Visiting Fort Alice at Sri Aman (Simanggang), Borneo

 

Sri Aman is a market town and port, and the capital of Sri Aman District and Sri Aman Division in Sarawak, Borneo.
 

Sri Aman is famous for the benak, or tidal bore, of the Batang Lupar River. The tidal bore comes in from the river mouth and fills up the river very rapidly in the course of about 10 minutes.

Another singnature building here will be the Fort Alice, I was here last time (click to read), and it was still close from public. But today 2015 May onward the Fort had become a museum and its open for public to visit.

Some story about the Fort Alice

The 150-year-old fort built in 1864 in Sri Aman – then called Simanggang – is a legacy of the white rajahs who ruled Sarawak.

Simanggang was the favourite abode of Sir Charles Brooke, the nephew of James Brooke, Sarawak’s first white Rajah.

STF Heritage Development Committee chairman Lim Kian Hock said Charles Brooke joined the Sarawak civil service in 1852. As the Tuan Muda, Charles was installed Resident Officer in Lundu.

The Sultan of Brunei had ceded the territory of the Batang Layer, Skrang and Saribas rivers to James Brooke in 1853.

Charles moved to Lingga to take over from the Resident who was killed by Iban Warrior Rentap.

A year later (1854), he moved to Skrang and in 1864 established his headquarters at Simanggang, where he started building the fort and the Astana with the help of the local communities.

It was here that Charles held court every morning, administering justice to a string of Iban and Malay litigants and received courtesy calls from Dayaks from the ulu and beyond. Both criminal and civil cases were considered and recorded.

Tuan Muda Charles Brooke’s day finished at eight every night when the fortmen would pull up the drawbridge, hollering up and down the river: “Oh ha, oh ha, oh ha; pukal dilapan tau udah behuni (eight o’clock has sounded); tangga udah tarek (the bridge is pulled up); pintu udah kunchi (the doors are locked); orang enda tau niki agi-i-i (people are not allowed to come up anymore)”.

When Rajah James Brooke left Sarawak for the last time on Sept 24, 1863, Charles was made his deputy to run Sarawak on his behalf.

On the death of James Brooke, Charles was proclaimed second Sarawak Rajah on Aug 3, 1868. He was sad to leave Simanggang for Kuching.

The Simanggang fort was named Fort Alice after his consort Ranee Margaret Alice.

Author Lili de Windt tells a beautiful story of how in the absence of Charles Brooke, they managed to hold the fort with one canon, a dog and a mate against a flotilla of boats carrying tribal warriors.

The tradition Charles established in Simanggang lived on at Astana Kuching such as the Brooke tradition of firing the canon at Fort Margherita Kuching at eight every night until 1968.

The revival of Fort Alice as Sri Aman Heritage Museum will remind of those days, and be an enduring experience for generations of Sarawakians.

 

The structure was built on a strategic hilltop position and had a commanding view of the river with cannons bearing down to stop any threats coming from upriver. It played a major role in suppressing piracy, slavery, and head-hunting, while encouraging trade and expanding the authority of the Rajah. Fort Alice was the Simanggang administrative center, housing various government departments and even a prison.
 

The fort there three boats are on display — a Dayak war boat, a Malay sampan and a Chinese trading boat.
 

Two wooden staircases lead to the first floor. The upper floor consists of a courtroom, recreated based on the one found at Fort Sylvia and Baram Fort; a small office separated by waist-height baluster; the officer’s bedroom with 19th century reconstructed furniture and two bedrooms for visitors behind the court.

Along the long corridor, story panels on Fort Alice and the settlement history of Sri Aman have been set up for visitors.

I must say the British are really good at selecting the location to build the fort, there are several fort in Sarawak, and all are being place in a very strategic location.

I had gain some knowledge after visiting this place, and hope that after this being setup as a museum, it will be able to benefit our future generation to know more about history, and make some good thing about their knowledge.

Wilson Chin Gunung Gading Camping and Hiking Exploration, Borneo

 

A very nice place for camping, have all the facilities. Washroom, barbecue pit, nice camp site. I like it very much.

 Me and Sui Chin stop for a while to enjoy the gift from nature.

Amorphophallus Hewittii (bunga keladi / 魔芋花 )

The Rafflesia Flower

The Borneo Explorer Wilson Chin (Me) reach the summit of Mount Gading.

My record on going up to the summit.

Adventure trip to Chin Swee Cave Temple at Genting Highland with Wilson Chin

Went to Genting Highland for a 3 days 2 night trip, and one of the place I found very interesting is the Chin Swee Cave Temple, situated near the Genting Highland resort. You can use the free shutter bus from the first world hotel to reach there.

The Chin Swee translate to Chinese means clear water. The view are breathtaking, cause its situated on the top of the highland.
 

Many magnificent sculpture on the temple wall.
 

