Teluk Bahang

Teluk Bahang is a suburb of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang.[1] It is located 13.6 km (8.5 mi) west of the city centre near the northwestern tip of Penang Island. Established as a fishing village, Teluk Bahang has evolved into a tourist destination, with a number of attractions built within the vicinity of the town.

Teluk Bahang
Town
Other transcription(s)
 • Jawiتلوق باهڠ
 • Chinese直落巴巷
 • HokkienTi̍t-lo̍h Pa-hāng (Tâi-lô)
Teluk Bahang Dam
Teluk Bahang Dam
Teluk Bahang is located in George Town, Penang
Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang
Location within    George Town in    Penang
Coordinates: 5°27′25″N 100°12′45″E
Country Malaysia
State Penang
DistrictSouthwest Penang Island
City George Town
Government
 • Local governmentPenang Island City Council
 • Mayor of Penang IslandRajendran P. Anthony
 • Telok Bahang State AssemblymanMuhamad Kasim (BERSATU)
 • Balik Pulau Member of ParliamentMuhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (PKR)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total7,494
Time zoneUTC+8 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)Not observed
Postal code
11050
Area code(s)+6048
Websitembpp.gov.my

Notably, it is also home to the Teluk Bahang Dam, the largest reservoir on Penang Island.[2]

Teluk Bahang Forest Reserve is part of Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO as the third Biosphere Reserve in Malaysia listed in the World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WNBR).[3]

Etymology

Teluk Bahang literally means 'the bay of heat' in Malay.[4] It was named as such due to the high temperature of the incoming sea breeze at the area.[5]

History

Teluk Bahang was founded as an agricultural village, where fishing provided subsistence for the village's residents.[2] In the latter half of the 20th century, the town was developed into a tourist destination.

Teluk Bahang was one of the hardest-hit areas during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.[6] As a result, a network of tsunami warning systems has been set up throughout Penang, including in Teluk Bahang.[7]

Demographics
Ethnic composition of Teluk Bahang (2010)[8]
Ethnicities / Nationality Percentage
Malays
 
 67.97%
Other Bumiputeras
 
 0.27%
Chinese
 
 25.26%
Indians
 
 4.55%
Others
 
 0.29%
Non-Malaysians
 
 1.66%

The town of Teluk Bahang straddles two mukims – Telok Bahang and Pantai Acheh. According to the 2010 National Census conducted by Malaysia's Department of Statistics, these mukims cumulatively contained a population of 7,494.[9]

Ethnic Malays formed almost 68% of Teluk Bahang's population, while the Chinese made up over 1⁄4 of the population. Another 4% of the population consisted of ethnic Indians.

Transportation

Jalan Teluk Bahang is the main thoroughfare within the town and forms part of the pan-island Federal Route 6. The road links Teluk Bahang with Balik Pulau to the south and Batu Ferringhi to the east.

Rapid Penang bus routes 101, 102 and 501 include stops within Teluk Bahang, connecting the town with various destinations, such as Penang's capital city of George Town, the Penang International Airport, Sungai Nibong and Balik Pulau.[10][11][12]

The Hop-On Hop-Off bus service, which utilises open-topped double-decker buses, caters mainly for tourists. It includes four stops within Teluk Bahang – the Tropical Spice Garden, Penang National Park, Entopia Butterfly Farm and the Teluk Bahang Forest Eco Park.[13]

Education

Teluk Bahang is served by two primary schools and a single high school.

Primary schools

  • SRK Telok Bahang[14]
  • SRJK (C) Eok Hua[15]

High school

  • SMK Teluk Bahang[16]

Tourist attractions

Teluk Bahang is home to several tourist attractions, which include forest reserves, ecotourism sites and theme parks.

  • Penang National Park
Monkey Beach is one of the handful of beaches within the Penang National Park.

The Penang National Park, gazetted in 2003, spans 2,562 ha (25,620,000 m2) of the northwestern tip of Penang Island and is the smallest national park in the world.[17] It encompasses mangrove swamps and rainforest interspersed with hiking trails, as well as beaches such as Monkey Beach and Kerachut Beach. One of the hiking trails leads to the Muka Head Lighthouse, which is situated at the northwestern tip of the island.[18][19] The forest reserve is home to over 600 species of flora and fauna.[18]

  • Tropical Spice Garden
Tropical Spice Garden

The Tropical Spice Garden was also opened in 2003 and is an 8-acre (32,000 m2) secondary forest consisting of 500 species of floras and faunas.[20][21][22] Local varieties of spices can be found within the garden, which includes a culinary school dedicated to the famed local cuisine. This spice repository was also featured in the reality television show The Amazing Race 16.

