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Showing posts from January, 2008

Marup Gold Mine, Engkilili

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Around 1856, a group of Chinese miners from Sambas, Kalimantan landed in Marup to exploit the gold mine opportunity. With the approval from the Brooke Administration, these pioneers formed the Fifteen Kongsi (believed to be 15 shareholders) to manage the mining activities in Marup, Engkilili. As gold deposits diminished after 1887, some started to move to nearby Engkilili & settled down; they were the pioneers of the early Engkilili Chinese immigrants. The office of the Fifteen Kongsi was left behind and later on, transformed to the present day Fifteen Kongsi Chinese Temple. In the early 20th Century, as more miners settled down in Engkilili, some Teochew Chinese from nearby Sri Aman started to move to the area, and Engkilili started to transform to township. The Tua Pek Kong Temple here is said to be found around that time, as no exact record of the history is available. The temple was shifted to the present location in late 1950s to make way for new roads etc.

Mt Hosanna Chapel, Sri Aman

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Mount Hosanna Chapel is located at 157 KM of the Kuching/Sri Aman Highway. Its unique architecture & white paintings makes it very eye-catching as you passed by the site even on the very first time. The building signifies three large white candles. The steps of the staircase to the top is said to be 100 steps. The place is opened only on Sunday at 1000am.

The Bau Chinese Insurgence 1857

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This is a forgotten sad story of a Chinese leader Liu Shan Bang, the Twelve Kongsi operating in the Mau San gold mine, and the once prosperous self governed mining town of Bau Lama or Mau San. The Mau San Tian Tsze Lung Kung is more than a century old. It was founded around the time when gold & antimony were discovered in Mau San, about 1820 – 1830. The host deity is Lau Chu Tian Tsze, a deity of Hakka origin since most of the miners were Hakka, originally mostly from Sambas, Kalimantan. This temple provided the pioneer miners spiritual supports and also served as a centre for cultural activities & other administrative matters of the Twelve Kongsi. Before the arrival of Sir James Brooke, Sarawak was under the rule of Brunei. Around that time, Sarawak, particularly the settlement around the gold mining areas were facing an uprising against the Brunei ruling from native Dayaks and the Malays. James Brooke assisted the Sultan of Brunei to settle the local civil war &a