| The Round Tower | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fort |
| Address | Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia |
| Completed | 1886 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
The Round Tower is a historical building in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
| The Round Tower | |
|---|---|
| | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fort |
| Address | Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia |
| Completed | 1886 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
The Round Tower is a historical building in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
The Round Tower was constructed in 1886 as a fort but was never used for military purposes. Up until 1947 it was used as a public dispensary serving the adjoining hospital (today the Textile Museum Sarawak). Later, it was occupied by the Labour Department and then by the judiciary as a court registry. In 2004, it was it was used by the Sarawak Craft Council who displayed handicrafts, and around 2000 it was converted into a cafe and restaurant. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The building consists of two floors with two round towers at its corners, with the date of its construction inscribed on its facade. It was registered as a state heritage building under the Sarawak Heritage Ordinance 1993 (SCHO) in 1985. [4]
Sarawak is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, Kalimantan to the south, and Brunei in the north. The state capital, Kuching, is the largest city in Sarawak, the economic centre of the state, and the seat of the Sarawak state government. Other cities and towns in Sarawak include Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu. As of the 2020 Malaysia census, the population of Sarawak was 2.453 million. Sarawak has an equatorial climate with tropical rainforests and abundant animal and plant species. It has several prominent cave systems at Gunung Mulu National Park. Rajang River is the longest river in Malaysia; Bakun Dam, one of the largest dams in Southeast Asia, is located on one of its tributaries, the Balui River. Mount Murud is the highest point in the state. Sarawak is the only state of Malaysia with a Christian majority.
East Malaysia, or the Borneo States, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia on and near the island of Borneo, the world's third-largest island. East Malaysia comprises the states of Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. The small independent nation of Brunei comprises two enclaves in Sarawak. To the south and southeast is the Indonesian portion of Borneo, Kalimantan. East Malaysia lies to the east of Peninsular Malaysia, the part of the country on the Malay Peninsula. The two are separated by the South China Sea.
Kuching, officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River at the southwest tip of Sarawak on the island of Borneo and covers an area of 431 km2 (166 sq mi) with a population about 165,642 in the Kuching North administrative region and 159,490 in the Kuching South administrative region—a total of 325,132 people.
Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of 129.5 square kilometres (50.0 sq mi), the city is positioned at the confluence of the Rajang and Igan Rivers, approximately 60 kilometres from the South China Sea and 191.5 kilometres (119 mi) north-east of the state capital, Kuching.
The White Rajahs were a hereditary monarchy of the Brooke family, who founded and ruled the Raj of Sarawak as a sovereign state, located on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo in Maritime Southeast Asia, from 1841 to 1946. Of British origin, the first ruler, James Brooke was granted the province of Kuching – which was known as Sarawak Asal – by the Sultanate of Brunei for helping fight piracy and insurgency among the indigenous peoples in 1841 and received independent kingdom status.
Kota Samarahan, formerly known as Muara Tuang, is a town and the administrative seat of the Samarahan District in Samarahan Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is also a satellite town for Kuching due to its proximity to the city part of Greater Kuching area. The Sarawak government position Kota Samarahan as the medical and education hub of the state. Kota Samarahan can be considered as the 'heart' of Malay/Muslims in Sarawak which forms approximately over 56% of the population, thus make it as another "Putrajaya" version of Sarawak.
Kuching International Airport (KIA) is an international airport serving the entire southwestern region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is located 11 km (6.8 mi) south of Kuching city centre. The airport is colocated with the RMAF Kuching, home to the No. 7 Squadron RMAF.
Sarawak Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kuching, Malaysia. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 40,000 spectators.
Wisma Bapa Malaysia also known as Bangunan Tunku Abdul Rahman is the Sarawak state secretariat building housing various government departments, including the Premier's office. It is located in Petra Jaya, Kuching. Wisma Bapa Malaysia was designed to be similar to the Malaysian Houses of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur in many aspects.
The Sarawak State Museum is the oldest museum in Borneo. It was founded in 1888 and opened in 1891 in a purpose-built building in Kuching, Sarawak.
The History of Sarawak can be traced as far as 40,000 years ago to the paleolithic period where the earliest evidence of human settlement is found in the Niah caves. A series of Chinese ceramics dated from the 8th to 13th century AD was uncovered at the archeological site of Santubong. The coastal regions of Sarawak came under the influence of the Bruneian Empire in the 16th century. In 1839, James Brooke, a British explorer, first arrived in Sarawak. Sarawak was later governed by the Brooke family between 1841 and 1946. During World War II, it was occupied by the Japanese for three years. After the war, the last White Rajah, Charles Vyner Brooke, ceded Sarawak to Britain, and in 1946 it became a British Crown Colony. On 22 July 1963, Sarawak was granted self-government by the British. Following this, it became one of the founding members of the Federation of Malaysia, established on 16 September 1963. However, the federation was opposed by Indonesia, and this led to the three-year Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. From 1960 to 1990, Sarawak experienced a communist insurgency.
The Astana is a palace in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, on the north bank of the Sarawak River, opposite the Kuching Waterfront. It is the official residence of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak. The name is a variation of 'istana', meaning 'palace'. It was built in 1870 by the second White Rajah, Charles Brooke, as a wedding gift to his wife, Margaret Alice Lili de Windt. The palace is not normally open to the public, although the landscaped gardens are, which can be reached by a boat ride across the Sarawak River. It is part of the Kuching Heritage Trail.
Sarawak General Hospital is the largest general hospital in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is one out of two main tertiary and referral hospitals in East Malaysia. In its earlier years, it was known as Kuching General Hospital.
Fort Margherita is a fort constructed in 1879 by Charles Brooke, the second Rajah of Sarawak, situated in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. The fort is an important landmark and monument in Sarawak's history which goes back to the century-old Brooke dynasty of Sarawak. The fort, built in the style of an English castle, was designed to protect Kuching from attacks by pirates. It served as a Police Museum from 1971 before being handed over to the Government of Sarawak and now is a tourist attraction in Kuching. The fort now houses the Brooke Gallery, an exhibition showcasing the history of Sarawak under the Brooke dynasty.
Chinatown is located at Padungan road, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. The most notable streets in the Chinatown are Main Bazaar and Carpenter Street.
The Kuching Old Courthouse is a historical courthouse in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Culture of Sarawak exhibits notable diversity in ethnicity, cuisine, and language. The Sarawakian culture has been influenced by Bruneian Malays of the coastal areas. Substantial cultural influences also came from the Chinese and British cultures.
The Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) is an under-construction Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) system network that serves Greater Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian. It is the first ART system network to be built outside of China and also the first metro rail system in the state of Sarawak which was touted as one of the methods to ease traffic congestion in the city of Kuching. The project is currently constructed by Sarawak Metro using state funds provided by the Development Bank of Sarawak (DBOS). The ART lines will connect Kuching to Samarahan and Serian as well as future lines to other parts of Greater Kuching.
Hong San Si Temple is a Chinese temple situated in Carpenter Street of Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is part of the Kuching Heritage Trail.