Waterfront then 1974 and now 2008

Waterfront then 1974 and now 2008

1974 Waterfront of Kota Kinabalu Town (now city) . Mamutik Island (left smallest), Manukan Island (behind me), Gaya Island (big island at right) 

Photo Location :  near the present Marine Statue in front Hyatt Regency, Kota  Kinabalu City

Blue sea, islands with white sandy beaches, fishing boats with fresh seafoods passing constantly.  This spot was significant. 40 over years later that part of blue sea immediately beside me by now refilled and became the present Kota Kinabalu Waterfront with hundreds of tourists each day walk by to watch sunsets. (sea next photo below). Hotels and shopping malls were build on once upon the blue sea.

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One of the first COLOR photos of me. Looking for a scenic location to try out a COLOR film 40 over years ago, it was decided that this very sport was the most iconic in Kota Kinabalu. Yes, indeed iconic not only at that time, this water front went into greater significant iconic today.  

This marine area now bring great wealth in tourism industry recent years.
The location where I sited and gazed into the blue sea went through development of land refill and construction with the present Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Hotel.

The land refill went on and on and became now the location of Wisma Merdeka Building, Gaya Centre Hotel, Suria Sabah Mall, Wisma Sabah Mall.

Location of Gaya Centre Hotel, Suria Sabah, Wisma Sabah etc were once the blue sea in the above 1974 photo.

Back in 1974, no one ever thought possible that our blue sea and islands would later attracts hundreds of Chinese from China every day. 

Back in 1974, China was in the mid of 10 years  Cultural resolution. This poorest country 40 years ago was backward in many aspects. With people staved to dead without foods. Every one use bicycles while the very few cars the country had were reserved only for the country officials.  Every one wear old cloths of similar color either blue and gray. But the worst things about them was that the Chinese were our enemy, "the enemy of the world" as the American told and reminded us constantly  to against a rising Communism.  

Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia were far more advance then the China that time.

Those years, to think about them coming every day to my country to enjoy this blue sea and island beaches and see the marine life was a funny jok with no clue for humor.

But today its not a jok. What we comprehend of the Chinese at that time 40+ years ago could not be understood by our young generation of children. Today, most local tourist industries could not survey if the Chinese stop coming. Today thousands went without jobs if the Chinese withdraw their investments.


I am living in this part of the world that went through changes no one predicted. And the changed still going through with momentum.

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Today's Kota Kinabalu Waterfront in 2008

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Once overlooked as a destination for travellers, Sabah now ranks as a top 10 destination for the more than 6 million Chinese people who went abroad this festive season -
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST 2018


MALAYSIA LURES CHINESE TOURISTS TO SABAH STATE WITH SUN, SAND AND SELFIES
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/