Sarawak’s capital city, Kuching, is suffused with memories, especially the many colonial buildings that have withstood the march of 20th century progress. Amid the noisy traffic and the bustling markets, which are typical of every Malaysian town, the old buildings give the capital an elegant and dignified air.
Charles Brooke’s Astana, built in 1870 for the newly married Rajah, still stands, although it has undergone several renovations since. It consists of three bungalows, supported by square brick of pillars, with the low, spreading roof giving shade to the interior. The Astana is now the official residence of Sarawak’s head of state.
Fort Margherita still commands a position on the long stretch of the Sarawak River next to the town. However, by the time it was built in 1879, Sarawak was enjoying a period of calm and peace without attacks form outside powers, and the fort was never used for its intended purpose. The only time that the fort came under fire was after the Brooke era, when the Japanese took Kuching in an air raid. No severe damage was caused to the fort. Since the war, the fort has been used mainly by the police force, and today it houses the Police Museum.
Kuching’s Courthouse is a rather plain old colonial building, and Brooke obviously had functionalism in mind here. Built in 1874, the building later had the addition of a clock tower in 1883. The Charles Brooke Memorial stands facing the courthouse, erected there in 1924.
The General Post Office, Kuching, with its Corinthian columns, is more decorative and was built in 1931. An imaginative building is the Square Tower, built in 1879, the same year as the Fort. Its architecture harks back to Victorian era’s fascination with medieval culture. Although equipped with a real dungeon for prisoners, the tower later came to be used as a popular dancing hall.
Charles Brooke’s Astana, built in 1870 for the newly married Rajah, still stands, although it has undergone several renovations since. It consists of three bungalows, supported by square brick of pillars, with the low, spreading roof giving shade to the interior. The Astana is now the official residence of Sarawak’s head of state.
Fort Margherita still commands a position on the long stretch of the Sarawak River next to the town. However, by the time it was built in 1879, Sarawak was enjoying a period of calm and peace without attacks form outside powers, and the fort was never used for its intended purpose. The only time that the fort came under fire was after the Brooke era, when the Japanese took Kuching in an air raid. No severe damage was caused to the fort. Since the war, the fort has been used mainly by the police force, and today it houses the Police Museum.
Kuching’s Courthouse is a rather plain old colonial building, and Brooke obviously had functionalism in mind here. Built in 1874, the building later had the addition of a clock tower in 1883. The Charles Brooke Memorial stands facing the courthouse, erected there in 1924.
The General Post Office, Kuching, with its Corinthian columns, is more decorative and was built in 1931. An imaginative building is the Square Tower, built in 1879, the same year as the Fort. Its architecture harks back to Victorian era’s fascination with medieval culture. Although equipped with a real dungeon for prisoners, the tower later came to be used as a popular dancing hall.
In 1886, the odd-looking Round Tower was built in Carpenter Street to house the town dispensary. Brooke seems to have has a predilection for fort structures, as the Round Tower was also meant to double up as a fort in times of attack. Nowadays, the building has yet another use – as office attached to the Judiciary Department.
Other buildings of interest abound in Kuching. One of the oldest is the Bishop’s House of 1849, built by James Brooke for the reverend Thomas Francis McDougall and his wife. With his typical astuteness, Brooke selected McDougall for the position of Bishop of Kuching because he had previously been a surgeon. The Pavilion, close to the Round Tower and the Courthouse, is of an uncertain date and its elaborate frontage is very different from other colonial buildings in Kuching. It was built as Kuching’s medical headquarter, but is now being used as offices for the Malaysian Ministry of Education.
Other buildings of interest abound in Kuching. One of the oldest is the Bishop’s House of 1849, built by James Brooke for the reverend Thomas Francis McDougall and his wife. With his typical astuteness, Brooke selected McDougall for the position of Bishop of Kuching because he had previously been a surgeon. The Pavilion, close to the Round Tower and the Courthouse, is of an uncertain date and its elaborate frontage is very different from other colonial buildings in Kuching. It was built as Kuching’s medical headquarter, but is now being used as offices for the Malaysian Ministry of Education.
The Sarawak River has always been a focal point of Kuching. Shops are built along the road on its northern bank and are referred to as “Main Bazaar”. The bazaar and the riverside were gently transformed in 1993 by the opening of the Kuching Waterfront Park, almost 1 kilometer of recreational areas, gardens, walkways, stalls and restaurants. The park is extremely popular with locals, who can be seen enjoying themselves here at all hours of day. The Main Bazaar is now firmly established as a shopping mecca for tourists, with many of the old Chinese shop house taken over by souvenir and antique stores specializing in primitive art.
At the downriver end of the Kuching Waterfront Park is the old Chinese Chamber of Commerce Building, now transformed into an interesting little Chinese Museum. Immediately opposite is the shrine devoted to Tua Peh Kong, its construction in 1912; confirming the strong presence of Chinese community in Sarawak. Now they are ubiquitous; rising from the handful that James Brooke found in 1839, they trade not only in the main towns and cities, but also upriver, attached to remote longhouse as suppliers of goods from downriver and building up a network of trade and news wherever they go.
Indian traders, following the Chinese example in the last century, headed for Sarawak to set up cloth shops and money-leading facilities. The Indian Masque, hidden in between India Street and Gambier Road and dating back to 1876, is a mark of their success here. The streets around the mosque are a labyrinth small Indian shops and curry-filled restaurants.
Indian traders, following the Chinese example in the last century, headed for Sarawak to set up cloth shops and money-leading facilities. The Indian Masque, hidden in between India Street and Gambier Road and dating back to 1876, is a mark of their success here. The streets around the mosque are a labyrinth small Indian shops and curry-filled restaurants.