There are several versions of local folktales that tell the origin of the name of the Lenggong
Valley. Of the many versions, there are currently two that are widespread among the local
communities. Both versions are related to the local indigenous ethnic group. The first version
names the valley after Lenggong, a Semang7 man who found the valley during the precolonial
era in Malaya. The second version carries a story that by historic times, the valley
had been settled by the indigenous group. The name Lenggong appears to have come from
the Malay word “terlanggung” which means “hanging” in English. Legend has it that a
Semang man wanted to cut down a five-fathom tree. After much hard work he succeeded in
cutting it down but it fell onto another smaller tree which broke the larger trunk’s fall and
bounced it back
At present, the Lenggong Valley covers an area of approximately 80,324 hectares with a
population of around 15,000. The land use of the Lenggong Valley can be generally divided
into four categories: agricultural use; built environment; industrial use and native forest
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