Kuching ( /ˈkuːtʃɪŋ/ KOO-ching; Chinese: 古晋)), officially the City of Kuching,[8] and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. The city covers an area of 719 sq miles (1,863 km²) and and has an estimated population of 1 million of 2012.
Kuching is one of the two subsets of the Kuching Proper subdistrict, the other subset being part of the Padawan municipality. Kuching Proper is one of the three subdistricts in the Kuching District, which is one of the three districts in the Kuching Division.
More than 150 years ago, Sarawak was essentially Kuching. Kuching was known as Sarawak first, then the word Proper, was added to Sarawak, thus Sarawak Proper, so as to distinguish it from the larger Sarawak which, in 1841, consisted of only the area between Tanjung Datu, and the Samarahan River.[9] On 12 August 1872, Sarawak Proper was given its present name, Kuching, under the rule of the second Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Brooke.[10]
Kuching was named after a tidal stream called Kuching River (Sungai Kuching) that ran between the present-day Tua Pek Kong Temple, and Chinese History Museum. The stream originated from Cat's Eye Hill (Bukit Mata Kuching) where there was an abundance of a local fruit called Green Longan (Isau, Dimocarpus longan ssp malesianus), vernacularly known as Cat's Eye (Mata Kuching).[9] In 1928, the stream was filled up to make way for the construction of Temple Street (Lebuh Temple), and thus the city's expansion eastwards.
Kuching is the third capital of Sarawak, founded by the representative of the Sultan of Brunei, Pengiran Indera Mahkota in 1827. Prior to the founding of Kuching, the two past capitals of Sarawak were Santubong, founded by Sultan Pengiran Tengah in 1599, and Lidah Tanah, founded by Datu Patinggi Ali in the early 1820s.[citation needed]
Sir James Brooke, the first Rajah of Sarawak.
Sarawak was a part of the Sultanate of Brunei before it was ceded to British adventurer James Brooke, who ruled it as his personal kingdom from 24 September 1841. The official declaration was not made until 18 August 1842. Brooke took over as a reward for helping to bring about a peaceful settlement facing Bidayuh uprising against the Sultan of Brunei.
Kuching became the seat of the Brooke government and underwent remarkable changes. As the administrative capital, it was the focus of attention and development. Some of the first things James Brooke did was to introduce a code of laws and build his residence on a site at the northern bank of the Sarawak River. The present-day Astana (Palace), which is now the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak, is next to the original Brooke building.[citation needed]
Under James Brooke, piracy and headhunting were banned and law and order enforced. However, Kuching remained cramped and lacking in facilities. It was not until 1868 when Charles Brooke became the Second Rajah that greater efforts were made to upgrade the town. Drainage was improved, new buildings and streets sprang up and old shophouses were replaced with brick ones.[citation needed]
The Brooke Administration was given the status of Protectorate under Rajah Charles Brooke's rule and was placed behind the Indian Rajas and Princes. By the end of the Charles Brooke rule, Kuching had grown from a small ramshackle place into a town with attractive Victorian-styled Government buildings and telecommunication service. Sampans (small boats) and trains were the primary mode of transport. There were even sports and entertainment facilities such as a race course and the Sarawak Club, complete with a bar, billiard tables and bowling alleys.[citation needed]
Kuching continued to prosper under Charles Vyner Brooke, who succeeded his father as the Third Rajah of Sarawak. In 1941, Kuching became the venue of the Brooke Government Centenary Celebration. A few months later, the Brooke administration came to a close when the Japanese occupied Sarawak.
During the Second World War, six platoons of infantry from 2/15 Punjab Regiment were stationed at Kuching. Kuching would be defended because of its airfield, and because its occupation by the enemy would give access to the important Dutch airfield at Singkawang II, sixty miles to the southwest and only some 350 miles from Singapore.[11]
Kuching was surrendered to the Japanese forces on 24 December 1941, and Sarawak was part of the Japanese Imperial Empire for three years and eight months, until the official Japanese surrender on 11 September 1945, on board HMAS Kapunda at Kuching. From March 1942, the Japanese operated a POW and civilian internee Batu Lintang camp, three miles (5 km) outside Kuching.[12]
After the end of World War II the third and last Rajah, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke ceded Sarawak to the British Crown in 1946. Kuching was revitalised as the capital of Sarawak under the British Colonial Government. When Sarawak, together with Northern Borneo, Singapore and the Federation of Malaya, formed the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, Kuching was maintained as the State Capital.[citation needed]
Kuching is situated at the banks of the Sarawak River on the North-Western part of the island of Borneo.
