DISTRICT KUCHING >  KUCHING CITY  >  PLACES OF INTEREST  >  KUCHING   WATERFRONT

Chinese Version of this page : 古晉河濱公園

KUCHING   WATERFRONT
...the place English adventurer James Brooke landed and created history...

A stroll on this modern Kuching waterfront esplanade is a walk through time from Kuching's humble origins to its status as a modern city.
Drab warehouses and old markets of the history have been replaced with kilometers long esplanade, beautifully landscaped and dotted with wooden benches, food stalls, restaurants and entertainment facilities.

Kuching Waterfront
Kuching Waterfront is a place for the people. A place to enjoy, to entertain and be entertained.
Officially opened in 1993 and stretching approximately 1.3 km, with a riverside walk linking the hotel precinct with downtown Kuching, the Waterfront is 'self-contained' with facilities for entertainment, refreshment, relaxation, cultural enjoyment and arts appreciation.


Awards

1994 - National Project Award in the Civic Design Category
(Awarded by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture)

1994 - Merit Award in the Overseas Category
(Awarded by the Royal Australian Institute of Architecture)

1994 - Excellence on the Waterfront/ Waterfront Centre Annual Award
(Awarded by the Waterfront Centre, USA)
 

Viewing Sunset at Kuching Waterfront

Photo Above : Local waterway taxis (tambangs) at left and right. White ship in the Middle is the MV "Equatorial", the Cruise ship that curse the river every day. The city and its hinterland, Mount Serapi, Mount Santubong and even the mountains of Kalimantan are visible on a clear day.

It is a leisurely way of glimpsing Kuching and it gives you a different perspective of the historic city.
No visit to Kuching would be complete without a stroll on thismodern esplanade and experience a Sarawakian sunset.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN BORNEO ISLAND TO VIEW SUNSET:
 

Sunset view at Sematan Beach 100Km from Kuching City

Sunset view at Sri Aman water front 190Km from Kuching City

The Friendly Crocodiles
of Kuching Water Front

The Waterfront of Sarawak River, a landscaped esplanade, was an important place in the founding of Kuching.
Take a leisurely stroll along the Waterfront to explore its historical buildings and admire the modern sculptures.
This is the place English adventurer James Brooke landed and created history in Malaysia.
 

Kuching Water Front in the year 1957

Kuching Waterfront - Sarawak History began here
Kuching Waterfront has undergone several transformations since the 19th century -from a small settlement to a busy port with warehouses and wharves, to thelandscaped riverside walk it is today. The Waterfront is now also home to modernsculpture, an open-air theatre and a musical fountain.
The location where the photographer took this photo in those day was an empty space where they sales sand for construction. In those day of 1960s this location was my 'Kuching Water Front' where I used to come in the afternoon to relax and enjoy the river view and activities. Sand were carried by small boats from somewhere and embarked here and uploaded to this location. The loading were done by labors using rattan basket and carry by hand from the boat to the river bank.
 

Construction on a pedestrian bridge linking the Kuching Waterfront and the State Legislative Assembly building was started in March 2013 and completed the next year.


The bridge make Kuching City more attractive and comfortable, as well as provide another option for leisurely strolls or exercise.

Kuching has history, culture and nature in a very peaceful and safe environment. Tourists and locals alike can take a stroll alone, in pairs or in groups and enjoy the relaxed environment and clean air.

Sarawak River was the city's main highway and still retains its importance and picturesque charm in the modern Kuching City.
 

Kuching Waterfront, a major restoration and land reclamation project, has become the most popular meeting place in the city.
Drab warehouses have been replaced with 900m long esplanade of beautiful landscaped and dotted with wooden benches, food stalls, restaurants and entertainment facilities.

A number of old buildings originally built in the 19th and early 20th centuries have been preserved and incorporated into the design, including the Chinese History Museum, the Sarawak Steamship Building, an open-air theatre and the Square Tower.

These buildings have been restored to their former glory and are worth visiting.

The Sarawak Steamship Company building on the Waterfront was built in 1930. Previously the offices and warehouse of the Sarawak Steamship Company, is now the home of the Kuching Waterfront Bazaar, with dozens of stalls selling a wide range of handicrafts and souvenirs.

In 1875, a group of Kuching merchants engaged in the lucrative sago trade founded this company. One of its luxury liners. the Vyner Brooke, saw wartime services and was lost at sea. Today the company no longer owns ships. While the river was the artery of Sarawak's commerce, the waterfront was lined with warehouses which have given way to the esplanade. The SSC godown was restored in 1988.

Kuching Waterfront Solar Energy - Newly installed in April 2010

SARAWAK TRADITIONAL BOAT CRUISE

Price :
Adult - Rm 19.00
Child - Rm 9.00

Boat Options:
1) Iban Long Boat
2) Malay Sampan
3) Orang Ulu Boat

Departure : Daily 10am - 6.30pm
Duration : 1 hour (Hourly departure)

Street performers at Kuching Waterfront
A beautiful riverside is a tourist attraction. Kuching town planners has developed their waterfront into a casual entertainment center, with cafes, pubs and restaurants and foodstalls.

