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View Jalan Carpenter in a larger map
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Medan Pelita - STAR CINEPLEX, TANDOORI PALACE, formerly REX CINEMA in 1970s |
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Hong San Si Temple |
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Harmony Arch at entrance to Carpenter Street |
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Ernest Zacharevic’s Murals in Kuching |
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29-7-2014 TUESDAY
I woke up early in the morning before the sky turns bright. I want to see how the streets feels like under the dawning lights.
After a cup of hot tea from the lodging house in Jalan Tabuan where I put up for this short Kuching trip, I am on the cool morning silent street of Jalan Tabuan curious to see what the first things interest me. I want to see what remains familiar sight of these streets where I frequently walked on in the 1970s. That was 40 years ago. 40 years!!!!!!!!!
The next morning 30-7-2014 WEDNESDAY I arose even earlier, because just one morning is insufficient to see all the old streets of Kuching. Hopefully the second day will cover the rest.
This page is a summary of the two mornings.
The next morning 30-7-2014 WEDNESDAY I arose even earlier, because just one morning is insufficient to see all the old streets of Kuching. Hopefully the second day will cover the rest.
This page is a summary of the two mornings.
2)Colonial-Chinese style shop houses
3)Medan Pelita
4)Kuching State Legislative Assembly Buiding (Dewan Undangan Negeri)
6:39AM Its Tuesday, a weekday when students suppose to be on the way to schools at this morning hours, but no sight of Kuching High School students, or St. Mary's girls, or St. Thomas boys.
This is the old streets I walked pass every school day in the 1970s among the crowds of students from 5 primary and secondary schools. The two other schools are Chun Hwa Primary School No: 2 and Chung Hwa Primary school No: 4 all within the same area alone Tabuan Road.
But this morning no one student in sight. Seem all schools closed. Yes! All schools closed for a 1 week Hari Raya public holidays. All commercial offices also closed for 2 days on 28th and 29th July 2014. That is why I am here in Kuching taking advantage of the holidays to come for a niece's wedding).
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Sa Gak Po 三角坡 at Jalan Tabuan
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At the northern end of Jalan Tabuan is a gentle slop. Since the
White Raja’s time the Chinese has been calling this slop 三角坡 (Sa
Gak Po) means Triangle Slop. It was really a triangle shape round-about during
my school days in the 1970s. Today the
“Triangle” is replaced with traffic lights for the 3 junctions.
At the end of the slop is St. Mary’s Primary School and this
block of 4 heritage shop houses.
This block of 4 heritage shop houses gone through renovations
but the main structure remain unchanged.
The windows structural design remains as original as it was built in the
1930s.
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(3) Medan Pelita building
Rex Cinema in Kuching is now replaced with Medan Pelita building, a complex consisting of Food court and restaurant, multilevel Parking spaces and Star Cineplex (Cinema).
Rex Cinema was the cinema shown all the western films in those year 1960s, 1970s. I remember the film THE SOUND OF MUSIC in 1967. The cinema offer a special ticket fees for school students for special extra shows in the afternoon. So one afternoon, my whole class of Form 1 of Kuching High School walked from classroom to Rex Cinema for THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
6:45AM I pop into one of the noodle stalls at Green Hill Road and routinely ordered Kolo Mee and a cup of milk tea. This is my breakfast for today. Opposite the stall is Star Cineplex (above photo).
Coffee-shops with food-stalls are dotted all over Kuching old town. Those locally popular and traditional ones are found along Jalan Carpenter, Main Bazaar and Padungan Road.
Today I strolled Jalan Carpenter and Main Bazaar. Jalan Green Hill is where most of the budget hotels are in the same area.
Kuching Kolo Mee
Kolo Mee originated from the Hokkien Chinese and is a common every day dish in Kuching City. Today Kolo Mee has spread to Sabah and West Malaysia many are copying the name but without real tease and quality of Kuching’s Kolo Mee.
Visitors to Kuching or any part of Sarawak usually tried a bowl of Kolo Mee otherwise they considered one has never actually been to Sarawak.