The limits of the City of Kuching include all that area in Kuching District containing an area approximately 431.01 km2 (166.4 sq mi) bounded from Gunung Lasak (Mount Lasak) in Muara Tebas to Batu Buaya (Crocodile Rock) in the Santubong peninsula following a series of survey marks as stated in the First Schedule of the City of Kuching Ordinance, 1988. As a simplification of the legal statute, the Kuching city limits extend from the Kuching International Airport in the south to the northern coast of the Santubong and Bako peninsulas; from the Kuching Wetlands National Park in the west to the Kuap River estuary in the east. The Sarawak River generally splits the city into North and South.
The highest point in the city is Mount Santubong on the Santubong peninsula, which is at 810.2 m (2,658 ft) AMSL, located 35 km north of the city centre.
City of Kuching (2008) |
Climate chart (explanation) |
J |
F |
M |
A |
M |
J |
J |
A |
S |
O |
N |
D |
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C |
Precipitation totals in mm |
Source: Monthly Statistical Bulletin Sarawak |
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Imperial conversion |
J |
F |
M |
A |
M |
J |
J |
A |
S |
O |
N |
D |
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °F |
Precipitation totals in inches |
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Kuching has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af), moderately hot but very humid at times and receives substantial rainfall. The average annual rainfall is approximately 4,200 mm or 165 inches (4,200 mm).[13] Kuching is the wettest populated area (on average) in Malaysia with an average of 247 rainy days per year. Kuching receives only 5 hours of sunshine per day on average and an average of only 3.7 hours of sunshine per day in the month of January (wettest month of the year). The wettest times are during the North-East Monsoon months of November to February and the dry season starts from June till August. The temperature in Kuching ranges from 19 °C (66 °F) to 36 °C (97 °F) but the average temperature is around 23 °C (73 °F) in the early hours of the morning and rises to around 33 °C (91 °F) during mid afternoon but the heat index often reaches 42 °C (108 °F) during the dry season due to the humidity. This temperature stays almost constant throughout the year if it is not affected by the heavy rain and strong winds during the early hours of the morning which could but rarely bring the temperature down to 19 °C (66 °F).[citation needed]
Climate data for the City of Kuching (2008) |
Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
Record high °C (°F) |
32.4
(90.3) |
32.2
(90.0) |
33.5
(92.3) |
33.7
(92.7) |
34.8
(94.6) |
34.2
(93.6) |
34.4
(93.9) |
33.6
(92.5) |
34.3
(93.7) |
34.2
(93.6) |
34.0
(93.2) |
33.8
(92.8) |
34.8
(94.6) |
Average high °C (°F) |
30.4
(86.7) |
29.1
(84.4) |
30.3
(86.5) |
32.0
(89.6) |
32.7
(90.9) |
31.6
(88.9) |
31.2
(88.2) |
31.6
(88.9) |
32.1
(89.8) |
31.5
(88.7) |
31.9
(89.4) |
30.4
(86.7) |
31.2
(88.2) |
Average low °C (°F) |
22.9
(73.2) |
23.2
(73.8) |
23.0
(73.4) |
23.3
(73.9) |
23.5
(74.3) |
22.9
(73.2) |
23.3
(73.9) |
23.0
(73.4) |
23.2
(73.8) |
23.2
(73.8) |
23.5
(74.3) |
23.2
(73.8) |
23.2
(73.8) |
Record low °C (°F) |
21.3
(70.3) |
22.2
(72.0) |
22.0
(71.6) |
20.8
(69.4) |
21.9
(71.4) |
21.8
(71.2) |
22.2
(72.0) |
21.0
(69.8) |
21.7
(71.1) |
21.1
(70.0) |
22.7
(72.9) |
22.5
(72.5) |
20.8
(69.4) |
Rainfall mm (inches) |
466.2
(18.354) |
445.2
