Friday, May 8, 2009

Sarawak Cultural Village



Be prepared to be astounded by the diversity that the Sarawak Cultural Village has to offer when you visit Kuching.

Besides the feline fame of this 'Cat City', the Sarawak Cutural Village is one of the top attractions .

We had an early start. Already the place was thronged with buses and more buses and vans.

Situated at the foothills of the legendary Mt Santubong, this village enlightens the visitors with its 7 authentic ethnic houses built around a man -made lake all under one vast expanse.

As we entered the different houses, we were transported into different unique worlds. The friendly people delighted us with their daily activities - beading, singing, cooking, crafting etc. And for a small fee, we bought a few local delicacies cooked there and then.

Making local kueh ( charcoal fire )


Local medications - arthritis, toothache etc


Dressing up a lass in the Bidayuh costume




Spinning top (gasing) secure, ready to throw


Such a showcase of the different cultures of the people of Sarawak - Iban, Bidayuh, Melanau, Orang Ulu, Penan, Chinese and Malay can only tell the wonderful stories of times gone by and into the present.

Spinning top - on my palm

I was quite determined to spin the top ( gasing). But how? With a good dose of help from the guru (teacher), I did ! Then I asked for the top to spin on my palm. He willingly obliged - spun the top for me and I had to flatten my palm ... hooray!


Melanau Long House


Anthoni pointing to the props ( Melanau Long House)

Iban Long House


For 3 tries (RM1.00), my husband tried the blowpipe at the Penan hut. Good attempts to hit the target but he needed more - whatever living breath he has !


Penan with his blowpipe


So much more came alive when we sat ourselves down together with the crowds at the Dewan Legenda , a mini theatre to watch the dances and songs in a special showcase. It was color galore with the musical instruments used to their best advantage. The entertainers also infused some humour to get us together as one.

To round off an amazing display of the arts, the visitors were invited on stage to do the joget . And what better song to sing to close a lovely time other than one of our favourite Malaysian songs , Rasa Sayang. That lifted our spirits even higher.


Bidayuh lady and her woven craft


I hear the fame of the village has spread far and wide as the Sarawak Rainforest Music Festival is a happening event there. People across continents gather every July to showcase their traditional music, world fusion and contemporary world music.


Iban Dance

So, that's another added attraction for an easy going city of friendly people, Kuching.

20 comments:

  1. Thank you for enjoying our blog.Let's keep in touch.Have a happy weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow !!
    Its Fantastic all your pictures:)
    That longgggg house its very funny:)
    Its nice to see so many different
    things between our country's ...
    Its a lovely music festival
    i can see that ;)
    Have a nice weekend (@^.^@)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love your detailed post. Very interesting! Great shots. Have a nice weekend :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely culture. It is indeed a very long house.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I enjoy the pictures. It shows a beautiful culture. Being Anglo and living on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, USA, I appreciate the many cultures the world is made of. They all have beauty and dignity, and the history if fascinating. Thank you for your kind and positive words.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi everyone, thanks for visiting. I really enjoyed Kuching. Next time, I plan to do the green adventures.
    Rif, Thanks for popping in. It's indeed a great experience to learn about other cultures. Do visit again!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the guided tour. Your photos and comments made it feel like I traveled to your country!
    Wow.
    Everyone looks so very friendly.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great pictures, very interesting and informative! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you, Olga for popping in. Gald you like the post. Do visit again.

    ReplyDelete
  10. It's a beautiful set of photos showcasing the culture of Sarawak. I always love to know culture differences esp. in Asia as it's full of culture I believe. Thanks for visiting my page or I wouldn't have known your blog. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Pacey,
    Great! Hope there'll be much more exchanges.
    Welcome aboard!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you magiceye. Do drop in again.

    ReplyDelete
  13. A place I dream to visit some time in future.
    Rich info and pics.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a lovely tour and so many beautiful photographs. Thanks very much for sharing them. Thank you also for visiting my blog and for your kind comments on my son's wedding and niece's visit. I was very interested in the weddings you attended. They must have been marvellous.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi
    Indrani, thanks for following my blog. When you have the chance, hope you'll visit Malaysia.

    Denise, all warm wishes for the wedding. I will have to organise the wedding photos and do a post on it. Thanks for your interest.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This looks like a magical place! Your writing style is so vibrant! It made reading about your adventures so exciting!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Marie Reed,
    Good morning!
    Many thanks for your appreciative note:))

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a fascinating culture you are living in!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Susie of Arabia,
    I agree. Find out more about the Rainforest Music Festival on the web, if you would like to know more. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete

Great to have you popping in!