Kolo Mee is Egg noodles that are fleshly-boiled, then classically served with crushed garlic and shallot, minced pork or beef and white vinegar. Some of them come with sliced barbecue pork known as char siu or beef.
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| Hong San Si Temple |
7:02AM Young people jogging pass Hong San Si Temple before heat struck. Just 100 meters from the right of the temple is the 1.7 Km Kuching Water Front where fitness enthusiasts enjoy their morning jogs and evening strolls.
7:15AM A curious Chinese lady tourist passing by the temple while a devotee performs his morning prayer. Kuching City’s cultural diversity attracted a steady grown of tourists from China in recent years.
View on a larger map Jalan Carpenter
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Jalan Ewe Hai
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2014-07-29 7:42AM Tuesday
I did not know there is a third Chinese Temple in Carpenter Street till today. All the while I knew there are only two.
I did not know there is a third Chinese Temple in Carpenter Street till today. All the while I knew there are only two.
The front door is wide open with a sign board on top of the door say “Temple of Queen of Heaven” so I walked up the stairs to see for the first time the new temple installed only in the year 1987.
An ornate Chinese temple dedicated to the Queen of Heaven. Thean Hou (the Queen of Heaven) has been worshiped as the protectorate of fishermen and villagers by the sea.
Good view, though not panoramic, of Kuching Town center. The temple balcony is the only public location to view the roof top of Carpenter Street.
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| 上帝廟 Shang Ti Temple, |
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Harmony Arch at entrance to
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At the turn of 21st Century, the old Kuching Town turns from commercial era to tourist era. With many of the commercial activities moved out of this old part for this small area is long longer able to meet the rapid expansion of Kuching City.
The history of Carpenter Street became its asset in attracting steady stream of visitors that earn Kuching (and Sarawak) millions of income each years. Those days in 1970s when I walked along these area, I had not idea that this is how Carpenter Street would one day become today.
To add value to tourism and heritage, this Chinese style Arch was build in 1987 and named HARMONY ARCH (see photo above).
Honestly, if non-Chinese friends asked me for a list of sight-seeing sites in Kuching before coming, I will not include Carpenter Street because there is simple nothing interesting for them to see.
But for my self, I must walk through Carpenter Street a couple of times each time I come to Kuching because I grew up here while I was a secondary student. I walked the street each schools and left behind uncountable foot prints in memories. There are so many old things to see and so many old memories to be refreshed.
Carpenter Street is my windows to the outside world from a feudalistic Hakka family. So isolated were my parent (so as many other old Hakka in Sarawak) they made little association with the Teochew or Hockien other then their own few close Hakka relatives because of dialects differences problem.
For the local Chinese and tourist to old Kuching, Carpenter Street (Attap Street) is 350meters street stretching from the West end Harmony Arch to the East end Hong San Si Temple. And this Carpenter Street is the heart of Kuching’s Old Chinatown. (The whole Old Chinatown included Main Bazaar)
But in official geography map this short 350 meters street are combination of 200m Carpenter Street and 150m Ewe Hai Street.
For me I would just follow the local Chinese and call the whole street Carpenter Street instead of the confusing East section Ewe Hai Street and West section Carpenter Street. After all it is only 350 meters and physically it is only one street.
Architecturally, Carpenter street lined with evocative, colonial-era shop houses and 2 vibrantly colored Chinese temples.
The 3 Chinese temples in Carpenter Street are main attraction to tourist today. During my school days 40 years ago, it was only Hong San Si Temple at the East End that captured my curiosity. This Hokkien temple with roofline of tiled dragons was established sometime before 1848 and extensively restored in 2004.
In one of the lane is a shop selling coffins. This shop, hide in a quite corner, is closely links to our family. This is the shop that supplied the coffins of my parents (2003 and 2008) and provides the necessary back up services of funeral services.
Stroll through time at Carpenter Street : http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/07/13/stroll-through-time-at-carpenter-street/
To add value to tourism and heritage, this Chinese style Arch was build in 1987 and named HARMONY ARCH (see photo above).
Honestly, if non-Chinese friends asked me for a list of sight-seeing sites in Kuching before coming, I will not include Carpenter Street because there is simple nothing interesting for them to see.
