Mount Santubong

 

 

Mount Santubong (Malay: Gunung Santubong) is a mountain in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is located about 35 km north of the state capital Kuching.

On a clear day, it can be seen from Kuching. The mountain and its surrounding area is a popular tourist attraction.


About Mount Santubong


A legend often associated with the mountain is of two beautiful princesses of heaven, Santubong and Sejinjang. Santubong was an expert weaver while Sejinjang was an excellent rice tresher. When war broke out between two villages, Kampung Pasir Puteh and Kampung Pasir Kuning, the King of Heaven sent the princesses to keep peace in both villages. The villagers saw both beautiful princesses and stopped the war. After the war, both princesses taught the villagers their expertise and both villages began to trade and became prosperous. Many princes heard of them and came from the whole island to marry them, but all was denied by them. One day, a handsome prince came, and the princesses had a quarrel and exchanged blows because both of them fell in love with the prince. Sejinjang swung her tresher which hit Santubong's cheek. Santubong threw her weaver at Sejinjang, hitting her in the head. Putting an end to the quarrel, the King of Heaven cursed both of them into mountains. Santubong turned into Mount Santubong while Sejinjang was turned into Mount Sejinjang. It is said that both mountains resembles women lying on their back and a crack on Mount Santubong was the scar on Princess Santubong's cheek.

Sarawak's Lun Bawang Festival - IRAU ACO LUN BAWANG

Sarawak's Lun Bawang Festival - IRAU ACO LUN BAWANG

This festival is the largest gathering of the Lun Bawang community at any one place in Sarawak. It is traditionally a celebration of the rice harvest but now it showcases a variety of Lun Bawang (an Orang Ulu sub-grop) culture in Lawas; the northernmost town of Sarawak.

This event takes place end of May every year.  Their counterparts; the Lun Dayeh from Sabah are also invited to the festival.

You will be entertained with the the community's cultural dances, 'nguip suling' (bamboo flute band), 'angklung' performance, and also modern day band performance. There are handicrafts and traditional Lun Bawang cuisines for sale and telematches; traditional and modern.

 

 

Event in Sarawak


This annual event is the showcase of boat race with participation from various government agencies, private sectors and also participants from overseas such as Indonesia and Brunei. Other activities include displays of crafts and exhibitions by local entrepreneurs.

The day programme include “Brooke Swim”, kayaking and duck catching. Racing boats from the various villages around Sarawak will make it a grand affair and also a great occasion for families from outside Kuching to visit the city.

Sarawak Regatta has been a premier event with a distinct historical and cultural significant. It was held as early as before 1872 and was organized as an annual event taking place during the New Year. Sarawak Gazette had recorded in 1872, that the annual Regatta that year was held, on 29th February 1872 at the Sarawak River infront of the Astana. The European community in Sarawak and in the neighboring countries were invited to the Astana - for breakfast - before the race. Keen competition were also recorded for the Rajah Cup. The boat 'Sri Matu' built and manned by the Melanaus, was reported as the winning boat.

The Gazette records provided the indication that Regatta had been an important social event organized annually for social integration and goodwill for the people of Sarawak. Prominent political figure, the late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Ong Kee Hui, recorded that Rajah Charles Brooke used to send his yacht Maimunah1 to outstation to bring in the various Tuan Residents to join in the social event.

The tradition of holding the annual Regatta in the Sarawak River continued through the Colonial period and into the post-Malaysia period. During these periods the Regatta was organized by Resident and District Office with funds from the Government while the rest of the fund was raised through public donations.

Culture in Sarawak






The Ibans comprise the largest percentage (almost 34%) of Sarawak's population. Formerly reputed to be the most formidable headhunters on the island of Borneo, the Ibans of today are a generous, hospitable and placid people. Because of their history as pirates and fishermen, Ibans were conventionally referred to as the "Sea Dayaks". The early Iban settlers who migrated from Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo south of Sarawak, via the Kapuas River. They crossed over the Kelingkang range and set up home in the river valleys of Batang Ai, the Skrang River, Saribas, and the Rajang River. The Ibans dwell in longhouses, stilted structures with a large number of rooms housing a whole community of families.
An Iban longhouse may still display head trophies or antu pala. These suspended heads mark tribal victories and were a source of honor. The Dayak Iban ceased practicing headhunting in the 1930s.
The Ibans are renowned for their Pua Kumbu (traditional Iban weavings), silver craft, wooden carvings and bead work. Iban tattoos, which were originally symbols of bravery among Iban warriors, have become amongst the most distinctive in the world. The Ibans are also famous for a sweet rice wine called tuak, which is served during big celebrations and festive occasions.
The large majority of Ibans practise Christianity. However, like most other ethnic groups in Sarawak, they still observe many of their traditional rituals and beliefs. Sarawak celebrates colourful festivals such as the Gawai Dayak (harvest festival), Gawai Kenyalang (hornbill, or the god of war festival), penuaian padi and Gawai Antu (festival of the dead) .

