Dragon Joss Sticks (29 June 2025)

Han Professional Dragon Joss Stick Specialist in Matang

This Dragon Joss sticks costs RM3000 plus

Tucked away in the small village of Matang is a cottage industry specialising in Dragon Joss Sticks. We were told Han Professional Dragon Joss Stick Specialist is one of the only 2 remaining Dragon joss sticks makers in Malaysia. The other one is in Bukit Mertajam.

Dragon joss sticks making is a work reserved for artisans. It is a lot of manual work, tedious and time consuming. An 8 foot joss sticks is put together layer by layer. Each layer of agarwood and sawdust needs to undergo proper drying process before the next layer can be applied. Thus the basic structure takes 4 months and this does not include decorating and colouring yet!

Practicing on lighting up the joss sticks

A medium sized joss sticks comes with a starting price of RM200. However, some extensively decorated ones can cost as much as RM3000. Mr Tan himself had once received an order for a RM30,000 Dragon Joss Sticks which took him 2 years to complete!

These Dragon Joss sticks are usually lit during Chinese New Year and Hungry Ghost Festivals. The size and decorations usually depends on how long or great someone's wish is.

Photo credit :

Mindy Wong

Liew

Kaki Explorer - Kampung Simpang Arang and Road to No Where (14 June 2025)

Shanana at Kampung Simpang Arang

First stop, we revisited a high vantage point where someone in our group had previously answered the long call of nature. This knoll offers a sweeping view of Forest City Golf Resort and its surroundings. 

The "Road to No Where" has been built and installed with streetlights and signboards for at least 2 years now but until today, it does not connect to Port of Tanjung Pelepas nor Second Link as promised! 

On the way to the "Road to No Where", we found a gravel route which ignited our explorer instincts

The gravel section follows the pipeline...

...and runs parallel to J177's Lebuhraya Tanjung Pelepas

The route runs for quite a distance. Thus we have to come back another time as Shanana is not built for a gravel adventure

While it was relatively clean 2 years ago, the "Road to No Where" is now a dumping ground

On the concrete bridge that traverse the railway line

Towards the port

Towards Kampung Simpang Arang and then the interchange in Taman Impian Emas

Just as 2 years ago, this "Road to No Where" is a popular place amongst remote control plane enthusiasts 

Approaching Kampung Simpang Arang, we have to go below the railway line

Parked at Kedai Makan Simpang Arang, the pet monkeys will not leave the Marin 4 Corners alone! Here's giving a leg....

...and an arm !

Completing a multi million dollar deal with a handshake!

The geese were the security guards at the Chinese restaurant @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/VkUJrdN9aKP2f5Mv6

Traps for crabs

Spotted some durians on a tree

Mangrove trees are cut and brought in by boats

They are then cut into desired lengths with the barks removed before they are arranged in the kiln for smoking

The door to the kiln is sealed with bricks and a fire is lit to smoke the wood. Smoking can take up to 45 days

The fire is put out in this other kiln, meaning the smoking process is completed and the wood has all been turned into charcoal. However, the charcoal has to go through a cooling down period before they can be removed from the kiln.

Some kind of simple tracking system on all the kilns numbered by the days 

One of the workers waiting for the boat to arrive with the chopped mangrove trees

Low tide. The electric pylon is less than 120m away from us while the 1st house in Forest City Golf Resort is less than 200m away. You can also spot the Forest City Golf resort near the pylon if you enlarge the photo

Satellite view

One day, this whole industry will be gone

Fountain of youth on the way into the village

Exit 313 connecting to Second Link has been ready for years but yet not opened to public!

DRC 23.0 - Batu Pahat (May 11-12, 2025)

 

Some of the gang at RC Boat Batu Pahat @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/zVHpcm3nzM4KHq5F6 

This pond is located next to the Batu Pahat Airstrip aka Tanjung Laboh Airstrip

The airstrip was built by The Japanese Imperial Army during WWII.

Back in July 2017, there were news for UTHM to repurpose it as their Aeronautic Faculty, injecting an estimated RM10 million into the project @ https://www.bharian.com.my/berita/pendidikan/2017/07/305703/uthm-universiti-pertama-asia-tenggara-miliki-lapangan-terbang

Later, in September 2021, it was announced that the project has been awarded to Lanbadi Resources Sdn Bhd @ https://www.jkr.gov.my/en/node/2904

However, besides the fences that were put up around the airstrip and a site notice board, we did not see any further work done when we were there!

On Kampung Segenting's Lover Bridge

Bukit Segenting Lighthouse viewed from Lover's Bridge

Chong Long Gong Temple at Kampung Segenting went through a few facelifts recently

Pulau Sialu's Lighthouse viewed from Lover's Bridge

We spotted an owl at Kampung Segenting too!

Near Kampung Sungai Suloh, this route runs parallel to Jalan Sungai Suloh @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/W9X9zL8z3WfKeFAb9

At RC Boat Batu Pahat, there's a shed with tables and chairs set up for remote control motorboat enthusiasts

There's also a narrow elevated grandstand to view the boat race

There's scattered kampung housing in the area. Note the Batu Pahat Airstrip has been fenced off with blue metal plates

Near Parit Kelichap, this gravel route runs parallel to Jalan Sungai Suluh Besar @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/fWDCwYp6NRiEwB1b7

Enroute to Kelong Wak Kang @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/5SFMyta1r1vCvZFS7

A most skinny cow!

The route to Kelong Wak Kang is very scenic

Fishing boats moored by the jetty at Kelong Wak Kang @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/NP41b7SBKhhgGgY99

Lunch at Asam Pedas Kak Nolik, Sungai Ayam. It was very popular and sold out by 1.30 pm

Dinner at Fish Soup, Batu Pahat. The crowd and wait was convincing but it didn't meet our standards

Claudine was not prepared to camp so she had to make do with a camp chair and mosquito net. It was not a windy night but neither was it hot. As the night wears on, it became colder and she crept into the car for a better sleep as the camp chair was starting to give her a backache!

Strange to see people coming at 2 am to offer prayers at the temple, perhaps also to spot the crocodiles in the river. The temple caretaker told us there are 3 known ones in the river and they are territorial with each taking a tributary but never meeting at the confluence where the temple is located. Apparently they come in black, white and even blue!

Most anglers start to come past 10 pm and leave by 2 am, so it only gets quiet after that! 

Jambatan Panglima Zainal Abidin at dawn. It was not ready when we were last here in March 2024. Some reviews indicated it was opened about 6 months ago.

The river at dawn. Sungai Simpang Kiri and Sungai Simpang Kanan merged into Sungai Batu Pahat at  this point where the temple is located

Dawn at the temple

Our peculiar camping ground!

The morning has broken!