The above view is of India Street (previously known as Kiling Street, which the Hokkien name for this street still recalls) in the 1950s. How often as young boys in the 60s and 70s, we went up and down this familiar street, popping in and out of our favourite shops. In those days, vehicles were allowed to drive through the street, although at the time this picture was taken, there obviously weren't that many cars in Kuching.
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Next we have a view of Main Bazaar in the year 1904. I'm not sure what the shops there were specialised on, althoug I'm quite certain there were few souvenir shops there, unlike today.
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Some of us might remember the old State mosque, which was built in 1932 and demolished in 1967 to make way for a new and larger State mosque with a golden dome.
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And here's a 1950s view of the end of Gambier Road, at the part just before it turns into Main Bazaar. One can see the old Sarawak Steamship building on the right, and the square fort on the left. There is a landing point called Pangkalan Batu on the riverbank left of the photo, where the Rajah and later the Governor of Sarawak (living at the Astana across river) used to alight from his small boat and walk across the street to the Court House to preside over important legal cases.
In 1934, this was what the Kuching waterfront looked like. Judging from the perspective, I would guess the photo was taken from the hill where the Borneo Company offices used to be located, roughly the site of the present Kuching Hilton.
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These great old photos of Kuching were sourced by NC from some small outlet in Satok Road. If you have similar old photos in your posession, please don't hesitate to contribute them.
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Posts
Waaaa ... the "Kiling Keh" photo is esp. charming. I remember on left side, there was a coffee shop first, then a tailor shop, then either next door or two doors away, the shop owned by GL's family. A bit further down is the Indian martabab cafe, then KK Abd Majid bookstore was a fav for comic lovers. Then a number of textile shops. Somewhere ard there was a small lane linking to Gambier Rd, with a little surau or temple inside. At the very end I think there s a watch repairshop, followed by a photo studio. Anyway somethng like that.
ReplyDeleteSomeone else wanna try remember what was on the right side of the street?
The first shop immediately in front of the taxi stand was a coffeeshop called "Thong Siang Long" which served one of the best kopi-o peng and roti-kiap in Kuching in the sixties. I used to go there for breakfast with my Dad who loved the Mee Rebus served by a Haji at a little stall located just outside the shop.
ReplyDeleteNext to that coffeeshop was a tailor shop and, at one time, next to it, a dentist. The dentist shop was, quite unusually, on the ground floor.
The mention of the Indian cafe further down the street reminds me of the time when I was a little boy living above our shop in India Street. At night, as we lay in bed, the metallic drumming of the cook's spatula on the big iron hot plate was our lullabye.
This was accompanied by the hammering of the charcoal-barbecued dried cuttlefish at the 'tui jiu-hu' stall at Ban Hock Lane directly infront of our shop. Those days, the stall also sold boiled turtles' egg which you eat by ripping off a little circle from the top of the shell and pour in a bit of black soy sauce. Then you suck out the whole delicious lot. We used to indulge in that before we knew about the environmental issues and the near extinction of the poor turtles.
The turtle eggs used to come with a bit grainy taste of salt and sand ... deliciousssssss
ReplyDeleteThere was a furore recently when an official function (rumoured to have been organised by the police)served turtle eggs! Photographs appeared in the Borneo Post showing a bowl of turtle eggs on each table at the function. The organisers were no named but were roundly criticised. A real disgrace!
ReplyDeleteNo action against the Police and the organisers???
ReplyDeleteYunno, lah. Malaysia Boleh! Boleh makan turtle eggs too ... but must be at official function. LOL. If the organisers are the police, who's gonna tangkap them? Who watches the watchmen?
ReplyDeleteThe furore lasted a few days and then died a quiet death, as did the hundreds of turtle eggs on that dinner table.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the rescue !!! LOL.
ReplyDeleteRemember a home grown local bank called Kwong Lee Bank Bhd? You can spot it at 2nd pic (Main Bazaar).
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it is also history as are Bian Chiang Bank, Hock Hua Bank, Kong Ming Bank, Wah Tat Bank, Bank Utama ...
i remember as a boy reading about Talang Talang and Satang islands, where lots of turtles lay eggs. Does that still happen?
