Kuching Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Kuching

Country	Malaysia
State	Sarawak
Time zone	UTC+8 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	Not observed

Kuching, officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is situated on the Sarawak River at the southwest tip of the state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo and covers an area of 431 square kilometres (166 sq mi) with a population about 165,642 in the Kuching North administrative region and 159,490 in the Kuching South administrative region—a total of 325,132 people.

Kuching was the third capital of Sarawak in 1827 during the administration of the Bruneian Empire. In 1841, Kuching became the capital of the Kingdom of Sarawak. The town continued to receive attention and development during the rule of Charles Brooke such as the construction of a sanitation system, hospital, prison, fort, and a bazaar. In 1941, the Brooke administration had a Centenary Celebration in Kuching.

During World War II, Kuching was occupied by Japanese forces from 1942 to 1945. The Japanese government set up a Batu Lintang camp near Kuching to hold prisoners of war and civilians. After the war, the town survived intact. However, the last Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke gave up power as part of British Crown Colony in 1946.

Kuching remained as capital during the Crown Colony period. After the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Kuching retained its status as state capital and was granted city status in 1988. The administrative centre of Sarawak state government is located at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Kuching.

Kuching is a major food destination for tourists and the main gateway for travellers visiting Sarawak and Borneo. Kuching Wetlands National Park is located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the city and there are many other tourist attractions in and around Kuching such as Bako National Park, Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), state assembly building, The Astana, Fort Margherita, Kuching Cat Museum and Sarawak State Museum.

The city has become one of the major industrial and commercial centres in East Malaysia.

Images for kids

The Kuching state prison was situated beside the Square Tower building in 1896.
Children are pulled through the city's streets by a coolie, c. 1919.
A street scene of Kuching town shortly after the surrender of Japan, image taken on 12 September 1945.
A piece of Japanese propaganda in Jawi script found in the town after the capturing of the town by the Australian forces.
Panorama of Kuching City.
Kuching as the commercial centre of Sarawak.
The city highway.
The main taxis in the city are painted in red and yellow.
A traditional roofed wooden sampan, the main water transport in Kuching.
Kuching International Airport at night.
The Sarawak General Hospital.
The Sarawak State Library.
The Sarawak State Museum building was built by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1891 and designed based on the architecture of a Normandy town hall.
The Astana, one of the historical landmarks in the city.
Darul Hana Bridge at night
New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building.
Former Madrasah Melayu Kuching (which is now as Islamic Heritage Museum).
A puppet show in Kuching, c. 1919.
St. Joseph Cathedral, Kuching
Kuching mosque at dusk
Hong San Si Temple, Kuching

Kuching facts for kids

Images for kids

See also