Sibu Things to Do

In order to promote itself to tourists and for branding purpose, Sibu Municipal Council adopted the swan as the symbol of Sibu town. According to the Sibu Chinese community, when the early immigrants arrived in Sibu in the mid 19th century and early 20th century, the present Rajang River reminded them of Swan River in Fuzhou, China. However, due to the fact that such a bird is non-existent in the town or anywhere in Malaysia, the majority of the Sibu community, especially the natives, feel that such a choice is too artificial and does not invoke any special or deep feeling toward the so-called "Symbol of Sibu". This monument is located on the water just down from the ferry terminal.

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The history of the temple dates back to early 1870. In the 1871 Sarawak Gazette, it was recorded that there was a small wooden Chinese temple in Sibu. In 1897, the temple was rebuilt into a typical Chinese temple designed with tiled roof, stone block floor and all the decorative purling & fixtures which were imported from China. The statue of Tua Pek Kong deity was specially sculptured and imported from Xiamen, China.

On 8th March 1928 Sibu town was destroyed by a big fire, but the temple was unscathed. This was regarded as a miracle by the locals. In 1942, the Japanese invaded and occupied Sibu and in 1945, the Allied Forces bombarded the town. The town and temple were severely destroyed but the state of the deity was unharmed. In 1957, the temple was reconstructed into a concrete structure and was declared open by the then Governor of Sarawak, Sir Anthony Abell. In 1979, renovation of both wings of the temple was again being carried out and the roof of temple was changed from belian wood into concrete with glazed roofing tiles; the ridge or roof and column were decorated with traditional dragon and phoenix statues. In 1987, under the generous patronage of the Sarawak State Government and the worshippers, the rear section of the temple was demolished and replaced by a 7-storey Pagoda for the worship of the Goddess of Mercy. This Pagoda building followed closely traditional Chinese Pagoda Architecture. Thus, the temple became a landmark of Sibu. The total expenditure of the building was RM1.5 million and was declared open on 4th May 1989.

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The Civic Centre Museum (its official name is Dewan Kebudayaan dan Warisan meaning Cultural & Heritage Hall in English) has a display of Sibu's history, and Melanau, Iban, Malay, and Chinese artefacts. Quite interesting as there's not much to see in the city but not easy to get to as it's about 3km north of the city centre. I took a taxi here that cost RM20 including waiting time.

Open: 10.30am-5.30pm Tues-Sun. Admission: Free.

This mosque was built before the White Rajah's time, probably in the 1830s. The original building was constructed of timber and leaf attap but it was constantly improved and enlarged as the Muslim community grew. The form of this mosque is unchanged; the three-level limas roof is in line with the traditional architecture of the 19th century.

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The ferry service across the Rejang near Sibu is the nearest way to Sarikei. The new bridge is coming up and should be ready by 2006. Would be an easier drive then, but could mean the end of the ferry.

So, get on the ferry now !

the rumah panjang is a very unique house where mostly you can find in Sarawak and Sabah and among d ethnic groups who stays in rumah panjang is Iban.the house normally comprises of 20 to 40 families and the size of each unit of house in the long house is about 18 to 20 ft x 90 to 100 feet and all unit of these houses share the same common area, or alley which is longish and spread across all the doors to the individual houses. There will be space in between the base ground and the actual house for safety and also to breed chicken and others.
the best time to visit the long house is during the gawai festival. There will be so many attractions which includes dancing, foods and others

Just to get the experience, should try taking boat ride to Kapit Town, from the main jetty in Sibu. It will take about 2 and half hours boat ride to Kapit. Kapit is a small town, nothing much to see but while you are travelling, you can see the main activities which surrounded the sungai rejang, which is the longest in malaysia. Some logging activities, large ships, passenger boats and other panoramic views...

Sacred Heart Cathedral was built in 1985. Initially it was a church before elevated to the rank of cathedral with arrival of the first Bishop.