Mengkuang Dam is a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

Central Seberang Perai District The Central Seberang Perai District is a district in Seberang Perai within the Malaysian state of Penang. The district covers the central third of Seberang Perai. It borders Northern Seberang Perai to the north, Kedah Kedah (), also known ...

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. It is the only dam situated in

Seberang Perai Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located on the Malay Peninsula and separated from Penang Island by the Penang Strait, it shares borders with Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. The city spans an are ...

(

Mainland) and the second dam built in

after Ayer Itam dam. It was officially opened by the former governor, Dr. Tun Awang bin Hassan in 1985. It has the water catchment area of and a gross storage capacity of , making it the largest dam in

, almost 10 times the capacity of the Ayer Itam Dam. Mengkuang Dam closed to the public from August 1, 2011, until July 31, 2016, for enlargement and renovation. The US$200 million enlargement includes increasing the height of the dam by and its length to the west. A new intake and

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...

will also be added.

Recreation

The park in the dam area is a popular place for recreation. Mengkuang Dam is also one of the venues for the annual Penang International Dragon Boat Festival. The festival is a fiesta of colour and noise, in which traditionally-built boats race through the waters of this dam, the boats are cheered on by enthusiastic spectators. The race begins with a slow beating of the drums by the helmsmen. The beat increases steadily, going faster and faster, and then rising to a

crescendo In music, the dynamics of a piece are the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings require interpretation by the performer depending ...

as the boats cross the finish line. The ornate and painted '

dragons A dragon is a magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in Western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depict ...

' on the boats' prows add to the gaiety of the festival.

References

Buildings and structures in Penang Central Seberang Perai District Dams completed in 1985 Dams in Malaysia {{Malaysia-struct-stub

Recreation

See also

References