Chinese Farm House

The Chinese Farm House in the Sarawak Cultural Village (2 October, 2004)


The Chinese Farm House (GPS: 1.75035, 110.31583) at the Sarawak Cultural Village showcases the lifestyle of the Chinese people in Sarawak. The Chinese comprises 29.2% of Sarawak's population. Although there has been contact between Sarawak and China for the past 1500 years, the majority of the Sarawak Chinese can trace their roots to immigration in the last 100 years, encouraged by the Brooke administration that wanted to build a solid farming middle class. The Chinese were working the gold and antimony mines since the early decades of the 19th century. The majority are Hakka, Hokkien or Foochow descent.

Unlike the dwellings of the natives, the Sarawak Chinese farm house is built at ground level. The floor is of trodden earth, the walls are of whitewashed sawn timber while the roof is of attap. The Sarawak Chinese farm house is likely to consist of two main parts, the living quarters consisting of the kitchen, dining and living area is one part, while the storage area and bedroom is the other.

A focal point of the living area of the Sarawak Chinese house is the household altar for the worship of the tutelary deity, usually the Tua Pek Kong. A print or statuette of the revered diety is placed here, before it are the joss sticks, candles, cups of tea and other offerings. The doorpost is also divinely protected via the application of strips of red paper with protection verses.

The Chinese interpretive plaque. (2 October, 2004)


An altar to Tua Pek Kong in the Chinese Farm House. (2 October, 2004)


The kitchen in the Chinese Farm House. (2 October, 2004)


A camp bed and an easy chair - places to lay the tired body after a long day's work. (2 October, 2004)


A babycot signals the arrival of a new member of the Chinese farming family. (2 October, 2004)

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