Malaysia Destinations | Places of Interest in Malaysia

Sarawak > Kuching - Cat City

Kuching is 'cat' in Malay language. According to the legends, the naming is made because there was once a lot of cats around Sarawak River. That is why Kuching is fondly known as 'Cat City'. You find lots of cat sculptures around kuching city and even a Cat Museum to showcase the cats.

Kuching is a great starting point to explore the hidden paradise of Borneo - Sarawak. Nestled on the banks of Sarawak River, the city is well-preserved with many historical buildings, ornate temples, markets, and traditional Chinese shophouses. The river is the focal point of the town where viewing across are The Astana (the palace) and Fort Margherita. You can even hire a sampan to float down the river in the backdrop of a fantastic sunset.

Places of Interest

Historic Places
	The Waterfront Stroll along this transformed riverside walk, you can discover a landmarks that the rich cultural and intriguing history of Kuching	Sarawak Steamship Building This was previously the office and warehouse of the Sarawak Steamship Company, built in 1930.
	Square Tower Once a detention camp for prisoners, built in 1879, it was later converted into a fortress and then a dance hall. Today it is a multimedia information centre and video theatre.	Chinese History Museum Built in 1912 as a court house for the Chinese Community in Sarawak. In 1930, it was taken over by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. It has then been turned into the Chinese History Museum with traces of Chinese settlement in Sarawak.
	Padungan An area with Chinese shophouses with their distintive architecture, dating back to the 1920s and 1930s.	Main Bazaar One of Kuching's oldest streets dating back to 1864 with row of two-storey antique facade shophouses.
	General Post Office Built in 1931, the building is unique with its imposing neo-classical style and impressive Corinthian columns. A colonnaded portico serves as a corridor in front of the building. The building is to be converted into the Sarawak Art Museum.	Round Tower Built in 1886, it is claimed to serve as a fort in an emergency. It became the Dispensary, then the Labour Department until 1980, then the Judicial Department. Today it houses the Sarawak Handicraft Centre.
	The Pavillion Contructed in 1907, its architecture is a mixture of the English Renaissance and English Colonial.	Sarawak Museum Built in 1981, it has European architecture of imposing edifice in Queen Anne style (Victorian period).
	Dewan Tun Abdul Razak (New building of Sarawak Museum) It is another gallery of Sarawak Museum named after the second Prime Minister of Malaysia. It displays a variety of pre-historical artifacts and a substantial amount of archeological materials.	Sarawak Islamic Museum Built as a school in 1930 along Jalan P Ramlee, it was initially known as James Brooke Malay College. Later known as Madrasah Melayu Sarawak, it was meant as a college for higher Malay studies. The architecture of the building is unique and it is said to be the only one of its kind in the State. Today it is the first Islamic Museum in Southeast Asia with seven galleries exhibiting Islamic artefacts from around the region.
	India Street A pedestrian street with shopshouses selling mostly colorful textiles, clothing and some Indian spices.	Brooke Memorial It is a 6-metre high granite obelisk built in 1924 to honour the second Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Brooke. There is panel of 4 figures which represents the Sarawakian community - Chinese, Dayak, Kayan and Malay, at the corner of the obelisk.
	The Court House The Court House was built with belian (iron wood) roof and is decorated with beautiful engravings reflecting local art form.	The Astana The Astana lies across the Sarawak River near the Malays Kampungs, is now the official residence of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, the Governor of Sarawak.
	Fort Margherita Fort MargheritaNamed after the 2nd Rajah's wife, it was built in 1879, in the defensive edifice/castle style of the late English renaissance, at a location that can overlook the long stretch of Sarawak River.	Green Mountain (Mazhu Temple) The Mazhu Temple was built by a rich chinese businessman. It is a chinese temple sitting on top of a hill, in the middle of a Malay village.
Place of Worship
	Masjid India It is the state's oldest Indian-Muslim mosque exsits since 1850s. Look for a narrow entrance between shophouses No37 and No39. Walk along the narrow path to get to the mosque.	Kuching Divisional Mosque The mosque was completed in 1968 on the site of an old wooden mosque built in 1852. It can be viewed above Kuching skyline.
	Tua Pek Kong Temple Tua Pek Kong Temple is the oldest Chinese temple in Sarawak, which is believed to be around since 1843. The Chinese pay homage to the Tua Pek Kong deity here for peace and prosperity.
Natural Gateways & Parks
	Bako National Park The oldest park in Sarawak and the best park with rare wildlife, beautiful beaches and interesting rock formations.	Gunung Gading National Park Mountainous park with waterfalls. Home to the unusual Rafflesia.
	Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre Orang Utans and other native animals are trained to live again in the wild. Look up for the feeding session.	Sarawak Cultural Village Living museum which showcases Sarawak's unique and diverse cultures, displaying replicas of Sarawak's ethnic traditional houses.
	Damai Beach Sea-side resorts & world-class golf course in the foothills of Mount Santubong.	Annah Rais Bidayuh Longhouse This is one of the oldest known Bidayuh Longhouse where generations have lived there for about 200 years.
	Kubah National Park Unusual sandstone park with many waterfalls. Rich forest life.	Tanjung Datu National Park Where the mountains meet the sea. Crystal clear rivers & wildlife abound.
	Talang-Satang National Park The first National Park in Sarawak to consist primarily of a marine area. It has been created for the primary purpose of marine turtle conservation. A permit from the Forest Department is necessary for entry to the Park.

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