Lembah Bujang (Bujang Valley)

Home to the most important Hindu-Buddhist kingdom in the Malay Peninsula, Lembah Bujang dates as far back as the 5th Century. By the 7th Century, it had become part of the huge Sriwijaya Empire of Sumatra. Lembah Bujang reached its architectural peak in the 9th and 10th Century; Hindu and Buddhist temples were scattered all over the area. Archeologists have unearthed more than 53 temples or "candis" (shrines). The kingdom had traded with India, Khmer, and Sriwijaya. It was a kingdom that was rich in history, culture, and trade. Nonetheless, the kingdom crumbled and temples were deserted with the coming of Islam in the 14th Century. These temples remained buried in the jungle until British archeologist Quatrich-Wales first excavated them in 1936. The Muzium Arkeologi Lembah Bujang (Bujang Valley Archeological Museum) chronicles these excavations. It also displays stone carvings, pottery shards, and other findings. Behind the museum, visitors will be treated to the sight of temples or "candis". The most significant and largest temple would be the 1000-year-old Candi Bukit Batu Pahat.