(17.528) |
465.2
(18.315) |
251.0
(9.882) |
346.8
(13.654) |
309.8
(12.197) |
183.5
(7.224) |
326.4
(12.85) |
207.8
(8.181) |
307.2
(12.094) |
482.4
(18.992) |
516.2
(20.323) |
4,307.7
(169.594) |
% humidity |
87 |
87 |
87 |
85 |
82 |
84 |
83 |
82 |
84 |
85 |
86 |
89 |
85.08 |
Avg. rainy days |
20 |
24 |
25 |
25 |
15 |
18 |
17 |
17 |
16 |
20 |
24 |
27 |
248 |
Source: Meteorological Station, Kuching International Airport[14] |
Climate data for the City of Kuching (2007) |
Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
Record high °C (°F) |
33.8
(92.8) |
32.8
(91.0) |
33.9
(93.0) |
34.8
(94.6) |
34.6
(94.3) |
34.0
(93.2) |
35.0
(95.0) |
34.8
(94.6) |
34.5
(94.1) |
35.0
(95.0) |
33.5
(92.3) |
33.0
(91.4) |
35.0
(95.0) |
Average high °C (°F) |
29.7
(85.5) |
30.4
(86.7) |
31.7
(89.1) |
31.9
(89.4) |
32.7
(90.9) |
31.7
(89.1) |
31.9
(89.4) |
32.1
(89.8) |
31.8
(89.2) |
32.1
(89.8) |
30.9
(87.6) |
30.1
(86.2) |
31.4
(88.5) |
Average low °C (°F) |
23.6
(74.5) |
23.1
(73.6) |
23.3
(73.9) |
23.7
(74.7) |
23.8
(74.8) |
23.4
(74.1) |
23.5
(74.3) |
23.2
(73.8) |
23.2
(73.8) |
23.1
(73.6) |
23.2
(73.8) |
23.3
(73.9) |
23.4
(74.1) |
Record low °C (°F) |
22.5
(72.5) |
22.1
(71.8) |
21.7
(71.1) |
22.7
(72.9) |
22.4
(72.3) |
21.7
(71.1) |
22.3
(72.1) |
21.5
(70.7) |
22.0
(71.6) |
21.9
(71.4) |
22.1
(71.8) |
22.2
(72.0) |
21.5
(70.7) |
Rainfall mm (inches) |
822.2
(32.37) |
346.6
(13.646) |
249.8
(9.835) |
263.4
(10.37) |
332.8
(13.102) |
385.8
(15.189) |
284.8
(11.213) |
208.8
(8.22) |
368.6
(14.512) |
403.8
(15.898) |
457.2
(18) |
637.2
(25.087) |
4,761.2
(187.449) |
% humidity |
89 |
85 |
84 |
85 |
83 |
86 |
83 |
81 |
86 |
85 |
88 |
88 |
85.25 |
Avg. rainy days |
26 |
21 |
23 |
20 |
19 |
21 |
20 |
17 |
21 |
25 |
24 |
26 |
263 |
Source: Meteorological Station, Kuching International Airport[15] |
2010 Census reports that Kuching urban population is 660,000 (Kuching City South – 150,000; Kuching City North – 170,000; Padawan- 3rd Mile/ 7th Mile/ 10th Mile – 340,000) and is consisted of Chinese (330,000), Malays (260,000), Ibans (70,000) and other ethnic groups. The Dayaks, the grouping of local indigenous tribes, can be categorized into Ibans, Bidayuhs, Melanaus and Orang Ulu, among others. The Chinese are made up of Fujianese (Hokkien) in the city areas and Hakka in the suburbs mainly. Other Chinese consist of Foochow (Fuzhou), Teochew, Hainanese, Cantonese, Henghua and others. Interracial marriages among those of different ethnic backgrounds are common in Kuching.
The main religions are Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism and Islam[citation needed] . The Chinese practice either Buddhism, Taoism or Christianity. Most Dayaks are Christian, with the exception of the Melanaus, who are partially Muslim.
The city is considered one of the cleanest cities in Malaysia and was voted as one of the world's healthiest cities, recognised and awarded by both United Nations (UN) and World Health Organisation (WHO)[16] and by the Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) in Suzhou, China.[17]
A majority of people in Kuching are capable of communicating in Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language) and English. English is more widely spoken in Kuching than other Malaysian cities due to Sarawak's history and the large number of native dialect languages.[citation needed] The dialect of Malay spoken in Kuching is known as Bahasa Sarawak (Sarawakian Malay Language), which is a subset of the Malay language.
