Sandakan Heritage Trail (Malay : Jejak Warisan Sandakan) is a trail connecting several historical sites in Sandakan, a town in the east Malaysian state of Sabah. It is marked with white concrete tiles placed on the ground showing a red footprint the words "Heritage Trail" in either black or gold.
Sandakan was almost completely destroyed during Second World War. The few remaining historical relics of the former North Borneo capital was combined into a historical trails in 2003 as Sandakan Heritage Trail (SHT). [1]
At present, the eleven stations of the Heritage Trail are as follows: [2]
North Borneo was a British protectorate in the northern part of the island of Borneo, which is present day Sabah. The territory of North Borneo was originally established by concessions of the Sultanates of Brunei and Sulu in 1877 and 1878 to a German-born representative of Austria-Hungary, a businessman and diplomat, Gustav Overbeck.
Tam Kung or Tam Tai Sin (譚大仙) is a sea deity worshiped in Hong Kong and Macau.
Sandakan formerly known at various times as Elopura, is the capital of the Sandakan District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the second largest city in Sabah after Kota Kinabalu. It is located on the Sandakan Peninsula and east coast of the state in the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo. In 2010, the city had an estimated population of 157,330 while the overall municipal area had a total population of 396,290. The population of the municipal area had increased to 439,050 by the 2020 Census.
Tawau, formerly known as Tawao, is the capital of the Tawau District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the third-largest city in Sabah, after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. It is located on the Semporna Peninsula in the southeast coast of the state in the administrative centre of Tawau Division, which is bordered by the Sulu Sea to the east, the Celebes Sea to the south at Cowie Bay and shares a border with North Kalimantan, Indonesia. The town had an estimated population as of 2010, of 113,809, while the whole municipality area had a population of 397,673. The municipal area had a population of 372,615 at the 2020 Census.
Tawau Division is one of the five administrative sub-divisions of Sabah, Malaysia. It occupies a total of 14,905 square kilometres or 20% of Sabah's territory. The main towns include the capital of Tawau, Lahad Datu, Kunak and Semporna. Tawau division has 26% of Sabah's total population, with the main indigenous groups consisting of the Bajau, Suluk, Ida'an, Tidong, Cocos, Murut, Lun Bawang/Lun Dayeh as well as a minority of mixed ethnic groups. Large numbers of both legal and illegal immigrants from Indonesia such as the Buginese and Torajans, from East Timor the Timorese, from the Philippines the Tausūg and Visayans as well South and West Asian immigrants such as Pakistanis, Indians and Arabs can be found in this area. As with the rest of Sabah, the division also has large numbers of ethnic Chinese.
West Coast Division is an administrative division of Sabah, Malaysia. It occupies the northwest portion of Sabah. With an area of 7,588 square kilometres, it occupies 10.3% of Sabah's territory. It also has approximately 30% of Sabah's total population, with the main indigenous inhabitants comprising the Bajau, Bisaya, Bruneian Malay, Dusun, Illanun, Kadazan and Kedayan, as well with a significant numbers of Chinese. The division is divided into the districts of Ranau, Kota Belud, Tuaran, Penampang, Papar, and the state capital Kota Kinabalu. The main towns are as in the names of the districts, plus other towns including Putatan, Inanam, Telipok, Tamparuli, Tenghilan and Kinarut.
The history of Sabah can be traced back to about 23–30,000 years ago when evidence suggests the earliest human settlement in the region existed. The history is interwoven with the history of Brunei and the history of Malaysia, which Sabah was previously part of and is currently part of respectively. The earliest recorded history of Sabah being part of any organised civilisation began in the early 15th century during the thriving era of the Sultanate of Brunei. Prior to this, early inhabitants of the land lived in predominantly tribal societies, although such tribal societies had continued to exist until the 1900s. The eastern part of Sabah was ceded to the Sultan of Sulu by the Sultan of Brunei in 1658 for the former helping a victory over Brunei enemies, but many sources stated it had not been ceded at all. By the late 19th century, both territories previously owned by Sultan of Brunei and Sultan of Sulu was granted to British syndicate and later emerged as British North Borneo under the management of the North Borneo Chartered Company. Sabah became a protectorate of the United Kingdom in 1888 and subsequently became a Crown colony from 1946 until 1963, during which time it was known as Crown Colony of North Borneo. On 16 September 1963, Sabah merged with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore to form Malaysia.
Before the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific, the island of Borneo was divided into five territories. Four of the territories were in the north and under British control – Sarawak, Brunei, Labuan, an island, and British North Borneo; while the remainder, and bulk, of the island, was under the jurisdiction of the Dutch East Indies.
The Chartered Company Monument is a monument in the town of Sandakan in Sabah, Malaysia dedicated to the British servicemen or employees who were killed at the end of the 19th century. The monument was built by the British North Borneo Company and part of the Sandakan Heritage Trails, a trail which connects the historic sights of Sandakan.
The Sandakan War Monument is a monument established by the British located in the town of Sandakan, Malaysia, to commemorates the town citizens who died during the Second World War. The monument is part of the Sandakan Heritage Trails, a "Heritage Trail" which connects every historic sights of Sandakan.
William Pryer Monument is a monument that stand in the Malaysian town of Sandakan as a memory of the founder, William Burgess Pryer. It is part of the Sandakan Heritage Trails, a trail which connects all the historic sights in Sandakan.
St. Michael's and All Angels Church or for short St. Michael is an Anglican church in the city of Sandakan in the Malaysian state of Sabah in northern Borneo. St. Michael is the oldest stone church in Sabah. The impetus for the construction of the church dates back to the clergyman William Henry Elton, who is also known as the founder of St. Michael's Secondary School, located next to the church.
Puu Jih Shih Temple is a Buddhist temple located at the hilltop of Tanah Merah at Sandakan Bay in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. The temple was built in 1987 and officiated by Joseph Pairin Kitingan, the Chief Minister of Sabah at the time. It is the largest Chinese temple for the town and situated around 4 kilometres west of the town centre.
The Sandakan Jamek Mosque is a mosque in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. Opened in 1890, it is the oldest mosque in Sandakan, part of Sandakan Heritage Trail.
Sam Sing Kung Temple (also known as the Three Saints Temple) is a Chinese temple in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. Built in 1887, the temple is the third oldest temple in Sandakan, after Goddess of Mercy Temple and Tam Kung Temple. It is part of the Sandakan Heritage Trail.
The Sandakan District is an administrative district in the Malaysian state of Sabah, part of the Sandakan Division which includes the districts of Beluran, Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Telupid, and Tongod. The capital of the district is in Sandakan City.
Tam Kung Temple is a Chinese temple located at Mile 1.5 of North Road in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. The temple was established in 1894 by Hakka immigrants in Sandakan.
Sandakan Japanese Cemetery is an old graveyard in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. Located on a hill about 2 kilometres from the town central business district, it is a cemetery where the remains of many Japanese female prostitutes called Karayuki-san from poverty-stricken agricultural prefectures in Japan who were sold into slavery at a very young age years before the World War II which also include recent comfort women during the war. It is part of the Sandakan Heritage Trail.
Sandakan Heritage Museum is a museum located at the 1st floor of Wisma Warisan building in Sandakan of Sabah, Malaysia. The museum building is located next to the Sandakan Municipal Council and is part of the Sandakan Heritage Trail.