Batu Kawan
Encyclopedia
Batu Kawan is an island with a small town in the area of Penang
, Malaysia. The island is situated off Seberang Perai
, which is on the mainland
. One of the ends of the future Penang Second Bridge
is in Batu Kawan. The Batu Kawan Stadium (Penang's state stadium) is also located there.
Batu Kawan was long considered a quiet backwater, noted for sugar-cane, coconut and rubber plantations in the 19th century. It was among the oldest towns in Penang. Since the government chose Batu Kawan as the mainland site for the Penang Second Bridge
, its development and progress have come under intense scrutiny.
The steps continued to the top of the hill and down the other side. They were believed to have been built by a rich quarry owner about 200 years ago. At the summit of the 776 ft-high hill there once sat a village, for whose villagers the steps had been built. The waterfall near the summit has dried up since the plantation of rubber trees.
The ruins of the steps are now covered by forest vegetation and soil, and there remain only some stone structures to indicate the position of the old pathway, which ends at the beach near Batu Musang jetty.
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, Malaysia. The island is situated off Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai / Beseran Darul Hidayah, formerly Province Wellesley, is a narrow hinterland opposite Penang island on the Malay Peninsula, which together with the island forms the Malaysian state of Penang. Its principal town is Butterworth...
, which is on the mainland
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
. One of the ends of the future Penang Second Bridge
Penang Second Bridge
The Penang Second Bridge is a new bridge under construction in Penang, Malaysia. It will connect Batu Kawan on the mainland Seberang Perai and Batu Maung on Penang Island. It will be the second bridge to link the island to the mainland after Penang Bridge...
is in Batu Kawan. The Batu Kawan Stadium (Penang's state stadium) is also located there.
Batu Kawan was long considered a quiet backwater, noted for sugar-cane, coconut and rubber plantations in the 19th century. It was among the oldest towns in Penang. Since the government chose Batu Kawan as the mainland site for the Penang Second Bridge
Penang Second Bridge
The Penang Second Bridge is a new bridge under construction in Penang, Malaysia. It will connect Batu Kawan on the mainland Seberang Perai and Batu Maung on Penang Island. It will be the second bridge to link the island to the mainland after Penang Bridge...
, its development and progress have come under intense scrutiny.
Local History
The tiny island has many hidden historical gems, dating back to the days of the British colonial masters.Tangga Seribu
Locals in Batu Kawan would have heard about Tangga Seribu (a thousand steps) which charted a path up Bukit Batu Kawan but few outsiders have knowledge about it.The steps continued to the top of the hill and down the other side. They were believed to have been built by a rich quarry owner about 200 years ago. At the summit of the 776 ft-high hill there once sat a village, for whose villagers the steps had been built. The waterfall near the summit has dried up since the plantation of rubber trees.
The ruins of the steps are now covered by forest vegetation and soil, and there remain only some stone structures to indicate the position of the old pathway, which ends at the beach near Batu Musang jetty.