Kuching is the only city in Malaysia to be administered by two distinct entities; a local authority (City Council) and a state government statutory body granted a City Hall status.
The city's twin administration was born out of the need of an efficient system which would allow for a balanced development and population distribution for the two territories. It will also ensure that the local authority of the city proper will not be hampered by the former jurisdiction of Kuching Rural District Council (KRDC).
The City of Kuching is divided into two areas; Kuching North and Kuching South. Each of these is administered by a Mayor (Malay: Datuk Bandar); legally called Mayor for Kuching South and Commissioner for Kuching North. The city delimitation exercise also resulted in the city centre being split into East and West.
The city's higher education system follows the guidance of the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). Under the purview of MOHE are two main departments, namely the Institutes of Higher Education Management Department and the Polytechnic and Community College Management Department.
There are currently no public university campuses in Kuching, apart from the UNIMAS Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences building situated next to the Sarawak General Hospital. The Sarawak state government has moved the last remaining public university campus (Universiti Teknologi MARA) from Kuching to Kota Samarahan in 1997 in a long-term initiative to transform Kota Samarahan into an education hub.[18] However, there is a polytechnic (Politeknik Kuching Sarawak) and a community college (Kolej Komuniti Kuching) available for school leavers seeking further education in public institutions in Kuching.
Kuching is home to two full-fledged private university campuses; namely the Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, the only branch campus of Swinburne University of Technology outside Australia; and UCSI University, Sarawak Campus which houses the Faculty of Hospitality & Management. Swinburne University Sarawak Campus is currently run by Professor Helmut Lueckenhausen; the CEO and PVC (Pro Vice Chancellor) since 2007.
The city has other private colleges, mainly subsidiaries from universities and university colleges established in West Malaysia, such as SEGi College, Sarawak, Sunway College Kuching, PTPL Sarawak, INTI College Sarawak, Limkokwing Borneo and Twintech College Sarawak.
There are also private institutions conducting franchised programmes from full-fledged universities (apart from running their own courses) such as SATT College (conducting franchised programmes from UiTM) and the Institute of Dynamic Management, Sarawak (conducting franchised programmes from UNIRAZAK).
The International College of Advanced Technology Sarawak or ICATS is an institution created as the state government's initiative to enhance technical and vocational training education among school leavers. Operated by a state-owned subsidiary, ICATS focuses on producing human capital for the hi-tech sector, especially for the development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy.
The Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) oversees the education system on the primary and secondary levels. The Sarawak Education Department manages all aspects of the education service in the state. Public schools in Sarawak are supervised according to districts under the purview of a District Education Officer.[19] In Kuching, all schools under the National Education System (government education institution category), are managed by the Kuching Combined Education Office (Pejabat Pelajaran Gabungan Kuching).
There are more than 80 schools with an enrollment of more than 30,000 students in the City of Kuching.[20] Schools are divided into 4 levels of education namely pre-school, primary, secondary (lower & upper) and post-secondary (excluding tertiary). As of January 2010, SMK Green Road has the highest enrollment of 2075 among all secondary schools in Kuching[21] while SJK Chung Hua No. 3 has the highest enrollment of 1553 among all primary schools.[22]
The Sarawak State Library (
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak).
The Sarawak State Library is the major information resource centre and provides information services for the public and private sectors.[23] The library serves Kuching and its outskirts as the main depository of public records. In addition it administers, monitors and facilitates the operations of 36 village libraries in the state funded by the National Library of Malaysia.[24]
Other public libraries in Kuching include the DBKU City Library and village libraries such as in Bandar Baru Samariang, Kampung Samariang Lama and Taman Sepakat Jaya.
Roads within the city are of a reasonable standard, though traffic congestion often leads to long tailbacks during weekday rush hour. As Kuching is located near the equator, potholes have the tendency to develop on the roads during the monsoon season (usually around the end of the year, coinciding with winter in the northern hemisphere). Roads leading outside of Kuching to the interior are of a slightly lower quality but are being upgraded from time to time. The main resort roads (e.g. leading to Damai) and Borneo Highlands are good.