But for my self, I must walk through Carpenter Street a couple of times each time I come to Kuching because I grew up here while I was a secondary student. I walked the street each schools and left behind uncountable foot prints in memories. There are so many old things to see and so many old memories to be refreshed.
Carpenter Street is my windows to the outside world from a feudalistic Hakka family. So isolated were my parent (so as many other old Hakka in Sarawak) they made little association with the Teochew or Hockien other then their own few close Hakka relatives because of dialects differences problem.
For the local Chinese and tourist to old Kuching, Carpenter Street (Attap Street) is 350meters street stretching from the West end Harmony Arch to the East end Hong San Si Temple. And this Carpenter Street is the heart of Kuching’s Old Chinatown. (The whole Old Chinatown included Main Bazaar)
But in official geography map this short 350 meters street are combination of 200m Carpenter Street and 150m Ewe Hai Street.
For me I would just follow the local Chinese and call the whole street Carpenter Street instead of the confusing East section Ewe Hai Street and West section Carpenter Street. After all it is only 350 meters and physically it is only one street.
Architecturally, Carpenter street lined with evocative, colonial-era shop houses and 2 vibrantly colored Chinese temples.
The 3 Chinese temples in Carpenter Street are main attraction to tourist today. During my school days 40 years ago, it was only Hong San Si Temple at the East End that captured my curiosity. This Hokkien temple with roofline of tiled dragons was established sometime before 1848 and extensively restored in 2004.
In one of the lane is a shop selling coffins. This shop, hide in a quite corner, is closely links to our family. This is the shop that supplied the coffins of my parents (2003 and 2008) and provides the necessary back up services of funeral services.
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View of
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29-7-2014 TUE 7:44AM View of Legislative Assembly Building over old shop houses.
The new Sarawak
State Legislative
Assembly Building Carpenter Street . In between and out of
view in above photo is the Sarawak
River China .
100 years ago this location was the busiest spot in Borneo . Today when Kuching expanded into a modern city,
this part of old town calm down to a laid back corner almost forgotten.
But tourists insisted of coming to see this Old Kuching. What
they see in the morning activities are people simply relaxes and chills out. No
more the days of Kuli (laborers).
This is a heritage street to walk around with remaining things
of the pass interesting to see.
Interesting to see is also the strong survivor spirit of
nature through these young trees (see above image) growing over the hundred
year concrete shop roof. They will keep on
growing and growing till the occupants feel threaten and cut them down.
29-7-2013 TUE 8:21AM A man just came out from a Worshiping Items Shops (神料店) with two beg full of Joss paper and Hell Money (see above image). The Hong San Si Temple is just 50 meters away at the end of the shop lot.
There are a couple of Worshiping Items Shops (神料店) remain along Carpenter Street. Those days had more of these shops.
Worshiping Items Shops are Taoist shops selling Chinese worshiping articles such as mini altars, joss sticks, idols of Taoist deities, Taoist images, urns, "hell money" for the departed.
Traditional China burn Hell money and paper models of luxury items when paying respect at the graves of their ancestors.
Many traditional Chinese burn Hell money as a sacrificial rite to honor deceased relatives, but economic development has brought more unusual tokens of gifts for the after-life such as motor-cycle and sedan car (see image above)
For those uncultured Chinese who did not receive good education, they believe when a person die, his spirits (ghosts) go to an afterlife to continue live on. In this Hell, they do the same sort of things like we did on earth, eating, drinking, playing, have wives and almost any other material things one could think off.
For the deceased wealthy men, in Hell they would also have several wives and mistress and maid servants.
In order to ensure that they have lots of good things in the afterlife, their relatives send them presents, and Hell Notes (Hell money) to spend in the afterworld. In addition to Money there are also elaborately and multi-colored paper watches, paper clothes, paper cars, and even refrigerators.
These material items all made of paper for the purpose of burning in the belief that doing so sends their essence to the afterlife world, where the recipient will be glad to receive such material goods.
