Siniawan Night Market

Siniawan town has a different meaning to most people in Kuching, it is famously known as the “Siniawan Night Market”.

Before I get into that, let me tell you about the history behind the township.

Back in the days Siniawan would  cater to the gold prospectors in nearby Bau, Sarawak. It was established long before white Rajah James Brooke set foot in the state. The Chinese gold-miners who had settled at Siniawan were originally from Sambas, Mandor or Montrado, in what is today Indonesian West Kalimantan. Their movements at that time were motivated by the gold rush, and conflicts between rival groups of miners.

The town later saw further upheavals. It went through the Japanese occupation, the Malaysia-Indonesia Confrontation and the communist insurgency. Despite surviving though the bleakest of times, the town appears not to be as resilient as thought. It is slowly losing its glitter. In the mid-19th century wooden architecture of the shophouses is unique and has attracted shutterbugs from near and far.”

Due to the town’s rich historical legacy, the state Tourism and Heritage Ministry wants to turn Siniawan into a heritage town. Assistant minister Datuk Talip Zulpilip said the unique town design and its history should be preserved for the new generation. If Siniawan is gazetted as a heritage town, it would definitely become a major tourist attraction as it is one of the only few places in Sarawak which has maintained its old building structure and architecture up until today.

Today Siniawan is not only a historical town, but a quaint “village” with a thriving bird’s nest business. The residents have also started a regular weekend karaoke session. The 2 main rows of wooden shop-houses have been modified into hawker food stalls during the weekends in the evening and tables and chairs are set right in the middle of the road in between.