Kuching CBD skyline from the southern suburbs. The spread of low density suburb sprawls led to the ever increasing dependence on private vehicles.
Kuching International Airport at night
Bus travel is available by either antiquated, smoky, non-air-conditioned buses or newer air-conditioned buses or the 'van sapu' (mini-van converted into mini-buses) which are cheaper.
Kuching is served by several major bus companies. Among others, Chin Liang Long Motor Vehicle Co. (traditionally blue) serving Kuching South, Matang Transport Company (yellow and orange) serving Matang-Kubah and Petra Jaya Transport Company (Black, yellow and red strips) serving Kuching North. The Sarawak Transport Company (traditionally green) and Bau Transport Company (Red) have routes from Kuching to other smaller towns. A large portion of the buses in service are antiquated and not air conditioned. The fares are low. For tourists, the State Ministry of Tourism has provided bus shuttles to transport tourists around Kuching.
Road signs adhere to the Road Sign Standards issued by the Ministry of Transportation. Kuching is famous for many large traffic circles or roundabouts. The roundabouts are efficient at handling medium scale traffic. However, as traffic continues to rise in Kuching several roundabouts have given way to traffic lights and over and underpasses. These traffic circles are usually well landscaped.
The list of highways in Kuching city include:
Kuching, like most towns in Sarawak, has connections to other urban centres and settlements by water transportation. Between the banks of Sarawak River, near the city centre, many 'tambang' (small boats) can be seen ferrying passengers from one riverbank to the other. For those staying along the river banks, it is a faster means of getting to the city-proper. The wharf for express boats servicing transport to further areas such as Sibu and Bintulu, is located in the east of the city, near the Sim Kheng Hong Port, also known as the Tanah Puteh Port, in Pending.
Kuching International Airport is the main gateway for air passengers. The airport's history dates back to the 1940s. The new terminal complex was opened in April 2006.
The old
Sarawak Museum was built by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1891 and modelled on a town hall in Normandy
Kuching maintains a healthy establishment of museums showcasing its rich culture and history. The Sarawak Museum, the oldest of its kind in Borneo, exhibits collections on the natural history of Sarawak. Directly opposite the Sarawak Museum is the Dewan Tun Abdul Razak which serves as an exhibition venue and the office of the Sarawak Museum Department. Located right behind Dewan Tun Abdul Razak is the Sarawak Islamic Museum.
Other museums in Kuching include the Chinese History Museum, the Kuching Cat Museum, the Sarawak Timber Museum and the Sarawak Textile Museum. Kuching is also home to the first ever planetarium in Malaysia[citation needed], the Sultan Iskandar Planetarium adjacent to the Kuching Civic Centre.
Interesting historical landmarks and sites of Kuching include The Astana (the former palace of the White Rajahs and currently the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak), Fort Margherita, and the Tua Pek Kong temple.
The oldest street of Kuching is the Main Bazaar, a row of 19th century Chinese shophouses located along the Kuching Waterfront overlooking the Sarawak River. It offers the city's best concentration of antique and handicraft shops .[25] The Main Bazaar is part of Kuching's old town, which also includes the Carpenter Street and India Street. The old Courthouse building, which sits in between Carpenter Street and India Street, has undergone restoration and now houses the Sarawak Tourism Board.[citation needed] Some other interesting areas around the CBD include Padungan Street, which is the Chinatown of Kuching.
The Kuching Waterfront is an approximately 1 kilometer long riverside esplanade stretching from the main hotel and commercial heartland of the city to downtown Kuching. The landscaped waterfront is dotted with food stalls, restaurants and benches and offers excellent views of The Astana, Fort Margherita and the New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building. The waterfront also features an observation tower, an open-air theater and musical fountains. The Sunday Market at Satok operates during weekends offers a large diversity of items for trade. The Kuching Civic Center offers a panoramic view of the city from a viewing platform during the day.
Numerous natural attractions including National Parks, notably the Bako National Park and the Kuching Wetlands National Park as well as the Semenggoh Wildlife Center which operates an orang utan orphanage and rehabilitation program are popular attractions near Kuching. Also, available near Kuching are the Gunung Gading National Park and the Kubah National Park.
