Kuching Evening View

Evening View part of Kuching City with Gunung Serapi (Gunung Matang) in the background.

UCSI Hotel at Isthmus Kuching

New Hotel in Kuching,UCSI Hotel located at Isthmus.

Retro Photo of Ariel View of Kuching

Aerial View of Kuching Town circa 1920's.A few building and places we can recognized and still exist today,some are demolished and some have changes.Kuching Main Post Office on Jalan Tun Haji Openg only built on 1931,Completed in 1932 under Charles Vyner (the third Rajah).

The site was once used for a police station and also the Rajah’s Stables. Occupants of the old Medical Headquarters across the road (now is Textile Museum) fondly recall looking to the Rajah’s Stables, surrounded by areca palms, to the coach house, hay loft and harness room, and watching the horses being fed, watered & groomed.

Buildings at Riverfront of Gambier Road all are demolished now (circa early 2010's) for development of Kuching Waterfront extention.Padang Merdeka (known before as Padang Central) not as big as today.There was a road back then,and few buildings nearby.As what i can remembered ,during my childhood years at the end of 1970's ,the road still there,and there was a fountain too.

In my humble opinion,some building need to be retain.No need for demolish,we can refurbish and keep it for our future generations appreciate our heritage and history.But,what to do,we can only become observer for everything that change around us.

World War II Japanese Aeronautical Map of Borneo

World War II Japanese Aeronautical Map of Borneo (Circa1943 Map)

Statue at Kuching Waterfront - The Bronze Crocodile

The Bronze Crocodile of Kuching Waterfront,some people says this is not Statue of Crocodile but more to Water Dragon.

Kayan War Boats

Kayan war boats, which are made by hollowing out a single tree trunk, The pictured boat is over forty yards.
(Circa 1912 :  W. H. Furness)

Life in Long House

Dayak working on a platform attached to a long house, with left of them storage places for freshly harvested rice.Nowadays some Dayak Long House build with modern style and dont have this type of space anymore. (Circa 1931 :  Collectie Stichting Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen)

Sungai Sarawak circa 1981

Pemandangan di Sungai Sarawak sekitar tahun 1981.Jika dibandingkan dengan sekarang (June 2017).Terdapat banyak perubahan yang kita boleh lihat dan bezakan ,antaranya

1.Bentuk Perahu Tambang - Rata-ratanya pada ketika ini banyak yang masih menggunakan kayuhan sahaja membelah Sungai Sarawak.Berbanding sekarang menggunakan Engine Boat dan Kayuhan (bergantung air pasang-surut atau cuaca dan arus sungai)

2.Tebingan Sungai Kuching - Tebingan Sungai Kuching atau Kuching Waterfront dibina sekitar awal 1990an.Sebelum itu kaasan tebingan Kuching ini adalah Pelabuhan untuk kapal-kapal dagang ,Kapal Tentera,Kapal-kapal dari jabatan kerajaan lain dan kapal-kapal Swasta.

Terdapat juga gudang-gudang besar yang menjadi tempat penyimpanan barang-barang yang diturunkan dari kapal ,Kebanyakkan gudang  tersebut telah dirobohkan kecuali satu yang dijadikan "Godown Ampithetre" untuk tujuan persembahan seperti acara tarian,nyanyian dan sebagainya.

Terdapat juga sebuah bangunan yang dikekalkan menjadi kedai dan restoran.
Dengan terbinanya "Sarawak Barrage" dan dua Tambak iaitu Tambak bako dan Tambak pending,Sungai sarawak telah berubah kegunaannya,dahulu banyak kapal-kapal bersaiz dari kecil hingga besar termasuk bot ekspress yang menuju ke perkampungan pesisir bergerak melaluinya.Namun sekarang sudah agak sunyi,hanya kapal nelayan Bot Tunda,perah-perahu kecil nelayan dan paling besarpun kapal persiaran penumpang yang ada merentasnya.

Salah satu kebaikan yang diperolehi dari terbinanya barrage dan tambak ini ialah,air pasang surut dapat dikawal dimana mudah untuk menganjurkan pesta sungai seperti Regatta,yang mana dahulunya terpaksa menunggu air pasang barulah dapat dilangsungkan.Selain itu,ia dapat mengawal  air semasa banjir .

3. Bangunan DUN baharu - Bukit di belakang yang luas itu adalah tempat dimana DUN Baharu Sekarang.Berhampiran kawasan DUN itu pula terdapat Kuarters dan Ibu Pejabat Pasukan Polis Hutan yang lebih dikenali warga tempatan sebagai Brigade.Keseluruhan kawasan Brigade sudah diluaskan untuk pembinaan DUN.Brigade sekarang sudah dipindahkan ke batu Kawah iaitu kem Pasukan Polis Hutan ,Batalion ke 11.

Terdapat juga sebuah perkampungan tempatan berhampiran kawasan DUN ini iaitu Kampung Astana,kesemuanya telah dipindahkan ke kawasan lain untuk penempatan semula.

Sea Dayak Girl with traditional attire

Sea Dayak girl from Sarawak with her Traditional attire.(Circa 1890 : Lambert & Co., G.R. / Singapore)

Borneo woven basket for crops

Borneo Woven Basket for crops.Local people call it Tambok or Sedong.This basket usually for heavy duties items like putting Farm Produce like vegetables,fruits and sometime animals.Usually this basket made from rattan,but nowadays they make it from Plastic and nylon to make it more heavy duty and last longer.

Borneo Basket Weaving

Borneo Basket Weaving.Fully made from rattan.It has many use ,mostly use for farming,bringing seed,put food or machete.Eventhough nowadays there is modern basket,this  Basket still used by natives.

Kelabit Girls with Bead and Tattos

All Kalabit women are tattooed when they reach the age of sixteen. Bold zigzag bands are traced on the forearm, not completely encircling the limb, and strikingly decorative geometrical designs are tattooed on the thigh, the shin, and sometimes, on the knee-cap. They wear strings of large blue beads around the waist and wrist, and necklaces of smaller beads. (Circa 1922 : Charles Hose)

A tribal Village by the River

A Tribal Village at Tinjar River.Tinjar River located at northern part of Sarawak.(Photo circa 1912)

The Long Gallery Inside the Kayan Long House at Baram

The Long Gallery of the family house as a common residence for its occupants. A house in the average size takes up about two hundred inhabitants, it is built in a rectangle, about three hundred and fifty feet long, and sometimes in the middle of its length passing through a wall into halves, one of which is the open hall, separate. (Photo circa 1912 at kayan Long House at Baram)

A family of Punan nearby the river

A family of Punan nearby the river. Photo Circa early in 1940's

Iban Lady weaving

Iban Lady weaving a rattan mat and bakul.An ordinary view in some longhouses ,some of the product use for them self and also sell to thers. 

Selamat Hari Gawai Dayak tahun 2017

I wish a Happy Gawai Dayak Day Celebration for year 2017.Celebrate with friends and Family and don't drink and drive.Annang Senggaut,Sayau ka nyawa

Kalimantan Railway connecting to Kuching

I manage to dig some old photo showing Kalimantan Railway Project.One of the routes,connecting Sambas to Kuching.. So..use your imagination hehehe.. maybe the LRT part connect to this route,from what i heard few years back,probably Kalimantan Route will ended at Lundu as that town nearest to Sambas.. but proposal and project in Sarawak always changing and changing..Maybe the route directly end at Kuching Central  or etc..