Jerai Hill Resort re-visited

There were many high points in our Kedah road trip with the Nandaka Vihara monks last month but undoubtedly, the highlight was the overnight stay at the Jerai Hill Resort up at Gunong Jerai. Personally, this was our second visit to the resort as we had visited in April last year. 

This time around, we booked ourselves and the whole group of monks and volunteers into the chalets instead of the duplex apartments. Everyone in the group enjoyed the cool air and moreover, they enjoyed the breath-taking views which looked over the Kedah rice fields and coastline at Yan District.

I could see that they were most impressed with the evening views. The Sri Lankan monk was the first to make a beeline for the viewpoint as he waited patiently for the sun to drop below the horizon. Soon enough, he was joined by the chief monk as well as the volunteers who had joined the road trip. There were 15 of us in total, if I'm not mistaken.

At about eight o'clock, a group of the volunteers assembled outside for chanting until the temperature became too cold for them to continue. Me? I had preferred the warmer temperature of the chalets. We moved off in the morning after breakfast but I could sense that one day, we shall return again to the Jerai Hill Resort. 

Enjoying some small talk with Mr Salim, the General Manager of Jerai Hill Resort

Bujang Valley archaeological museum

Unlike Sungai Batu which was the centre of commerce and industry around the Third Century, the Bujang Valley archaeological site, about 6½ kilometres away as the crow flies, was the seat of Hinduism and Buddhism in pre-Islamic Kedah. The Bujang Valley was located at the base of Kedah Peak - or what is now known as the Jerai Hills - which could be seen from a long way off and seafarers could easily navigate themselves towards this centre of commerce and religion. 

My wife and I first visited the Bujang Valley archaeological site in April 2022. We had walked the grounds and visited every one of the five chandi structures there. But unfortunately, all that are present today are the broken-down remains. As important relics, these chandi structures are now all cordoned off for preservation. Visitors are prevented from getting too close and damaging them. 

When we visited the archaeological site last month with some monks from the Nandaka Vihara meditation society, we chose to look through the exhibits in the museum which we missed the last time. I was astonished by rick collection. The displays were evidence of a flourishing Bujang Valley all those centuries ago. Traders from China, India and the Middle East had made their way here to interact with one another. This was a significant cultural hotspot for centuries until it was gradually abandoned over time (why?) and eventually forgotten, only for it to be discovered later by the archaeologists.

By the way, this museum, and in fact, the whole archaeological site, is part of the Jerai Geopark.

Tuyere, an important tool in the smelting and processing of iron. It is a wind blower in which air is sent to the furnace to regulate the temperature for various types of metal. The word comes from the Old German word tuyau and this tool is also called tu-iron, twyer or twire-pipe.

Jars for liquid storage

Glazed urine pots from Siam

Clay pots with stamping technique

Hundreds of thousands of ancient beads of various shapes, sizes and colours were discovered at Sungai Mas in Kuala Muda. These beads were made of glass, gemstones, onyx, comelian, shell, turquoise stone, gold silver, clay, terracotta and fish bones 

Obviously from the Middle-East

It would be a bit remiss to write about the museum without saying something about the archaeological site itself. There are various chandi structures on display here. For example, the Pendiat Temple which was originally located in Kampong Pendiat and subsequently relocated to the archaeological grounds.

This Bukit Batu Pahat Temple was the main temple in the Bujang Valley. It was originally sited in Bukit Batu Pahat and subsequently relocated here by the archaeologists.

Initially found in Kampong Bendang Dalam, this chandi was taken apart and painstakingly reassembled here, just like all the rest

Sungai Batu archaeological site

The Sungai Batu archaeological site is a stone's throw from the Sungai Merbok mangrove forest reserve, barely 2.5 kilometres separate them. However, getting from the forest reserve to the archaeological site by car takes one through a 7.5-kilometre route. However, the place is well worth a visit to learn a bit more about the rich history of the Bujang Valley. 

Here in Sungai Batu, one can see the remains of old stone furnaces that dated back to the Third Century which were used for iron smelting. There is also evidence of an old riverine network from the remains of an old jetty used to load and unload trade commodities that may include iron ore. Although the ancient river has disappeared, these remains showed that Sungai Batu was once part of a maritime network connected to other parts of Southeast Asia, India and possibly China.

Sungai Batu is thus one of the most significant archaeological sites in the country. It offers valuable insights into the ancient trading networks, cultural exchanges and technological advancements of the Iron Age civilisations in South-east Asia. And like the Sungai Merbok mangrove forest reserve, it is part of the Jerai Geopark complex.

ADDENDUM: What a coincidence! There's a web story from Channel News Asia today on this very same topic: the sungai Batu archaeological site which can be read here. It mentioned that Sungai Batu is possibly older than Borobudur in Indonesia and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The Malaysian Government must be appreciative of this fact and be brave enough to support the archaeological studies around Sungai Batu and the Bujang Valley fully and not let politics or the past cloud its better judgment.

 

Sungai Merbok mangrove forest reserve

My wife and I haven't been to many mangrove forests/parks/swamps but I distinctly remember two. The first was near the Tua Pek Kong temple in Sitiawan about six years ago while the second was at Tanjong Piai where we walked to the southernmost tip of Johore in 2019. To reach there, we had to cross a mangrove swamp on a boardwalk. Oh yes, I now remember a third mangrove swamp at Pulau Ubin, Singapore, which we visited in 2018.

There is now a fourth: the protected Sungai Merbok Mangrove Forest Reserve in Kedah, where we were last month as part of our Kedah excursion with some monks and volunteers from the Nandaka Vihara. This forest reserve is located near the mouth of the Sungai Merbok where it meets the Strait of Malacca. There are about 3,000 hectares of forest reserve land which is known for its rich biodiversity. 

Ecologically, the place is home to a diverse array of flora and fauna. It supports various mangrove species which provide important nesting and breeding sites for numerous bird species, including migratory birds that travel long distances. A haven for birdwatchers as kingfishers, herons, egrets and eagles have been observed. The wildlife here include reptiles, amphibians and mammals. 

The oyster industry is among the economic activities carried out by the Jerai Geopark community in Sungai Merbok. The villagers use the Sungai Merbok area as a source of livelihood by fishing in the traditional method known as pompang apart from raising fish in cages or catching them in nets. Another known activity is the production of charcoal from the mangrove trees but this is a dying industry. As far as I know, there is only one major charcoal factory left in nearby Semiling.

A model of a furnace which was once used to make charcoal from the mangrove trees