Sarawak Cultural Village
Known as the 'Living Museum',
the Cultural Village was set
up to preserve and showcase
Sarawak's cultural heritage.
Located at Pantai Damai,
Santubong, just 32km from the
state capital, Kuching, it is
the perfect place to get
introduced to local culture
and lifestyle.
Sprawled across 17 acres,
there are about 150 people
living in the village,
demonstrating traditional
daily activities from
Sarawak's diverse tribes like
the processing of sago and
the
making of handicrafts. They
wear traditional costumes and
also put on dances for
visitors.
The village residents provide
information on their various
traditional cultures and
lifestyles. You can see
replicas of buildings that
represent every major ethnic
group in Sarawak; longhouses
of the Iban, Bidayuh and
Orang
Ulu, a Melanau tall-house and
a Chinese farm house among
others.
The village also has a
theatre, where you can enjoy
multicultural dance
performances. Besides this,
there is a restaurant and
handicraft shop. You can even
get married at the Sarawak
Cultural Village, in
traditional Iban, Malay,
Bidayuh or Orang Ulu style.
The Iban longhouse has
separate rooms placed side by
side, all of which open to a
long communal hall, used for
leisurely activities like
wood
carving and basket weaving.
Guests are often invited to
attend nightly ceremonies and
drink a potent rice wine,
tuak, which the Iban make
themselves. Comfortable
guesthouses are also
available
for visitors.