Located about 40-minutes drive from Kuching is Santubong, a prominent beach resort area home to numerous world-class beach resorts, the Damai beach and the Sarawak Cultural Village. The Sarawak Cultural Village is a primary attraction in the area, which is essentially a living museum that allows visitors a first-hand experience to Sarawak's ethnic diversity. Other beaches accessible nearby Kuching are the Lundu Beach and the Sematan Beach. The Borneo Highlands is also nearby Kuching and offers a fresh and chilly highlands resort experience located 1000-meters above sea level.
Since 1997, Kuching has been host to the Rainforest World Music Festival, an annual music festival which brings performers and spectators to the region from all over the world. Hosted by the Sarawak Cultural Village, the festival is now one of the largest musical events in Malaysia. Since 2009 several large events have been established in Kuching including The Malaysia Global Business Forum and Tomorrow’s Leaders Summit.
The Borneo Convention Centre Kuching or BCCK is the first dedicated convention and exhibition centre in Borneo. It was opened in October 2009 and aims to attract conventions, conferences, events and exhibitions to Kuching.
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Menara Pelita and Sarawak Energy HQ in Petra Jaya
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Kuching South City Council Cat Statue
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Old court house built by the Brookes
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Kuching has many current and future development projects, both public and private. The Matang Highway which will create a direct Kuching-Lundu road access has been constructed. It is a 2-lane, dual-carriageway road, with a gateway bridge over the Selang Rambungan River and a minor bridge over the Matang Sebubut River. Construction of this highway commenced in July 2002 and was completed in May 2007.[citation needed]
- The Spring[26] – The largest lifestyle shopping mall in the state, situated along Jalan Simpang Tiga, was opened on 10 January 2008, covering some 420,000 sq ft (39,000 m2) of net lettable area (built up – 1.2mln sq ft). The anchor tenants are Parkson Department Store, Ta Kiong Supermarket and MBO cinemas.,[27]
- Boulevard Shopping Complex – Phase I of the mall was opened on 22 December 2007. It is a new regional mall located along Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli in the 4th Mile area. The major tenant is the Boulevard Department Store & Hypermarket, with some 720,000 sq ft (67,000 m2) of net lettable area, which will be the largest one-stop lifestyle mall in the state. .[28][29] Phase II was opened on 1 June 2012, with more than 150 retail shops.
- Green Heights Mall – Kuching's first suburban neighbourhood small mall, occupied by international franchise, Cold Storage, and additionally with some 4,000 m2 of leasable space, opened on 13 June 2008.[30]
- OneTJ[31] – Sarawak's first ICT based shopping mall was developed in the Heights Drive Commercial Centre, with some 67,500 sq ft (6,270 m2) of leasable area, opened on 22 November 2008.
- E-mart – A new one-stop shopping destination, located at Matang Jaya. The anchor tenant is E-mart Department Store and Supermarket.
- Hills Shopping Mall – A new 2 storey up-market shopping centre, with about 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) of retail space, located in Kuching City Centre, opened on 29 December 2009.
Kuching Sentral - A new bus terminal mix with 3 storey shopping complex. Located 5 minutes from Kuching international airport.
[[|center|border|180x180px|alt=|The Riverside Shopping Complex in the City Centre ]] |
The Riverside Shopping Complex in the City Centre
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Kuching has a number of notable local dishes served at hawker stalls.
- Kolo mee – Egg noodles, flash-boiled, then classically served with crushed garlic and shallot, minced pork or beef, white vinegar, either vegetable oil, pork oil or peanut oil, and sliced barbecue pork known as char siu or beef.
- Sarawak laksa – Spicy coconut prawn paste-based broth served with rice vermicelli, omelette and chicken strips, prawns, sliced deep fried tofu, and occasionally clams.
- Tomato sauce mee or tomato sauce kway teow – Crispy deep fried noodles or ricecake strips served with tomato sauce, vegetables, and chicken.
- Bubu cha-cha – Concentrated mixed syrup of sago, agar, and sweet potatoes.
- Kway chap – Ricecake strips served with pig entrails, deep fried tofu, and hard-boiled egg.
- Lui cha – Rice served with seven types of shredded vegetables with a bowl with bitter herb soup accompanied by a small bowl of roasted peanuts.
