• Kuantan,  Malaysia,  Pahang,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Sungai Lembing Mines, Kuantan, Pahang

    After visiting Sungai Lembing Museum, I followed my husband and his boss together with the production crew accompanied by an officer from the museum to visit Sungai Lembing Mines. Yassin and I were thrilled because this was our first experience entering a mine! There are actually 3 mines opening there but we were guided through the original mine, the part that has been restored and now open for visitors.

    Mines-openings

    We entered the mine by a tram. It brought us to about halfway inside the original mine and later we have to walk. We were also accompanied by few workers working on the restoration of the mines to ensure our safety. They also tell us a bit of history about the mines and the restoration that have been done to the mine.

    tram

    The original mine displays various collections of mining paraphernalia. There are mannequins, drilling machines, trams, interactive exhibits, info boards and other extravaganzas.

    Chronology
    Chronology of Companies handling the mines.  In 1888, Sultan Ahmad Al-Mu’adzamShah of Pahang granted an 80-year tin mining concession, covering 2000 square miles, to the English-controlled Pahang Corporation.

    Pioneers
    Information board about the pioneers of the mines of how The Pahang Corporation built wharves, warehouses and hospital after their migrant Chinese workers fell victim to beri-beri and intestinal disease.

    Sculptures
    Mannequins to represent workers working in the mine. Photographs were given as reference to the commissioned mannequins sculptors in India. They were shipped here and placed in the Million Dollar Chamber.

    Million Dollar Chamber
    A large scale heist of epic proportions was believed to have happened in this chamber in 1987, shortly after the closure of the mine. It is believed that a band of around 20 unpaid miners took matters in their own hands and illegally mined tin ores under the cover of night. Prospecting RM2,000 to RM3,000 worth of tin ore nightly, over a prolonged period of time, the miners made a total haul at around RM1,000,000. The mined ore was believed to have been crushed manually in their homes before being sol on the black market.

    Chamber
    The Million Dollar Chamber.

    Hit-and-Measure
    Yassin got to play with one of the interactive exhibits in the mine: Hit and Measure. He need to use the hammer to hit each ‘rock’ hard and quickly and see what’s his score on the meter. A higher score shows a larger impact. Miners used 10-pound hammer all day to break rocks into smaller sizes. To make work easier, they would always aim for the most impact!

    Carbide-lamp
    Kerosene lamp on display.

    mannequins
    More mannequins at work.

    Basically, the exhibits inside the original mines educate visitors about the process of how mining was carried out in the yesteryears as well as discover how tin mining had contributed in the historical path of this country. My son and I had a blast learning about things we never knew before. My husband was busy with his boss discussing about work, so we let them be. We read the information and played along with the interactive exhibits. It was really an educational trip for us. We hope to come back again to see the mine in its full working condition as this visit was actually few weeks prior to its opening on January 1, 2013.

    Sungai Lembing Mines, once the deepest and longest tin mines in the world, are preserved in their most natural and original settings. It was operated since 1886 for a period of a century on a big scale thus making Sungai Lembing renowned throughout the world.

    Here’s more pictures of Yassin in the mine:

    talking
    Yassin ‘talking’ to the tired ‘workers’.

    liltinminer
    Yassin, the little tin miner.

    handpumpcar
    Yassin got his hand on the hand-pump car after getting out from the mine.

    The living museum of Sungai Lembing is an award winning tourist attraction (Winner of LivCom award UAE!) that offers a rare experience of exploration and adventure for you and your kids. If you are interested to visit this place, here are some useful information that you need to know:

    • Tickets: Adult RM60 (MyKad RM30), Kids RM30 (MyKid RM15). Buy online at Sungai Lembing Mines website to get a discounted price.
    • Operating schedule:  Open Everyday! Monday to Thursday: 10 am – 8 pm; Friday to Sunday: 10 am – 10 pm
    • Please read and understand the mine’s rules and regulations.
    • Visit Sungai Lembing Mines website to get more information.