Traditions of Kuching
The capital of Sarawak, where Iban longhouse traditions and the Gawai harvest festival are part of city life.
Kuching sits on the Sarawak River in Borneo and is home to Malay, Chinese, Iban, Bidayuh and Melanau peoples. The name means cat in Malay, and cat statues stand around the city. Indigenous longhouse culture remains strong in the countryside around it and is part of the city's festival calendar.
Gawai Dayak
On 1 June, the Dayak peoples celebrate the end of the rice harvest with Gawai Dayak. Families gather in longhouses, share tuak, rice wine, and pray to the spirits for the new planting season. The Iban perform dances with feathered headdress and hornbill motifs. Ngajat is a warrior dance and hospitality is generous.
At the table
Sarawak laksa is a spicy soup with prawn and chicken, and kolo mee is dry noodles with minced pork. Ayam pansuh, chicken cooked in bamboo, is a longhouse dish. Umai, a raw fish salad of the Melanau people, is also eaten, along with sago pearls.
Signature traditions of Kuching
Also part of it, and being written: Iban people (One of the main peoples of Sarawak.), Laksa (A breakfast soup of Kuching.).
A trail idea for Kuching
- Sarawak Cultural Village See longhouse styles of each group.
- Waterfront promenade Walk along the river at dusk.
- Main Bazaar Browse crafts such as beadwork and weaving.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Gawai Dayak: Zahirulnukman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ngajat: Menuaibansarawak, CC0, source