Kampar: A Town Built on Tin
By Wong Yee Tuan
August 2018 TOWNS OF MALAYA
Kampar is a small town located at the southernmost end of Kinta district. Nestled at the foot of Gunung Bujang Melaka, its name is derived from Kampar River, which was used in the nineteenth century by the Orang Kampar from Sumatra to sail upriver to trade with different riverine kampungs.1 Kuala Dipang was their final stop on the river, and from there, they would traverse further inland to continue trading. Many brought their family members along, and they settled in this...
Wong Yee Tuan
is Fellow and Head of Penang Institute’s History and Heritage Programme. He hails from Malim Nawar and has profound research interest in the history of Penang.
