DAYANG BUNTING MARBLE GEOSITE

Dayang Bunting marble rocks can be found along the west coast, including the remnant islands of Dayang Bunting Archipelago. The marble rocks here are white and form a scenic karst landscape. The marble is derived from the Chuping Formation limestone aged Permian (290-255 million years), which had undergone contact metamorphism (changes due to high temperatures by granite intrusion). The high-quality Dayang Bunting marble (comparable to that of Italy) was once quarried for dimension stones in the early 1970s, but this activity had stopped since 20 years ago. The remaining marble blocks are used to make handicrafts for tourists.

The marble hills are covered by limestone forests that contain various endemic species. The most important species is Maxburretia gracilis (Arecaceae), the only one of three species in the world that is found here. A plant called Euphorbia antiquorum (Euphorbiaceae) which looks like a cactus also grows wild on the limestone cliffs. One of the profiles of a hill resembles a pregnant woman or maiden lying down, giving the island its namesake (Pregnant Maiden Island). Due to the outstanding scenery of tropical karst island landscape, this geosite is on the main path of the popular island-hopping geotrail ever since Langkawi became a tourist destination.