ReplyDeletei remember the "tok tok tok" of the jiu hu man at the side street GL mentioned. used to love that too. alas i don't think can find any more
ReplyDeletewe have the famous emporium of Joo Chan who sold everything from imported foods, gardening tools and household utensiles.
ReplyDeleteLooking upward, the roofs of the shophouses were covered with half round clay Roman type tiles and at the end of the roof ridges terminated with figures of dragons and other frightening looking mystical creatures put there for the express purpose of keeping away evil spirits.
The cannon at the Istana would fire at 8.00pm sharp and it also signal for all the shops to close for the day.
At the far end of the right side of India Street, I remember a shop that my family members used to frequent. It was called Tay Hak Hak, and they sold all kinds of food items, eg coffee powder, laksa paste, sugar, koropok, canned stuff, etc etc.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know what happen to the tasty "Double Swallow" laksa brand?
ReplyDeletea fellow ex-josephian is a laksa guy. maybe 'double swallow' belongs to him (or his family). he is someone from class of '77.
ReplyDeleteAnyone got pictures of Carpenter Street during the old days? I remember walking down the street from behind the Post Office.
ReplyDeleteI think Double Swallow brand of laksa belonged to the Tan family, and they discountinued it more than a year ago, cos the grandmother was getting on in years & there wasn't anyone interested in carrying on the business .. shame! it was really good.
ReplyDeleteyep, i think so - Tan family. Tan Boon Chan (sjs 74 i think), Tan Boon Kiat (sjs 77).
ReplyDeleteanyone else know them and where they are now?
George, do you know what happened to the Mee Rebus and Satay stalls that were formerly at the Thong Siang Long kopi tiam?
ReplyDeletei used to stay next door, and I miss those delicacies.
Hi VKL.
ReplyDeletethe old haji has retired. his son carries on the trade at a shop in satok near the sunday market area. their mee rebus is different from the mee jawa in town in that most mee jawa are sweetish which does not appeal to me. haji's is not sweet and very nice.
someone asked where the best roti kiap in kuching is. used to be that the best was at a little shop along jalan ban hock called 'choon hui'. very popular place near to hotel grand continental. always hard to find a table. the roti kiap is thin and very crispy.
the popiah at choon hui is the best in town, in my opinion. the laksa there also used to be popular but the stall holder has moved. some say the laksa is not so good now, some say better.
my wife reckons the best popiah (for those health nuts) in town is at a shop along jalan keretapi called 'kwong hup'. the guy who makes the popiah is an old josephian called joseph kuek. he is actually related to our christopher kuek. joe is our senior by about 10 years. i will go take a pic of him for our food section this weekend.
btw, where is chris kuek? and chris chew?
Is Ting & Ting Supermarket still around? They were one of the first, if not the first, supermarkets in town.
ReplyDeletea little correction, the building to the right of the Square Tower is the old prison, not the Steamship Co. building.
ReplyDeleteBuilding to right of Square Tower still stands, handicrafts shops, restaurant, etc.
ReplyDelete'Double Sparrow' brand laksa has stopped production due to some 'problems'. One of them is public complaint from nearby residents, that's what Tan Boon Hoi told me. Then another brother told a different story. One of the brothers has a kopi shop at Bormill but his laksa tastes different, his own recipe mah..
Mee rebus from the 1st kopi shop has moved a few shops away from the old shop, operated by Pak Haji's son or wife. That's what my friend told me as he's operating a phone shop nearby. The kopi shop also sells Hainan chicken rice, yummy yummy.
Ting& Ting Supermarket stills stands, one of the 1st, used to follow my mom shop there when I was in primary school. The other one is Ting & Son at Padungan Road.
Rest of the good food and locations already made known by GL and when he says the food is good there, you all better listen to him.
Pegs is right WJ, she sure knows Kuching very well, not think we can 'pusing' her la.
ReplyDeleteRight side of India St. in the old days, would be Pui Nam Cheong hardware, than a bookshop, then Nam Hin, selling fruits and foodstuff, than a textile shop, after that Ban Hock Lane, leading to rear of Electra House, after that a Chinese medicine shop and Jee Kwong watch shop, etc., then we have Kai Joo Lane, or coffin lane, after that comes Joo Chan, Bee Tai, a clinic and watch cum electrical shop.
Me correct or not?