Beyond the sleepy outskirts of Ipoh and Batu Gajah, lies a small town with an incredible history. Amidst its crumbling shop houses and empty streets, stories of past riches, war, secret societies, and even radioactive minerals intertwine with each other. This is the grand and illustrious story of Papan, the most intriguing ghost town in Perak. Located at the foothills of the Kledang Range, Papan sits just below Ulu Johan valley, a site once known to be very rich in tin. Despite mostly being derelict, Papan is not completely deserted, as its small number of elderly townsfolk still populate the area and its surrounding village.
Papan is a Malay word that literally means 'plank'. These names may have originated from the area's earliest known history as a small lumber town, probably as early as the 1700s. The Kledang hills that form the backdrop of Papan were once a well-known source of Chengal timber, attracting many Malay and Chinese timber workers from all over Perak. Along with the lumber industry, a number of mines were opened in the mid 1800s due to the discovery of promising alluvial tin deposits.
Papan is a Malay word that literally means 'plank'. These names may have originated from the area's earliest known history as a small lumber town, probably as early as the 1700s. The Kledang hills that form the backdrop of Papan were once a well-known source of Chengal timber, attracting many Malay and Chinese timber workers from all over Perak. Along with the lumber industry, a number of mines were opened in the mid 1800s due to the discovery of promising alluvial tin deposits.
