Val d'Or is a town in
South Seberang Perai
The South Seberang Perai District ( ms, Daerah Seberang Perai Selatan; abbreviated "SPS") is a district in Penang, Malaysia. It covers an area of 242 square kilometres, and had a population of 162,905 at the 2010 Census. The district is bordered b ...
,
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
,
Malaysia. The mainly agricultural town is located between
Simpang Ampat to the north and Sungai Bakap to the south, both of which are also within the
South Seberang Perai District.
Jalan Valdor serves as the main
thoroughfare within the town, with the southern end of the road connecting with
Federal Route 1, which runs the length of western
Peninsular Malaysia.
Etymology
In
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, Val d'Or meant a valley of gold. The town of Val d'Or had a French connection in the mid-19th century, when two Frenchmen arrived and set up an agricultural estate within the town.
History
In the mid-19th century, a Frenchman by the name of Donnadieu arrived at what is now Val d'Or. He subsequently established a sugar cane plantation at the area, and was later joined by a second Frenchman, Léopold Chasseriau. However, Donnadieu came to a tragic end when he was murdered by unknown assassins.
Meanwhile, in 1852, Kee Lye Huat, an ethnic
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
, landed in ''Province Wellesley'' (now
Seberang Perai). Starting out as a coolie, he gradually became a successful sugar planter and the owner of the Val d'Or sugar cane estate; he is now credited as the founder of the town. Kee also played an instrumental role in the development of nearby Sungai Bakap. In 1872, he established the Kee Poh Huat
Kongsi in Sungai Bakap, where his descendants still reside to this day.
[http://www.pht.org.my/newsletters/2000_06.pdf ]
Education
Val d'Or is home to a Chinese primary school and a high school, SJKC Valdor and SMK Valdor, respectively
Transportation
Val d'Or is accessible via either the
North–South Expressway's Jawi Interchange (Exit 156) or Bukit Tambun Interchange (Exit 158).
Federal Route 1 links both interchanges with the town.
See also
*
Sungai Jawi
*
Nibong Tebal
References
{{Penang
Towns in Penang