Kuching has some very good local seafood restaurants, often run by the Chinese residents serving prime local shellfish.[citation needed] There are many such establishments in and around the city, most notably along the way to popular seaside resorts located on the island of Santubong.
While global chain outlets (McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Starbucks)Marrybrown are ubiquitous in the prime commercial complexes, a local fast food chain "Sugarbun" also serves a variety of Malaysian food in a more Western style.
[[|center|border|180x180px|alt=|Seafood stalls ]] |
Seafood stalls
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- ^ Kuching City Population
- ^ "Sejarah Bahagian Samarahan". http://www.samarahanro.sarawak.gov.my/sejarah%20bhg_mei%202009.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
- ^ Sarawak Government Almanac, PNMB Kuching, 2010, "Kuching Municipal Office established."
- ^ "Chan appointed mayor of Kuching". Star Publications. 29 May 2008. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/29/nation/20080529154238&sec=nation. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
- ^ "Ex-cop sworn in as Sixth North Kuching Datuk Bandar". Borneo Post. 2 August 2011. http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/08/02/ex-cop-sworn-in-as-sixth-kuching-north-datuk-bandar/. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ "City Boundary". http://www.dbku.gov.my/Eng/boundry.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
- ^ "World Gazetter: Malaysia – largest cities (per geographical entity)". http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&geo=-152. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ City of Kuching Ordinance [Cap. 48], 1988, para 3.-(1)
- ^ a b A brief history of Kuching. Occasional Paper No. 6. The Sarawak Museum. 1993.
- ^ Sarawak Government Almanac, PNMB Kuching, 2010, "Kuching so named officially instead of Sarawak."
- ^ L, Klemen (1999-2000). "The Invasion of British Borneo in 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/sarawak.html.
- ^ Ooi, Keat Gin (1998) Japanese Empire in the Tropics: Selected Documents and Reports of the Japanese Period in Sarawak, Northwest Borneo, 1941–1945 Ohio University Center for International Studies, Monographs in International Studies, SE Asia Series 101 (2 vols) ISBN 0-89680-199-3, pages 6–11
- ^ "Kuching, Malaysia Weather History and Climate Data". WorldClimate. http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N01E110+2100+96413W. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
- ^ "Meteorological Observations at Meteorological Station, Kuching International Airport". Monthly Statistical Bulletin (Kuching: Department of Statistics Malaysia, Sarawak) (January 2009): 3. August 2011. ISSN 1823-1640.
- ^ "Meteorological Observations at Meteorological Station, Kuching International Airport". Monthly Statistical Bulletin (Kuching: Department of Statistics Malaysia, Sarawak) (January 2008): 3. August 2011. ISSN 1823-1640.
- ^ WHO Healthiest City Award
- ^ AFHC Healthiest City Award
- ^ Rudy Rukimin Rambli (5 February 2008). "Samarahan Semakin Pesat Berkembang [Rapid Expansion of Samarahan]" (in Bahasa Malaysia). Berita Wilayah. BERNAMA. http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/state_news/bm/news.php?id=312312&cat=srm. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
- ^ "Sarawak Education Department". http://apps.emoe.gov.my/jpnsarawak/. Retrieved 5 May 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "Sarawak Education Department: Basic Statistics of Schools in Kuching.". 31 October 2008. http://apps.emoe.gov.my/jpnsarawak/STATISTIK/KUCHING.pdf. Retrieved 5 May 2010. [dead link]
- ^ (in Malay) Maklumat Asas Pendidikan Sekolah Menengah di Sarawak seperti 31 Januari 2010, Sarawak Education Department, 31 January 2010
- ^ (in Malay) Maklumat Asas Pendidikan Sekolah Rendah di Sarawak seperti 31 Januari 2010, Sarawak Education Department, 31 January 2010
- ^ "Sarawak State Library: Our Background". http://www.pustaka-sarawak.com/Pustaka-Sarawak/about_us.php?do=our_background. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ "Sarawak State Library: Public Library Services". http://www.pustaka-sarawak.com/Pustaka-Sarawak/about_us.php?do=public_library_services. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ Cuti Malaysia – Sarawak
- ^ The Spring
- ^ The Spring
- ^ Dewan Undangan Negeri
- ^ Boulevard Shopping Complex
- ^ Green Heights Mall
- ^ OneTJ