The godes of mercy

 

I read the story of The Journey to the West since I was little, and I like the story very much. I was born in the year of Monkey, so today I escort my master and protect him, and assist by two brothers to the Journey of the West to get the sutera. :P
 

My next destination, the tall Pagoda...
 

The highest are Level 9, ran up there, need to slowdown to catch my breath. But I did it!!!
 

Very nice view look above from Level 9 :)
More Pictures to share with you, click Play button.

Santubong Camping Adventure with Wilson Chin and friend

Had a wonderful camping trip at Santubong campsite over the weekend, just 10 minutes walk from the park ranger office we reach this open space area with flat ground, and a ready barbecue pit. There is a nice river next to our campsite, and its very important cause we can get life saving water from the stream.

There are total of 8 person, and the food we had was bamboo chicken, bamboo rice, fish, pork, and as for desert, we have soft drink, chips, and jelly. I was extremely full after all these food, my belly cannot handle all the food. 

It was a hot day, and after night fall, i got bitten by a few sand-flies, so quickly jumps into my tent and sleep. Overall, wonderful trip, next trip plan to camp at waterfall area. 

Check out the 3D view created by Microsoft Photosynth, will do more of these in the future.

Mount Hosanna Chapel with Wilson Chin, Borneo Sarawak

This is the Mount Hosanna Chapel, while on my way back from Sri Aman, I drop by this place, and it is located about 157 KM from Kuching city (near Seri Aman), Malaysian Borneo. You can see this chapel just beside the Kuching - Sri Aman highway.

What interesting about this place first is the design of the chapel, and second will be the story behind it, and it goes like where God spoke to the philanthropist who funded the church construction and healed his wife which is diagnose with critical illness.

When I meet one of the chapel members there, and asked about this, he deny this. And told me that this is not true, and it was the priest himself who raise the fund to build this chapel.

So I walk up to the chapel, and visit the place. Saw a priest is currently blessing the members.
The building looks like three big candles,  it means Trinity. In Christian doctrine, the Trinity is the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead

The scenery are nice up here, and this reminds me of mount Singai and mount Sentah which a church was build on the mount also

Borneo, Sri Aman (Simanggang) Trip with Wilson Chin

I visited Sri Aman is also called Bandar Sri Aman, and was formerly known as Simanggang. Sri Aman means "town of peace" in the Malay language. Located on the Lupar River, it is 193 kilometers, I use 2 hours to drive from Kuching.



There will be a big welcome sign upon entering the Sri Aman town, I always wanted to come here, and finally I have the chance. Something very special is it Sri Aman...

Saw a very big golden monkey statue when I reach the town, and I am born in the year of the monkey, so I have to take picture with my buddy.

The special thing about this town is this river, its called the Lupar River. This river is famous for the benak, or tidal bore. The tidal bore comes in from the river mouth and fills up the river very rapidly in the course of about 10 minutes. The wave crest at Sri Aman is up to 2 to 3 metres high. This is one of approximately 400 rivers and estuaries in the world where this phenomenon happens.

I asked a few guys who are fishing there, why there is no tidal bore? They told me to come back again on April, where the big one will come. And the town people will treat it as a festive, many people will come here to witness this rare phenomena.

The Borneo Crocodile Hunter Wilson Chin (me)

This museum is called the Fort Alice, it was situated just next to the wharf. It was built in 1864, is the oldest heritage building in Sri Aman, constructed following the victory of Rajah Charles Brooke, the second Rajah of Sarawak, over Rentap, the last of the major Iban chieftains, in 186.

The Fort was named after Charles Brooke's wife, Margaret Alice Lili de Windt. It served as a defensive structure controlling the Lupar River.

A lot of complain had been made about the restoration of this fort, and now from my observation I believe the work had been done. Its not open to the public yet, the guard told me that the district officer will get a suitable date to declare the opening of this museum to the public in future. 

Mount Singai with Wilson Chin and Friends

Boring life in the office, now in a modern days like this, most of us are facing the lifeless boring computer everyday. This machine occupied most of our time in life :( I always feel sleepy when I'm with my computer, and tired too.

To spice up my weekend, I join my team to a hike at the Batu Kawa-Bau area. We hike the mount Singai, and this is the first hike in 2015 after Chinese New year.

This hike I used around 2 hours, where as on my last hike I used 1 1/2 hours. I felt really exhausted, and this is not good. Have to keep pushing myself to hike more.

The breathtaking view on the summit of Mount Singai.

My hiking team

Camp Permai Nature Pool

#Borneo Explorer's record. The Permai rainforest resort, 45min car drive from the Kuching city, situated next to Damai Resort, and that place has a very nice natural swimming pool, the fresh water flows from the mountain into the pool, and also a simple 1 hour hiking trail surrounding the Permai resort. There is a #waterfall on that trail! Very beautiful place for hiking and get close to nature.

A photo posted by Wilson Chin (@wilsonchininsta) on Feb 1, 2015 at 4:39am PST