The Kuching Riverside comes to live in the late afternoon, when the sun has lost some of its fierce noonday heat and local entertainers took over.
On weekend evenings, it is especially popular with families out for a stroll. The street performers are mostly young teenage locals came from the nearby villages or kampongs situated across the river.
Some of them would set up their drums; their electric guitars connected to speakers, playing their favorite local and international songs like picture above.
A few of them would just bring their acoustic guitar and perform themselves just to make a quick buck for their pocket money.
The Kuching riverside waterfront in the evening, is a vibrant, colorful, and melodic place to hang out. We welcome international Street performers

Crowds of people in front street performers at Kuching Waterfront
 

Monthly Dance and Music Performance

Rounding up the 4th Sunday of each month, the dancer groups will be strutting their multi-ethnic diversity of Sarawak at the Godown Amphitheater Kuching Waterfront between 8:00pm - 9:00pm. The main routines will be focused on ethnic and traditional dances using their individual costumes accompanied by music and audience are encouraged to participate by joining in the dance!
The busy monthly schedules to expose the artistic talents of Sarawak are part of the efforts to bring up a generation of artists and enhance the appreciation of local cultures and ethnic traditions. These will lead to better understanding of the arts and crafts, cultures of Malaysia locally and also among visitors.
 

Godown Amphitheatre Waterfront
Theater and Performing Arts Venue

Sampan (Tambang)

This primordial mode of transportation is extensively used by the villagers in Kuching North to get to work in downtown Kuching South. The closest land bridge is some kilometers away, and with the traffic jams and public buses failing to appear on time, taking this 5-minute sampan ride right into the heart of the city is most efficient traffic solution.
Witness how the boatman adeptly propel the wooden boat across the river. There are two wooden oars tied in a cross-path formation which the boatman used to navigate the sampan. There is a small boat engine at the back of the sampan . For about a few minutes, the engine will propel the boat across the river, with the oars used to turn left or right, depending on the final destination.
The boatman will switch off the engine at some distance away from the destination jetty and let the boat momentum carries the sampan slowly and steadily to the docking point
 

Views of The Astana
The Kuching waterfront esplanade offers excellent views, both day and night, of the Astana, Fort Margherita and the Malay kampungs which line the north bank of the river.

Golden Bridge across Sarawak River

THE GOLDEN BRIDGE
Bridging North and South Kuching
400 metre long
Kuching’s Golden Bridge span across the Sarawak River in the center will be completed in 2015 at the cost of RM35 million.

The 400m bridge will begin from the Sarawak State Legislative Building, and will be curled towards the Kuching Waterfront in an S shape.

Its shape which was inspired by Sarawak’s meandering rivers in Sarawak, while the design will take elements of Sarawak diverse culture including reminiscing the Bidayuh bamboo bridge.


RM35-million project was launched on August 20, 2013, Tuesday
The Golden Bridge, which is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2015, with SEDC as the project implementer while the consortium of PPES Works (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd and Naim Land Sdn Bhd is the project contractor.
The of Kuching Waterfront is opposite the Old Court House complex.
Upon completion, the bridge would make Sarawak a state with iconic landmarks.
The Golden Bridge construction that will connect Kuching Waterfront with the Malay villages across the river.
The completion of the bridge would elevate Sarawak in the eyes of the world and expressed his belief that the bridge would attract more visitors to the city.


This iconic bridge would bring people from both side of the river closer together, while at the same time promote healthier living among Kuching people.
 

Sarawak River was the city's main highway and still retains its importance and picturesque charm in the modern Kuching City.

KUCH1NG CITY TOUR
RM50 per person

The capital of Sarawak, a city which features the perfect blend of history, culture and modern development. The lour will cover places of interest such as the :
Colonial Court House,
Astana,
Charles Brooke Monument,
Kuching Waterfront,
Sarawak Museum,
Cat Museum,
Chinese Temple,
Pottery Factory
Giant Cat Monument.

A major restoration and land reclamation project has become the most popular meeting place in the city.
Kuching Waterfront epitomizes how this city has modernized without losing of its charm. Kuching is located on the Sarawak River chosen for its strategic and commercial importance and also for its enchanting natural beauty. In those days Sarawak River was the city's main highway. The river still retains its picturesque charm in today modern era.

Many changes since James Brooke's time, but there are still many landmarks theatre legacies from the White Raja. For the first time visitor, it would be easy to imagine the scene in 1839 when James Brooke first landed in Kuching, and started a new chapter in the annals of Sarawak's history.

Modern additions to the Waterfront include a restored Chinese pavilion, an observation tower, a tea terrace and the spectacular musical fountains, as well as a number of modern sculptures.

 

A meander on the Kuching waterfront is a walk through time; from Kuching's humble, ancient origins, to modern city. No visit to Kuching would be complete without a stroll on the modern esplanade, or to sit, relax and experience a Sarawakian sunset.

RELATED  TOPICS

KUCHING