Gallery Photo Pictures: Gua Tempurung (Tempurung Caves)

Friday, July 15, 2011

Gua Tempurung (Tempurung Caves)

On the Penang bridge, driving from the island to the mainland early
in the morning.

The warm glow of the morning sun.

The North-South Expressway.

Golden Flowstone chamber.

Gua Tempurung is the largest limestone cave in Peninsular Malaysia.It stretches for 1.9 kilometres and is made up of five huge domes. There are 5 massive caverns which are shaped like coconuts, which explains the name ‘Tempurung’ (coconut shell in Malay). They are –

• Golden Flowstone
• Giant (Gergasi)
• Tin Mine
• Universe (Alam)
• Fallen Warrior and Battlefield

Each dome has different formations of stalagmites and stalactites as well as differing temperatures, water levels, content of limestone and marble.

Walkways and platforms enable you to get a closer view of the stalactites,
stalagmites and rock formations.

As one of the larger cave systems found in the scenic limestone hills of Perak, Gua Tempurung impresses with the beauty of its majestic columns of marble inside its huge caverns and honeycombed with smaller caves, of different dimensions.

Walkways have been built within some parts of the caves making it easy for visitors to have a leisurely stroll while taking in the sights of the beautiful underground waterfalls and the pendant stalactites hanging from the roof.

Look closely at the rocks and you will find closed communities of microscopic life-forms, many of which depend on food brought in by bats and birds to the cave.

There are scorpions, fish, snakes and small insects hidden in small niches, but are only visible to the more alert visitors.

Each cave carries its own legends, and Gua Tempurung is no exception. Many believe the cave was used as a hideout for terrorists during World War II and the Emergency. It is said that Lee Meng, the notorious communist courier, once used the cave as a hideout. The fact that his name appears on one of the walls deep inside the cave certainly seems to support this story.

Another story speaks of the cave being used by the Japanese as a prison during their occupation of Malaya. This is made more evident by the existence of a gate-like structure made of horizontal steel bars.

The cave is divided into several sections, with the lower cave passage called the Molesworth Allen Tunnel, named in honour of the botanists, Betty Molesworth Allen.

At the end of this tunnel, the cave opens up to Alam Cavern, the largest of the three major caverns, which is more than 130 metres in width and towers 72 metres high.

In Tin Miners' Cavern, the cave splits into two levels, the upper about eight metres above the stream and bearing the scars of early alluvial activity, while the lower passage follows the stream.

The Gergasi Cavern (Gergasi means giant in the Malay language) is the last of the cave sections. It is named Gergasi because it holds a huge column, which is some 15 metres in height and 17 metres in length. The column stands sentinel- like at the end of the chamber, like a giant genie guarding its treasure.

At the end of the trip visitors are rewarded with a rainbow of colour from sunshine reflected off the cave walls.