Kuantan is a town in Malaysia, and is the state capital of Pahang. It is in Peninsular Malaysia, facing the South China Sea and at the mouth of the Kuantan River. Kuantan has a population of about 340,000. The Pahang state government shifted the administrative centre of Pahang from Kuala Lipis to Kuantan in the 1950s. There are scenic beaches popular with vacationers in the town's vicinity, such as Teluk Cempedak, Batu Hitam, Balok, and Cherating.