Lunas, Kedah
Encyclopedia
Lunas is a sub-district of Kulim
Kulim
Kulim is the third largest town in Kedah after Alor Star and Sungai Petani is located at the South East of Kedah state and East of Penang state in Malaysia. Kulim is a district consist of 15 smaller sub-districts also known as "mukim"...

, located 45 minutes from Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...

. It lies between Butterworth
Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...

 and Kulim
Kulim
Kulim is the third largest town in Kedah after Alor Star and Sungai Petani is located at the South East of Kedah state and East of Penang state in Malaysia. Kulim is a district consist of 15 smaller sub-districts also known as "mukim"...

. Lunas also serves as the state assembly district and also the Parliament Constituency of Padang Serai
Padang Serai
Padang Serai is a small town in Kulim district, Kedah, Malaysia. The town is located between Kuala Ketil and Lunas.There are few villages such as Kg Teluk Binu, Kg Sidam Kanan, Kg Sentosa, Permatang Durian and some estates like Ladang Bukit Selarong, Ladang Nagalilit....

, Kedah.

Development history

The town with all its old shophouses was pretty much founded and developed in the 1900s' when British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 army colonized Malaya at that time. During that period many local people including Chinese and Indian migrant
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...

 work at rubber estates that was formerly owned by British.

Today, there are still many well-preserved gems such as pre-war shophouses, a traditional “wooden bungalow on stilts” post office and also the colonial-style Soon Cheng Sai mansion. Lunas is considered a town more than 100 years old. In the year 2009, Lunas celebrated its 120th anniversary

Demographics

Lunas is a small multi-racial town. Indians are the largest population in Lunas area and many of them work or owned one or two rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...

 estates, while most of the Chinese people stay at Lunas Street and work as retailers or live in residential area near to the town. Furthermore, many Malay people live in nearby residential area including in the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 and work in farming industries or as retailers.

Lunas is connected by only one main street. The main street almost 90% surrounded by shop lots and some have been converted to residences. Lunas also has two wet markets, one is old wet market located at the main street, while another one is located at Sungai Seluang area.

Schools

Primary School : Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Hwa Min
Secondary School : Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Lunas

Food

Lunas also has its own cuisine
Cuisine
Cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. Cuisines are often named after the geographic areas or regions that they originate from...

 which is the famous “living heritage” of Lunas roast
Roasting
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat, whether an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting usually causes caramelization or Maillard browning of the surface of the food, which is considered by some as a flavor enhancement. Roasting uses more indirect, diffused heat , and is...

 duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...

 rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

. Beside roast duck rice, there are few hawker
Hawker centre
A hawker centre or cooked food centre is the name given to open-air complexes in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Riau Islands housing many stalls that sell a variety of inexpensive food...

 stalls that prepare a variety of dishes, including:

  • Kampung Lama's Bee Tai Bak
  • Laksa
    Laksa
    Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture, which is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements found in Malaysia and Singapore, and to a lesser extent Indonesia.- Origin :The origin of the name "laksa" is unclear...

     Rumah Murah and the cheapest laksa near the town which just sell at RM1.00 - RM1.50
  • Wantan
    Wonton
    Not to be confused with WantonA wonton is a type of dumpling commonly found in a number of Chinese cuisines.-Filling:...

     Mee
  • Pan Mee
    Pan mee
    Pan Mee is a Hokkein-style noodle, originating from Malaysia. Its chinese name literally translates to flat flour noodle. It is a Malaysian Chinese cuisine....


Buildings

Lunas has been famous for "Wen Mi" (Call the soul of the deceased to ask for something) and "Fortune Teller".

Lunas also famous with Burmese Buddhist Temple which is next to cemetery land near the town. Every Wesak, many Buddhists, including people from Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth, Penang and Singapore, go to the temple to pray.

Another interesting tourist attraction is the horizontal chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...

 inside rubber smokehouses located near the Lunas town.

One of the oldest businesses started in Lunas is Chinese traditional medicine. The pioneer of this traditional medical therapy is Thong Choon Tong, which has inherited over 3 generations in the family (over 100 years). The shop is situated in front of the old wet market.

Lunas is currently expanding due to the Kulim Hi-Tech Park. Multinational companies located in Kulim Hi-Tech Park include Intel, Celestica, Fuji Electric, Infineon and First Solar.

See also

  • Butterworth–Kulim Expressway
  • Northern Corridor Economic Region
  • Kedah
    Kedah
    Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...

  • Butterworth, Penang
    Butterworth, Penang
    Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...

  • Kulim
    Kulim
    Kulim is the third largest town in Kedah after Alor Star and Sungai Petani is located at the South East of Kedah state and East of Penang state in Malaysia. Kulim is a district consist of 15 smaller sub-districts also known as "mukim"...

  • Penang
    Penang
    Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...

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