Ayer Hitam

Ayer Hitam is a town in Batu Pahat District, in the Malaysian state of Johor, nicknamed Bandar Seramik, the Ceramic Town. The Malay name means Black Water. It sits at the junction of Federal Route 1 and Federal Route 50 and has an interchange on the North-South Expressway, which is why it has long been a place where travellers stop. Before the expressway was built the town was a major road intersection, with routes leading to Melaka and Kuala Lumpur to the north, Johor Bahru to the south, Kluang and Mersing to the east and Batu Pahat to the west, and it was a popular rest stop for tour buses and motorists travelling between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The town is best known for its pottery workshops and outlets selling vases, photo frames, jars, ashtrays and other decorative household items, and some workshops let visitors watch the pottery being made. Roadside stalls sell local snacks such as prawn crackers, steamed corn, tapioca chips and otak-otak. Landmarks include the Masjid Sultan Ibrahim and the Pu Zhao Buddhist Vihara, and public buses link the town with Kulai, Batu Pahat and Kluang.