Taoism is not Buddhism which often confused by some Chinese themselves. Taoist is Chinese traditional origin while Buddhism is a religion from India. The 3 temples along Carpenter Streets are Taoist Temples not Buddhist Temples as often wrongly introduced by some tourist’s promoters.
In those days, being a Christian, I avoid direct contact with these shops. But today I view such shops with a completely different perspective, this is a piece of precious extincting ancient Chinese tradition ………. It is something my grandchildren with have no more a change to see.
These are a traditional of things and practice phasing out within the Chinese society within this century. Thought some young generations will still carry on the "practice" for many decades to come, but the new generations are merely doing for fun, for “unique lifestyle”, for “presentation in FACEBOOK”, to show off to their non-Chinese peer groups that they are “Chinese Authentic” for superior reasons.
But their old generations of parents and grand parents were doing these for genuine divine worshipping purposes.
There are a couple of Worshiping Items Shops (神料店) remain along Carpenter Street. Those days had more of these shops.
Worshiping Items Shops are Taoist shops selling Chinese worshiping articles such as mini altars, joss sticks, idols of Taoist deities, Taoist images, urns, "hell money" for the departed.
Traditional China burn Hell money and paper models of luxury items when paying respect at the graves of their ancestors.
Many traditional Chinese burn Hell money as a sacrificial rite to honor deceased relatives, but economic development has brought more unusual tokens of gifts for the after-life such as motor-cycle and sedan car (see image above)
For those uncultured Chinese who did not receive good education, they believe when a person die, his spirits (ghosts) go to an afterlife to continue live on. In this Hell, they do the same sort of things like we did on earth, eating, drinking, playing, have wives and almost any other material things one could think off.
For the deceased wealthy men, in Hell they would also have several wives and mistress and maid servants.
In order to ensure that they have lots of good things in the afterlife, their relatives send them presents, and Hell Notes (Hell money) to spend in the afterworld. In addition to Money there are also elaborately and multi-colored paper watches, paper clothes, paper cars, and even refrigerators.
These material items all made of paper for the purpose of burning in the belief that doing so sends their essence to the afterlife world, where the recipient will be glad to receive such material goods.
In those days, being a Christian, I avoid direct contact with these shops. But today I view such shops with a completely different perspective, this is a piece of precious extincting ancient Chinese tradition ………. It is something my grandchildren with have no more a change to see.
These are a traditional of things and practice phasing out within the Chinese society within this century. Thought some young generations will still carry on the "practice" for many decades to come, but the new generations are merely doing for fun, for “unique lifestyle”, for “presentation in FACEBOOK”, to show off to their non-Chinese peer groups that they are “Chinese Authentic” for superior reasons.
But their old generations of parents and grand parents were doing these for genuine divine worshipping purposes.
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Ernest Zacharevic’s Street Arts in Kuching
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29-7-2014 TUE 12:49PM
I came to Tower Market (formerly Open Market) for a bowl of noodle for
lunch. And opposite the market is Electra
House where Ernest Zacharevic left behind 2 master pieces on the nearby old
wall.
An interactive street art lively interact with street art
lover. A young lady came and offers this
young Orang Utan a can of Soya bean drink. What a cute and lovely scene in Kuching
daily life.
Street Artist Ernest Zacharevic came to Kuching just 3
months ago for a week invited by a developer to introduce street arts to the
citizens of Kuching.
On this piece of heritage old wall of Kuching, this talented
painter brought his interactive street art with this new piece showing a bunch
of Orang-utan chilling on a wheelbarrow and waiting for the occasional
passer-by to give them a push.
While another naughty Orang-utan stray away and climb up to
the near by water pipe waiting for someone to give some food. A young lady came and offers this young Orang
Utan a can of Soya bean drink. What a cute and lovely scene in Kuching daily life.
(see photos above)
Here are some download from Internet (above images).
“Young Cyclist” with Ernest Zacharevic himself the artist
“Little Children on a Bicycle” with adult young in heart
“Bun Seller”
“Graping from Bun Bicycle”
“Happy Brother and Sister on Swing”
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Ernest Zacharevic’s Murals in
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“Little Children on a Bicycle” with adult young in heart
“Bun Seller”
“Graping from Bun Bicycle”
“Happy Brother and Sister on Swing”
Ernest Zacharevic made a scene on the streets of George Town , Penang in
2012 when he was invited to the project "Mirrors George Town" as part
of George Town Festival 2012.
