Pekan

Pekan is the royal seat of Pahang, sitting where the Pahang river - the longest in the peninsula - reaches the sea, and it has the unhurried quality of a town whose main function is ceremonial. The Sultan Abu Bakar palace is the royal residence and not open, but the Abu Bakar Museum occupies a fine colonial-era building that was the British Resident's house and later a royal residence, holding regalia, Chinese and Southeast Asian ceramics recovered from wrecks in the South China Sea, weapons, royal vehicles and natural history. The Sultan Abdullah mosque with its blue domes and the Abu Bakar mosque stand nearby, along with the royal mausoleum and a polo field, polo being a Pahang royal enthusiasm. Silk weaving, tenun Pahang, is a local craft with a workshop in town.

History

Pekan is thought to date from the Old Pahang Kingdom, when its name was Inderapura, often shortened to Pura; local lore says the modern name comes from Bunga Pekan, a white flower like jasmine that once grew wild along the Pahang River (Wikipedia, Pekan, Pahang).

The main sights

• The Abu Bakar Museum - regalia, shipwreck ceramics and royal vehicles.
• Royal mosques - the blue-domed Sultan Abdullah and the Abu Bakar mosque.
• The Pahang river mouth - the longest river in the peninsula reaching the sea.
• Tenun Pahang weaving - the local silk craft, with a workshop in town.

When to go

All year; avoid the monsoon flooding from November to January. A day.

Things to know

The main palace is a residence and closed. The town is very quiet and food options are limited. Pekan floods during the monsoon and roads can close.

Nearby

Kuantan is north; Lake Chini is inland.

Key facts