The Dutch Fort of Kota Belanda is the remaining architectural echo of the Dutch colonisation of Malaysia on Pangkor Island. It replaced Portuguese rule in the mid-seventeenth century. Among the sultanates, Perak, namely its island of Pangkor, the site of tin mining, the main product of Malay exports, fell into the zone of special interest of the Dutch. The Dutch East India Company imposed obligations on the sultanates to sell it tin at low prices, prevented independent trade by any means. For this purpose, factories and forts were built on the coasts of the sultanates.
To control the tin trade in the region and was built in 1670 on the island of Pangkorfort Dinding (after the name of the river). In Malaysia, the fort is referred to as Kota Belanda. The sultanates fought the Dutch monopoly in trade with mixed success. During this confrontation in 1690 they managed to defeat the fort, but not for long. The Dutch returned with reinforcements, recaptured and rebuilt the fort. The colonisers did not abandon it until the middle of the 18th century. The fort remained abandoned until 1973, when the authorities of independent Malaysia declared it a historical monument.
Today, the reconstructed Dutch fort is three brick battlements with semicircular loopholes. From these remnants you can well imagine what it was like in the 17th century. The interior of the fort is accessed via a small wooden staircase. It is worth seeing as a fine example of Dutch masonry. It is also the oldest architectural monument of this period, after the Dutch Square buildings in Malacca.
The Kota Belanda Fort is located in Teluk Gedung village, close to the ocean, with a small garden next to it, with a road leading into the jungle. On an island known for its clean beaches and laid-back family holidays, it is practically the only historical landmark.