His artistic presentation comes in the form of beautifully
murals (Wall paintings) at streets in the inner George Town .
Ernest Zacharevic's murals in George Town include figure drawings and
portraitures that celebrate the exuberance of life in the inner city. They
include (see above image):
"Boy on a Bike",
"Little Children on a Bicycle"
"Little Boy with Pet Dinosaur".
Ernest Zacharevic came from The Republic of Lithuania. His murals in old street of Penang make Penang filled with artistic atmosphere. Now he is bringing the same talent to fill old streets of Kuching also with artistic atmosphere.
Ernest Zacharevic’s FACEBOOK :
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印度街India
Street
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| Masjid Bandar Kuching |
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30-7-2014 WED 6:27AM This 80 meters narrow lane in India Street (image left) will soon become history and replaced with a reconstructed wider lane. This is Indian Mosque Lane “Lorong Sempit” of India Street. This narrow lane connects two streets Indian Street and Gambier Road and served as a short cut in between for shoppers and worshippers otherwise their alternative is a long walk to the other side. |
In the middle of the lane where there is a bright area with blue transparent roofing (see above photo) is the location of the Indian Mosque (Masjid India or Masjid Bandar Kuching). Soon this old wooden Indian Mosque originally built in 1834 will be preserved as Kuching heritage site and the devotees will shift their location of prayers to a new mosque which will soon build beside it.
On the others side of this lane is Gambier Road, as morning grows, this street will turn to a world of aromatic spices and striking colors.
This lane is always crowded with passing by and the area is busier then Carpenter Street.
But today when I came to see how Kuching looks like in the morning light, there is not a single person except me. Me alone quietly push open the old wooden entrance door and step over the cements door steps. Me alone silently walked pass the cool narrow lane toward the bright light of the mosque and peek through the Mosque door gazing at the tranquil prayer hall (image above)
Me alone in early morning light with this oldest mosque in Kuching. This is quite a moment to remember in one's life.
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30-7-2014 WED 6:30AM From India Street I entered Kai Joo Lane and spend quit some time here as never before. Those days few people like me stay away from here. But that was 40 years ago. This morning the lane is quite with a few people passing by. Most shops are closed. The few opened are coffee shops and bakery shops including an Indian coffee shop selling Rodi Chanai where a Muslim Mula sits in the open street for cool fresh morning air (see photo above)
The two rows of 30 over shops along the 150 meters Kai Joo Lane were built by Teochew businessman Teo Kai Joo (1870-1924) in 1923. (He built the shops in 1923, he passed away in 1924 in China when he went back for a visit. That means he never lived to see business growth of his shops).
While Lorong Simpit is the short cut from India Street to Indian Mosque at Gambia Street, Kai Joo Lane is the short cut from India Street to the Central Police Station at Jalan Khoo Hun Yeang
It was in the 1970s to early 1980s there was a fire at the shop houses in the evening and I was watching from behind of Electra House. The shop houses in fire were between Kai Joo Land and Ban Hock Lane.
I seldom pass this lane as it is out of my routine route. But occasionally, like once in a year, I would deliberately walked this lane for curiosity.
What stimulated my curiosity in the 1970s were the couple of coffins shops at Kai Choo Lane. I would walk as slow as I could to see how the makers making the huge Chinese traditional wood coffins. And a couple ready made at display at the shop front. These heavy black wooden cases are scary items to look at. Even at this age of 61 when I am near to the time to select one for my self, I will never allow my remain to RIP in such a horrible box. Yet this design has been used by Chinese tradition for thousand of years.
Kai Joo Lane’s nick names in the pass are “Coffin Lane” and “Opium Lane”.
Before the WW2 the Opium Houses were concentrated here.
After the war when opium was restricted, Opium duns moved out. Coffin Makers gradually moved in to start their business.
By end of last century, again all coffin making shops moved out from this narrow lane to batter locations.
