperate attempt at revival. Instead, it arises from love for this place and concern for the future, combined with the excellent circumstances built by everyone over the past decade, prompting a revisit, re-discussion and re-enactment.