Culture Village

Culture Village, Santubong, Sarawak
Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia and the population comprises of local ethnic groups namely Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Melanau and other minor tribes plus the Malays, Chinese and Indians living together in harmony for more than a century. Sarawak is also known as the Land of Hornbills because as the name suggest, it is filled with hornbills. Sarawak Cultural Village is one of the must see attractions here in Kuching Sarawak, simply because it is one of a kind Living Museum in the world. Sarawak Cultural Village is an Award Winning cultural showcase and it is also the venue for the yearly World Harvest Festival and the Rainforest World Music Festival (held in July or August). The Sarawak Cultural Village was officially opened in 1990. It showcases the various attributes of major ethnic population in the whole state of Sarawak, namely the Malay, Chinese, Iban, Orang Ulu, Bidayuh, Melanau and Penan. While there is nothing comparable to visiting the actual dwelling sites of these tribes who thrive in either the massive delta of Rajang River, or in deep rainforests accessible only by airplanes, the showcases in this village are pretty much as close as one can get in getting to know the colourful multi-ethnic characteristics of Sarawak. The cultural showcase in this village presents a typical Chinese farmhouse. The house is made of basic sawn timber and the floor surprising reveals the bare earth (of either clay soil, or sands). The roof (atap) is made of leaves taken from local-grown rumbia trees which are known to withstand the test of time. The Malay house is built on stilts some metres above ground. There is a reason for that; houses built on the ground are prone to be flooded and not to mention the uninvited guests in the form of crawling creatures. Ethnic Melanau makes up about 6 percent of the total state population of Sarawak. Melanau house built some 40 feet above ground. The main reason is that the coastal areas where the Melanau live are prone to frequent pirate attacks from the sea. Ethnic Bidayuh is somewhat similar to ethnic Iban . Most of Bidayuh longhouses are built along the hill slopes of Sarawak's interiors and their main activities include rice farming, fishing and arts crafting. In general, the Orang Ulu are famous for their unique musical instrument called sape, elaborate beadworks, extensive body tattooing, sword-making (or called parang ilang), exquisite totem poles and intricate native arts. The ethnic Iban actually forms the majority of Sarawak's tribal composition, an important fact that is considered alien even among most Malaysians. The Iban also live in longhouses, a communal living concept that still exists even in present days. The longhouse is often considered as a village by itself, with a leader called Tuai Rumah, often elected by the majority of the tribe members.