Those old days scenes of Chinese coffins and coffins makers were all long faded into memories.
Kuching is fast changing, fast developing, and fast beautifying herself.
Today, the lane is a known location for pineapple tards and cha siu buns made by a couple of bakery here. Tourists came specifically for tea break at the couple of coffee shops. And one day an order for 10 tubs of pineapple tarts received from the Prime Minister’s office……… read the full story below:
Stroll down Kai Joo Lane : http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/06/16/stroll-down-kai-joo-lane/
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Jalan Khoo Hun Yeang
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Gurdwara Sahib (
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30-7-2014 WED 6:55AM The 6 Golden Domes of Sikh Temple
Flock of pigeons in
front the Sikh Temple
40 years ago I was quite familiar with this area because I walked through almost every Saturday afternoon to the Red Cross Headquarter 200 meters further up. I was an active member. But, though a temple was there, I never aware in those day any place of worship at that location.
When ever I walked pass my attention was focus on a 2 story white concrete + black bilian big colonial house somewhere behind the Sikh Temple. That old colonial house was divides in several rooms and rented to several Chinese families with many children. It was always full of house hold activities such as mother or daughters hanging up wet clothes for drying on the cloth lines in the front yards, children hanging around with bicycles. That colonial house might not be there any more today.
Sikh is a minority group in Kuching as else where in East Malaysia. Being less in number, most people have never a change in association with a Sikh in daily life.
But in Kota Kinabalu, I had a Sikh neighbors living just a few houses across the road in Luyang, Kota Kinabalu in the 1975-1977. This Sikh family has pretty young daughters my age group………………….
……………………………. I must write down memories of those days in Kota Kinabalu before I forget.
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| Masjid Lama (Old Mosque) |
Masjid Lama (Old Mosque) was formerly the State Mosque of
Sarawak before taken over by the present new State Mosque across the river at
Petra Jaya.
This mosque was completed in the year 1968 when I was in
Form 2.
1970 when I was in Form 4, Zahara brought a few classmates
and I visited this still newly shinning mosque.
Zahara was one of the two Muslims students in my class Form
4 and 5. The only two Muslim students in
the whole school. And also the very
first time when the school administration started to enroll Muslim students in
1970.
I remember it was Hari Raya. The group of us took a sumpan (today
they call River Taxi) across the river to one of the Kampung where Zahara’s
house was. It was very joyful. (Off cause, we were all jokers then). Zahara’s house was a wooden stilted house short
distance from the river. We took group photographs in front her house.
Someone suggested to
Zahara to see the new mosque (perhaps it was me, because I was the only
hyperactive in the class.).
In that year of 1970 when Sarawak
was still laid back in architectures, a modern mosque like Masjid Lama was quite
a pride for the Kuching forks like me. The building and completion of this big
mosque was big news those days. It was
the state mosque of whole of Sarawak , with
modern and splendid structures no other buildings yet to rival. Its golden domes
were inspiration we can see only from other mosques through films and magazines.
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They said that I LIVED ON TREES.
Not a joke but a common idea of many people those days in West Malaysia on this part of Malaysia where I came from.
I studied my secondary school between 1966 to 1971 at Kuching High School. I left Kuching Town in 1972 to work in Sabah.
Kuching was not a city then and was quiet with little development. Many West Malaysia did not know much about Kuching and Eastern part of Malaysia. Their history lessens did not cover much about Borneo Island as our history books covered in Sarawak schools. One primary school principal I met in West Malaysia in 1980s has some idea where I came from …… he said its a place where “people still live on trees”. I made no attempt to clarify him because as late as in the 1980s Kuching was still too mystical and magical place and had no qualification to be used to compare with their modern Kuala Lumpur City.
How Kuching looked like during my school days?
Brian Houldershaw kept some valuable snap shoots in the 1964. Following are selected some. These are the old streets I walked on. Thanks, Brian!
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| Photographs by Brian Houldershaw in 1964 |
1 Topo Troop in Kuching. Photographer Brian Houldershaw : http://albiefield.co.uk/Sarawak/60sphotos/Kuching/index.htm
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