Location: Johor state Map
Mount Ledang (Malay: Gunung Ledang; English: Mount Ophir) is
located on the border between the states of Johor and Malacca,
Malaysia. This hill is famous for its history. Located on the
southern edge of the Tithiwangsa mountain range, this hill has
the historical background of Malacca. It is 17 km from Tangkak
City and the North South Highway. is far away.
The most
famous mountain in Malaysia is called Letang Hill in Tamil.
Mount Letang can be clearly seen from Thangak town. A paradise
for hikers, bird watchers and nature lovers, Mount Letang is a
paradise for visitors to enjoy the beautiful scenery of tropical
forests. There are many small and big waterfalls here.
Located in Johor Letang District, this mountain is the 64th
highest mountain in Malaysia. At the same time, it is also the
most trekked mountain in Malaysia. On a clear, cloudless day,
you can see the Straits of Malacca and the island of Sumatra
from the top of Mount Letang.
According to Malaysian
mythology, a mythical angel is guarding Mount Ledong.
The Legend of Kunong Ledang Princess is a legendary story of a
princess who once lived on Mount Ledang. It is still believed that an
angelic princess lived on Mount Letang.
Sultan Mahamut Shah of
Malacca (reign: 1488 to 1511) heard about the princess and wanted to
marry her. The princess imposed some conditions for it.
A golden
bridge to walk from Mount Letang to the Malacca Sultan's Palace
A
bridge on Friday to return from Malacca to Mount Letang
A virgin's
tears in seven earthen jars
Grape juice in seven earthen jars
Hearts of beetles on seven plates
Hearts of mosquitoes in seven
plates
The blood of the Sultan's youngest son in a bowl
Sultan
Mahamud Shah could not fulfill those conditions. Hence, the Sultanate of
Malacca is said to have perished.[6] In 1511, Malacca was conquered by
the Portuguese. Sultan Mahamud Shah fled to Bagang state.
There is also a poem in Malay literature about Mount Letang.
No matter how much the banana tree trunk grows
No matter how much
smoke rises from the fire
No matter how steep the Letang mountain is
The convictions of the heart are the highest
There is a recreational area here called Letang Falls or Asakan
Falls. On weekends, the general public flocks here. Various facilities
have been provided at this entertainment site. The clear stream rising
from Mount Letang attracts people. A peaceful place for nature lovers.
There is also a Self-Education Center called 'Saujana Asahan'
(Malay: Saujana Asahan). At the base of Letang Mountain, the center is
located. Arrangements are made here for camping, trekking, rock
climbing, bird watching etc. Government bodies, commercial organizations
and private organizations utilize the services of the centre.
Gunung Ledang is believed to be one of the forests that are very rich in plant species that are difficult to find anywhere else in the world. It has an area of Hill Dipterocarp forest and Upper Dipterocarp forest.
At the top of this mountain there is a TV and radio transmitting station. The transmitter station here is dedicated to residents in the north of Johor, Melaka, the southwestern part of Pahang and the southern part of Negeri Sembilan. For RTM TV, the Gunung Ledang transmitter station is dedicated to residents in the districts of Kluang, Batu Pahat, Muar, Segamat and Tangkak in Johor and the district of Jasin, Melaka. For other areas in Melaka, RTM TV broadcasts receive broadcasts from Mount Tampin and Mount Telapak Buruk, Negeri Sembilan. As for radio broadcasts, FM transmitters are dedicated to listeners throughout the State of Melaka, the districts of Tangkak, Muar, Segamat, Batu Pahat and Kluang in Johor; the southwestern part of Pahang such as Keratong; and the southern part of Negeri Sembilan such as Tampin, Gemencheh, Gemas, Kota and part of the Jempol area. There are also two transmitter stations specifically for Negeri Sembilan Timur which emit from Gunung Ledang. Its tuning is directed to the eastern area of Negeri Sembilan for Negeri FM broadcasts. Similarly, there is a Johor FM radio channel whose tuning is directed to the districts of Segamat, Tangkak, Muar and Kluang.
There are several popular opinions regarding the origin of the name
of this mountain. According to one opinion, ancient history shows that
Gunung Ledang was a place that contained so many stores of sweets that
attracted traders as far as Greece and China. In the 14th century,
Israeli sailors going back and forth in the Malacca Strait called the
mountain 'Rael' which means 'Cake Mountain'. perhaps from the Hokkien or
Taiwanese word: kim, or in the character 金 means cake and sua, or the
character 山 means mountain. Another source says that the Javanese during
the reign of the Majapahit empire named the mountain as 'Gunong Ledang',
which means 'mountain from afar' or 'furthest mountain'.
Additionally, the name Ophir itself is believed to be derived from these
languages:
Hebrew, from the word אוֹפִיר transliteration: 'Owphiyr,
or pronounced ō·fēr, a Hebrew personal name.
Greek, from the word
ϑφις transliterated: 'Ofis, meaning "office", probably referring to the
local community's ban on walking or setting up camp on a protected site
said to be guarded by a group of cute, mobile cats.
Greek, from the
word auferre, meaning 'to deprive', perhaps also related to abstinence.
How to climb
From Asahan, turn right towards Mount Ledang. Admiral Hang Tuah is
believed to have used this trail. You can start from the water pool in
Kampung Asahan.
From the North-South Highway, take the Tangkak exit
towards Jementah/Segamat on the left side of the highway. You will meet
Sagil. 10 km from Tangkak towards Segamat, you will find Ayer Panas
waterfall on the left, rubber factory and Ledang Baharu Estate. From the
waterfall, you can follow the Sagil trail to the top of Mount Ledang.
This road is more popular. Only 4-5 hours is said to be able to reach
the top.
From Tangkak to Segamat, there is a road to the top of the
RTM radio station, the Telekom Malaysia Berhad telephone station and the
water dam. But this road is closed to the public.
Ascent
Mount
Ledang can be climbed by anyone including family members. But in 1987,
six Singaporeans got lost on Mount Ledang because they tried to take a
shortcut.
The water from this mountain can be drunk without
boiling, especially at the Goat Cave and Kolam Puteri campsites.
Climbers who start the climb from Sagil do not need to worry about the
need for firecrackers, tent equipment and accommodation. Gunung Ledang
Resort has provided various facilities or just buy them at any Sagil
firecracker shop.
This mountain is believed to be inhabited by
fine creatures (bacteria) which are often known as cocon among our
society today.