Back in the prime tin mining days, Papan is a town in Perak associated with tin mining activities.
The history says that in 1840, chengal wood; a tropical hardwood were sawn in this small town called Papan. Hence, that's how Papan got its name which translates to mean Wood in Bahasa. Once a boom town for miners it has fallen into a broken dipilatated state after the Japanese Occupation during WWII and post 1970s tin price slide. It is a short detour off the road to Pusing.