  • Tropical Fruit Farm

The 25-acre (100,000 m2) Tropical Fruit Farm, opened in 1993, contains about 250 types of locally-grown fruits.[23][24]

  • Entopia Butterfly Farm
    Entopia Butterfly Farm

Established in 1986 as the Penang Butterfly Farm, it was the first butterfly sanctuary in Malaysia.[25] Following an upgrade in 2016, it was renamed as the Entopia Butterfly Farm.[25][26] This butterfly sanctuary is home to about 13,000 butterflies from 120 different species, including the rare Indian Leafl (Kallima paralekta), the endangered Yellow Bird wing (Troides helena) and Rajah Brooke's Bird wing, as well as small reptiles.[26][27][28]

  • Teluk Bahang Forest Eco Park
Teluk Bahang Forest Eco-Park

The Teluk Bahang Forest Eco Park, established in 1974, is a recreational area equipped with picnic and camping grounds, and encompasses a handful of waterfalls and a forestry museum.[29]

  • ESCAPE Adventure Play
ESCAPE Adventure Play theme park

Opened on 8 November 2012, the ESCAPE Adventure Play is an eco-themed amusement park, where visitors can engage in challenging activities and games which include climbing and rope courses.[30][31][32]

  • ESCAPE Water Play

Launched in 2017 as the aquatic version of the ESCAPE Adventure Play, the ESCAPE Water Play consists of a variety of aquatic attractions and swimming pools, including the world's longest water slide.[33][34][35]

Infrastructure

Completed in 1999, the Teluk Bahang Dam, the largest reservoir on Penang Island, is capable of storing 19.24 billion litres of water.[2] It also holds the distinction of being the only dam in Malaysia to be built within a few kilometres from the sea. In addition, the dam functions as a sports venue, as the yearly Penang International Dragon Boat Festival is held within the dam.[36] The dragon boat race, held every December, attracts dozens of local and international teams, such as from Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Thailand.[37][38]

References
  1. "George Town meliputi 'pulau', jelas Datuk Bandar" (PDF). Buletin Mutiara. 1 May 2015.
  2. kilzacmaster, the. "Teluk Bahang in Numbers". Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  3. "Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, Pulau Pinang – UNESCO". Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  4. "Encapsulating Teluk Bahang". Encapsulating Teluk Bahang. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  5. "Teluk Bahang – jpn.com.my". www.jpn.com.my. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  6. "Tsunami impact in Penang, Malaysia: Our island, our world". aliran.com. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  7. "Remembering Tsunami 2004: Will we be warned in time if the next big tsunami hits? – Features | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  8. "Population Distribution and Demography" (PDF). Malaysian Department of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2013.
  9. "TABURAN PENDUDUK MENGIKUT PBT & MUKIM 2010". Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  10. http://www.rapidpg.com.my/journey-planner/route-maps/details/101.gif
  11. http://www.rapidpg.com.my/journey-planner/route-maps/details/102.gif
  12. http://www.rapidpg.com.my/journey-planner/route-maps/details/501.gif
  13. "Penang Hop-On Hop-Off Official Website". www.myhoponhopoff.com. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  14. "SK TELOK BAHANG – PULAU PINANG – Carian Sekolah Malaysia". www.sekolahmy.com (in Malay). Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  15. "SJK(C) EOK HUA – PULAU PINANG – Carian Sekolah Malaysia". www.sekolahmy.com (in Malay). Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  16. "SMK TELUK BAHANG – PULAU PINANG – Carian Sekolah Malaysia". www.sekolahmy.com (in Malay). Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  17. "The smallest national park in the world: Penang National Park". Time Out Penang. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  18. "Tourism Malaysia". www.tourism.gov.my. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  19. "Hiking to Paradise". Hiking to Paradise. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  20. "Penang Tropical Spice Garden – Batu Ferringhi Attractions". penang.ws. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  21. "Our Tropical Spice Garden Story – How It Began". Tropical Spice Garden. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  22. Planet, Lonely. "Tropical Spice Garden in Teluk Bahang, Malaysia". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  23. "Welcome to Tropical Fruit Farm". www.tropicalfruits.com.my. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  24. "Penang Tropical Fruit Farm – Batu Ferringhi Attractions". penang.ws. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  25. "Sensitising Visitors to Mother Nature's Wealth". Sensitising Visitors to Mother Nature’s Wealth. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  26. "Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm expands its fascinating menagerie". NST Online. 2016-11-27. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  27. Planet, Lonely. "Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm in Teluk Bahang, Malaysia". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  28. "Penang Butterfly Farm".
  29. "Taman Rimba Teluk Bahang – Recreational Forest – Penang | TravelMalaysia". travelmalaysia.me. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  30. "Escape Adventureplay – Outdoor theme park in Penang". penang.ws. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  31. OnlyPenang (2012-12-11). "Penang Escape Theme Park, Teluk Bahang - OnlyPenang.com". OnlyPenang. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  32. Planet, Lonely. "Escape in Teluk Bahang, Malaysia". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  33. "Escape into the wonders of water – Metro News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  34. Shaun (2017-10-19). "Penang Water Theme Park by ESCAPE is Here! - OnlyPenang.com". OnlyPenang. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  35. "Malaysian theme park to get world's longest water slide". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  36. "Teluk Bahang Dam". Time Out Penang. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  37. II, Administrator. "Penang International Dragon Boat Festival 2016". www.visitpenang.gov.my. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  38. "Penang International Dragon Boat Festival". aseantourism.travel. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
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