Ho Chi Minh City - Architecture Gems Part 1

Being a city which has just been opened to the outside world not very long ago, HCMC does not have many notable modern buildings. However, owing to it's French colonial history, there are a number of beautiful historical buildings.

One of the most beautiful is the Notre Dame Cathedral which is right in the middle of the city. Built in 1880 by the French Governor at the time, it was designed in the French Romanesque style, mixed with a bit of Gothic style on the roof design.

As a testament to the importance of letters in the days before telecommunications and emails, old post offices of major cities tend to be very grand structures. The Central Post Office of HCMC is a beautiful structure built by no less then Gustave Eiffel, the genius behind the Eiffel Tower. Very grand from the outside, the main hall inside is even more impressive.

The HCMC City Hall was built in 1908 in the French Baroque style. It would have looked perfectly fitting in the middle of Paris. This building is being used by the government and is not open to the public.

The HCMC Opera House is another French Colonial building built in the French Baroque style. 

This is the view from the Opera House back towards the city centre.

Kuching - Historic Buildings

Due to it's White Rajah and Colonial heritage, Kuching has a number of notable historic buildings which are well worth a visit.

One of the most prominent is the Astana - the private residence of the second White Rajah - Rajah Charles Brooke. It was built as a bridal gift to his wife Ranee Margaret. Today this is the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak. Unfortunately it is usually not open to the public, except during Hari Raya open house. 

The Sarawak Museum is another building built by Rajah Charles Brooke. The Museum is widely recognised as one of the most important in South East Asia. It has a great Ethnography Collection, as well as a wide Chinese Ceramics Collection - especially jars.

The Square Tower is located right opposite the Old Court House. It served as a sentry post at the strategic river bend of Sungai Sarawak. 

This building is called The Pavilion. It was originally a hospital. Now it has been converted into a Textile Museum.

The Kuching General Post Office was completed under the third White Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke. It was designed in the Neo-Classical Style favoured by the British Colonials. Today it still functions as the GPO of Kuching.

The Tua Pek Kong Temple sits prominently at the Eastern end of Main Bazaar. It is one of the oldest Chinese Temples in Kuching, believed to have been built by Chinese migrants from Kalimantan, Indonesia. This temple is highly revered by devotees, who believe that the deity is very powerful in answering to prayers.

If you have the time, it is worth going on a self-guided tour around the Kuching Old Town. Just get the "Kuching Heritage Trail Booklet - The Brooke Legacy" available at most local bookshops. It costs just RM 3.00, and is produced by the Sarawak Heritage Society together with the Malaysian Institute of Architects Sarawak Chapter. I must acknowledge that some of the information above came from the booklet.

If you are interested in finding out more about Kuching, here are a few links on the Net:

Kuching - Wikipedia

Kuching Guide

Catcity.com.my

Kuching.net.my

Kuching - Old Town

The most interesting part of Kuching is the old town, which consists of a few streets. Unlike Hanoi, where the Old Quarters is huge, Kuching's old town is small and compact. 

You have already seen Main Bazaar, one of the oldest streets in Kuching. Continuing on from Main Bazaar, past the Old Court House, is Gambier Street. Gambier Street is also near the waterfront. Just next to the waterfront is the Kuching Central Market. This used to be where most people in Kuching shop for their weekly supplies. The market has been moved to a new location, but Gambier Street is still bustling with activities.

There are a number of Indian Muslim shops on Gambier Street selling spices and Muslim produce. This is an interesting place to catch the sights and smell of old Kuching.

The shops along Gambier Street.

Behind Gambier Street is India Street. India Street got it's name from the many Indian traders who made this their economic base in old Kuching. Even today, India Street is still populated with many Indian shops selling fabric and clothing. During festive seasons, especially the Muslim New Year Hari Raya, the middle of the street will be filled with stalls selling all kinds of festive goodies for the celebrations. As you can see from the photos, it was converted into a mall a few years back.

One of the many clothing stores in India Street.



This is a houseware shop where you can buy almost anything you need for the house.

Walking back past the Old Courthouse, you will reach Carpenter Street which is just behind Main Bazaar. This used to be the furniture hub of Kuching, and there are still many furniture shops here. As this was once the economic centre of Kuching, there were and still are many pawn shops and jewellry stores around. Slowly, the cafes and lodging houses are also making a foothold here.

Kuching my Home Town - Main Bazaar & Waterfront

The Main Bazaar is one of the oldest streets in Kuching. It was here that the earliest shophouses were built - as a base for the traders and wholesalers. Early traders were mainly Chinese, but there were also Indians and others. Today, the traders and wholesalers are slowly making way for souvenir shops and lodging houses, due to the advent of tourism. 

Next to the Main Bazaar is the Kuching Waterfront, a redevelopment of the old waterfront which was controversial at the time, as many lamented the change of character. Today this is a popular public space where many open air events are held - most recently the Kuching Regatta, a popular rowing contest.

Kuching my Home Town - History

I have posted about many other places, but not much about my home town Kuching, except for the food. It is always not easy to describe your home town. It is so familiar, you don't know where to start. Anyway, here's my first attempt at it.

Kuching is a unique city among historic cities in Asia. It is the only place to have been ruled by White Rajahs. The White Rajahs were members of the Brooke family which ruled Sarawak for over 100 years. 

The first Rajah was James Brooke, a British adventurer who first landed in Kuching in 1839. He was made Rajah after helping the then Governor of Sarawak – Pengiran Muda Hashim to quash a rebellion. Unlike the colonialists in other parts of Asia who were mostly interested in exploiting the colonies for economic gains, the White Rajahs made Sarawak their home, and set up administration systems which helped to develop the state. It was only until the 2nd World War, after Sarawak was occupied by the Japanese, that the Brooke family decided to cede Sarawak to become a Crown Colony. Later, in 1963, Sarawak joined the Federation to form Malaysia.

Due to this unique history, Kuching has some interesting built heritage, in the form of buildings built during the Brooke era, and later on the Colonial era. 

The Old Courthouse - as it is commonly referred to in Kuching, was actually an administrative centre built by the Brookes. It was later used as the courthouse by the Sarawak Government, hence the common name. It has been altered extensively over the years, and in the most recent incarnation, it has become the Sarawak Tourism complex.

Siem Reap - French Quarters

Cambodia used to be a French Colony, a part of the French Indochina Empire. Like Vietnam, you can still see this Colonial history in the architecture.

In Siem Reap, this is most obvious in the French Quarters, where the old shophouses with French Colonial design are very well preserved. This area has become more of a tourist trap, with lots of pubs, lodges, cafes, etc.

The Siem Reap Old Market is also located here. It is a huge complex selling everything from souvenirs, t-shirts, and the usual tourist paraphenalia - to everyday items like pots and pans, household essentials, etc. Even monks shop at this market, as you will see. There is also a wet market right in the middle of the complex. It is rather dirty and smelly, so only recommended for a quick visit.