 

 

 

The phrase Orang Ulu means upriver people and is a term used to collectively describe the numerous tribes that live upriver in Sarawak's vast interior. Such groups include the major Kayan and Kenyah tribes, and the smaller neighbouring groups of the Kajang, Kejaman, Punan, Ukit, and Penan. Nowadays, the definition also includes the down-river tribes of the Lun Bawang, Lun Dayeh, "mean upriver" or "far upstream", Berawan, Saban as well as the plateau-dwelling Kelabits. The various Orang Ulu groups together make up roughly 5.5% of Sarawak's population. The Orang Ulu are artistic people with longhouses elaborately decorated with murals and woodcarvings. They are also well-known for their intricate beadwork and detailed tattoos. The Orang Ulu tribe can also be identified by theirunique musical sound made by a “sape”, a stringed instrument similar to a mandolin.
A vast majority of the Orang Ulu tribe are Christians but traditional religions are still practised in some areas.

HISTORICAL PLACE IN KUCHING

Kuching maintains several museums showcasing its culture and history. The Sarawak Museum, the oldest of its kind in Borneo, exhibits collections on the natural history of Sarawak. Directly opposite the Sarawak Museum is the Dewan Tun Abdul Razak which serves as an exhibition venue and the office of the Sarawak Museum Department. Located right behind Dewan Tun Abdul Razak is the Sarawak Islamic Museum.

Other museums in Kuching include the Chinese History Museum, the Kuching Cat Museum, the Sarawak Timber Museum and the Sarawak Textile Museum. Kuching is also home to the first ever planetarium in Malaysia the Sultan Iskandar Planetarium adjacent to the Kuching Civic Centre.


 (KUCHING CAT MUSEUM)
 

The Kuching Cat Museum is a cat museum in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. It was founded in 1993. It is owned by the Kuching North City Hall (DBKU). There are 2000 exhibits, artifacts, statues about cats from all over the world. According to Malaysian and Chinese beliefs, the cat is a lucky animal. The museum covers an area of 1,035.9 square meters in a hill overviewing Kuching called Bukit Siol. In 1987, the first cat show took place in Kuala Lumpur. On August 1, the same exhibition took place in Kuching when the city was referred to as "Cat City".

City In Hornbill Country (KUCHING)
 

Kuching, officially the City of Sarawak, is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak.The city covers an area of 719 sq miles (1,863 km²) and has a population about 165,642 on the north, while 159,490 on the south.If mixed, the total of the population are 325,132.

Kuching is one of the two subsets of the Kuching Proper subdistrict, the other subset being part of the Padawan municipality. Kuching Proper is one of the three subdistricts in the Kuching District, which is one of the three districts in the Kuching Division.

Nice place in Sarawak      


The Sarawak Cultural Village has seven unique houses scattered across the 17-acre landscape, each housing information and insight into each ethnic group’s daily life.
Each house is interconnected by the Plank Walk – a circular blueprint that unites each domicile; the first longhouse beside the main entrance is the Bidayuh Longhouse. At this house you’ll get to crush sugar cane, pound paddy, winnow rice and watch bamboo carvers at work. The Iban Longhouse – located next door – is a wholly different experience; watch an Iban warrior perform a traditional war dance, listen to the drums and gongs and watch as the womenfolk plait exquisite pua – a mat weaving.
Further along the Plank Walk is the Rainforest Stage – the site for the Rainforest World Music Festival; the Penan Hut lies beside it – it houses the last of the hunter-gatherers and here you can try your luck at blowpipe shooting. Enjoy the cool mountain breeze amidst the humid tropical air as you walk to the next house – the Orang Ulu Longhouse. Home to the Kayan peoples – the gentlest and most graceful of the indigenous tribes – you can check out the amazing displays of wood-carvings and ‘tree-of-life’ murals at this abode.
At the Melanau Tall House next door, you’ll be entertained by shaman tales, watch traditional sago-palm processing and get to taste sago-based titbits. You’ll get to experience a truly traditional Malay experience at the Malay Town House where you’ll get to play traditional Malay games such as gasing and congkak. Finally at the Chinese Farm House you’ll get to sample true traditional farmhouse life, visit the pepper and vegetable gardens and taste conventional Chinese herbal tea while enjoying the view of the sprawling countryside.
Beyond doubt a visit to the Sarawak Cultural village is more than worth your time and a true treat for those seeking to experience Sarawak at its most authentic. The village represents the best of this slice of Borneo heaven and encompasses everything that the state has to offer – nature, culture, customs and tales to thrill.