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          Kuala Sepetang used to be called Port Weld. This place holds many of Taiping’s valuable history such as being the site of the first train station in the country. Kuala Sepetang is also famous for its charcoal - processing industry. The charcoal business has been the community’s identity since 1900. There is no surprise as to why charcoal manufacturing has been their bread and butter as the coastal village is surrounded by at least 40,700 hectares of mangrove forest. For almost eight decades, Kuala Sepetang’s charcoal has been acknowledged as one of the best in Asia. Furthermore, it still received high demands locally and internationally. Currently, it is estimated that 144 charcoal manufacturers and more than 300 stoves are still in business in Kuala Sepetang. Almost 70% of the charcoal production in Kuala Sepetang gets imported to two East Asian countries while the rest is sold locally.
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    One of these charcoal factories offers a tour of the factory coupled with explanations of how charcoal is made; Khay Hor Holding Sdn Bhd’s factory was simply named “Charcoal Factory Kuala Sepetang”. Since the factory uses green wood harvested from the mangrove and these trees are transported by boat, it is naturally located next to a stream that connects to the river.
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   The factory guide assured visitors that for each tree that is cut down to be processed into charcoal, a young sapling is planted as a replacement so there is no danger of depleting the mangrove forest entirely. Be careful when stepping into the factory as everything is soot black. Be prepared to have soot on your shoes, your feet, and even your hands if you happen to touch anything inside the factory.