TheKinta Valley (Malay:Lembah Kinta) is a geographical feature andconurbation in centralPerak,Malaysia, surrounding and including the state capitalIpoh. Historically the Kinta Valley was very rich intin, and their mines have been among the most productive in the world.The valley is formed by theKinta River, a tributary of thePerak River, which flows between theTitiwangsa andKeledang Ranges.
It forms the largest tin field along the Siamese-Malayan peninsula tin belt. It has been mined since ancient times by indigenous peoples but more intensively mined by theChinese and Europeans since the end of the nineteenth century. Today, the modernKinta district is one of the ten administrative districts of Perak.[1] In 2018, the valley was declared Malaysia's second national geopark.[2]
Kinta Valley Conurbation Konurbasi Lembah Kinta | |
|---|---|
| Ipoh-Seri Iskandar-Lumut DPZ ZPP Ipoh-Seri Iskandar-Lumut | |
| Country |  Malaysia |
| State |  Perak |
| Districts | Kinta Kuala Kangsar Kampar Perak Tengah Manjung |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,988 km2 (768 sq mi) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,282,460 |
| • Density | 495/km2 (1,280/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (MST) |
The Kinta Valley Conurbation is officially known asIpoh-Seri Iskandar-Lumut Development Promotion Zone (Malay:Zon Promosi Pembangunan Ipoh-Seri Iskandar-Lumut) in the fourth National Physical Plan (NPP-4).[3] Centred in the city of Ipoh, the metropolitan area spans all ofBatu Gajah andKampar, as well as parts ofKuala Kangsar,Perak Tengah andManjung municipalities. As of 2020[update], Kinta Valley had a population of 1.28 million, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Malaysia.
| City or town | Local government | Population[4] |
|---|---|---|
| Ipoh | Ipoh City Council | 759,952 |
| Batu Gajah | Batu Gajah District Council | 126,024 |
| Kampar | Kampar District Council | 97,216 |
| Sungai Siput | Kuala Kangsar Municipal Council | 62,856 |
| Bota | Perak Tengah District Council | 30,799 |
| Seri Iskandar | 14,827 | |
| Ayer Tawar | Manjung Municipal Council | 3,050 |
| Damar Laut | 13 | |
| Pekan Gurney | 1,622 | |
| Lumut | 59,554 | |
| Sitiawan | 126,547 | |
| Kinta Valley Conurbation | 1,282,460 | |
The Kinta Valley was occupied for thousands of years by the ancestors of theOrang Asli. Prehistoric remains include theTambun rock art. The Kinta Valley has been visited for tin by Indian traders since ancient times. Buddhist bronze artefacts have been excavated in Kinta in 1931.[5]
An early method of indigenousmining was the Lombong Siam, meaning Siamese mines.[6] Malay miners usedground sluicing or the lampan method by cutting ditches from the nearest river.[7] In the nineteenth century,Mandailing migrants fromSumatra were observed using the tabuk mine, which is an excavated pit from which water is removed by cantilevered baskets.[8]
The first tin rush to Kinta lasted from 1884 to 1889 where new land was taken up by Chinese miners using labour-intensive methods. Hailing from the farmlands ofGuangdong, the Chinese mining workers at first used agricultural implements such as hoes, rakes and baskets to excavate the earth. The Chinese also introduced thewater wheel todewater the mines. The second tin rush lasted from 1889 to 1895, and was characterised by small gangs of tributers using the woodensluice box (lanchut kechil).[9] Around the turn of the twentieth century, two of the most famous large Chinese mines were theTambun Mines, owned byLeong Fee, andTronoh Mines, owned byFoo Choo Choon.[9] There were many successful Chinese miners too likeEu Tong Sen, Chop Thai Lee,Chung Thye Phin, Au Moh Yi, Yau Tet Shin, Khi Ho Nin, Shak Yin Fuk,[10] Lam Look Ing and Aw Kong. Up till the late twentieth century, Chinese women miners could be commonly observed panning tin with wooden trays (dulang) from stream-beds and tailing dumps of tin mines.
The longest operating European mine in the Kinta Valley was the FrenchSociété des Etains de Kinta[11] better known as SEK, which started operating in 1886 and only closed down in 1985.[12]Foo Choo Choon's Tronoh Mines was floated in London and became a European concern. Several opportunities arose for Osborne, founder of theGopengtin mining Company, who expanded his business by forming the famous professional partnership ofOsborne & Chappell in 1901.[13]
In 1913,dredging was put into practice by Malayan Tin Dredging Ltd. (MTD), which later became the largest tin dredging company in the world. It had a significant impact on Kinta in terms of technological advancement. The bucket dredge was introduced and was the final breakthrough of the Malayan tin mining industry.[14]
The last surviving dredge can be found atBatu Gajah along JalanTanjung Tualang. It belongs to Southern Malaya Tin Dredging.
Metropolitan areas of Malaysia
Media related toLembah Kinta at Wikimedia Commons
