{"id":145,"date":"2023-12-23T12:25:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-23T04:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mysabah.com\/wordpress\/?p=145"},"modified":"2024-01-09T14:24:54","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T06:24:54","slug":"bukit-panchang-tinagat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mysabah.com\/wordpress\/bukit-panchang-tinagat\/","title":{"rendered":"Bukit Panchang, the Volcanic Hill of Tawau"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mount Kinabalu is the sacred mountain of Sabah’s indigenous people. During the active volcanic period from the Early Miocene to the Pleistocene in the eastern part of Sabah, did the people from that era worship these volcanoes? Currently, all volcanoes in Sabah are extinct, and many people are unaware that Tawau has at least 10 volcanoes that became extinct approximately 12,000 years ago. Anyway, a dead volcano is still a volcano. Climbing to the summit of a volcano fulfills my interests in its geological, spiritual, and ecological features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Map:<\/a>
Distribution of volcanic rocks and ancient volcanoes in Tawau and Semporna (south-east of Sabah). Tinagat Hill is No.7 on the map.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bukit Panchang (or Panchang Hill, where ‘Bukit’ means ‘Hill’) is the fifth Sabah volcano I’ve climbed, following Bombalai Hill<\/a>, Mount Wullersdorf<\/a>, Bukit Tengkorak<\/a> and Bohey Dulang<\/a>. Situated in the Tinagat Forest Reserve, Bukit Panchang or Bukit Panchang Tinagat is less than 10 kilometers away from Tawau town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tinagat<\/a>
Tinagat Forest in morning mist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

About Tinagat Forest Reserve<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Managed by the Sabah Forestry Department<\/a>, Tinagat Forest Reserve is classified as a Class-1 (fully protected) forest reserve, covering an area of 1,011 hectares (or 10.11 square kilometers). Traveling along Jalan Apas, one of Tawau’s main roads, in the morning, you’ll witness this lush hilly forest veiled in mist. Amidst the extensive conversion of land around Tawau into oil palm plantations, Tinagat Forest Reserve stands as one of the few remaining forested areas near the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"3D<\/a>
3D map of Tinagat forest reserve and its surrounding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tinagat essentially represents a multi-peaked ancient volcano blanketed by dense forest cover. Remarkably, numerous climbing trails lead to various peaks on this hill. Among them, Bukit Panchang claims the highest altitude at 398 meters (1,306 feet)<\/strong>. Bukit Panchang is probably a new official name, as many locals used to call it Bukit Kinabutan or Bukit Tinagat. Other notable peaks within the Tinagat Forest Reserve include Bukit 38, Bukit Akar, Hero Hill (Batu Payung), Bukit Kayawan, and Bukit Kiawan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The trail map of Bukit Panchang in Tinagat Forest Reserve (English translation in blue colour). There are more than one hill in this forest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A century-old lighthouse (Rumah Api Batu Tinagat), constructed by the British colonial government in 1916, stands at the foothills facing the sea. This 9-meter-high Batu Tinagat Lighthouse is currently a restricted area. However, PELKO (Pelancongan Komuniti Tawau, associated with Politeknik Tawau)<\/a> suggests that it will soon be accessible to tourists. On 23rd February 2018, Batu Tinagat Lighthouse was among the 24 heritage sites in the state officially designated by Sabah’s State Heritage Council under the new enactment of the ‘State Heritage Enactment 2017’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"View<\/a>
View of Tinagat Forest Reserve from the Jalan Apas Road near to Tawau town<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not far from the Batu Tinagat Lighthouse lies Batu Payung (literally meaning Umbrella Rock), which is tied to a legend that lends Tinagat its name (Tinagat translates to ‘Cut Down’ in the Tidung language). According to the tale, long ago, a young farmer encountered seven heavenly princesses bathing along the beach. Captivated by their beauty, he devised a plan to win one of them over by stealing her clothes. Unable to locate her dress, the youngest princess was stranded on Earth. Eventually, she married the young man and bore him a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tinagat<\/a>
PELKO (Tawau Community Tourism) is planning to develop and promote the attractions in Tinagat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One day, during a festival, the princess was invited to perform a dance. As she danced in her old attire, hidden from her until then, her body began to levitate and ascended to the top of Batu Payung. In a desperate attempt to get her back, her husband cut down the rock, but she continued to soar away. All that remained was a message she left behind: ‘Please take care of our child. If he cries, bring him to Sungai Sibuku (Sibuku River).’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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