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Harmony Arch (親善門) marked the entrance to Old China Town of Kuching

China Town of Kuching
Carpenter Street
One of the oldest streets in Kuching is Ewe Hai Street.
Ewe Hai Street together with Carpenter Street formed the "Old China Town" of Kuching.

Ewe Hai Street was built in 1885 by a Chinese businessman, Ong Ewe Hai (1830-1889).
This street is connected with another old street – Carpenter Street, at the junction of the remains of Bishop Gate, as well as a gateway to one of
Parallel to Ewe Hai Street is another Kuching’s oldest street – Main Bazaar’s Bishop Gate Road.
At the other end of this Ewe Hai Street is the Hong San Si Temple, which is an incense flourishing old temple, full of myth. And next to the temple is Life Café.

Old Bazaar Area
According to history, Chinese immigrants traveled along Sarawak River through Santubong and landed at the Old Bazaar area in the early part of 18th Century. In those days, sailing by wooden junks seemed to be the only mode of transportation. These Chinese immigrants were mainly laborers carpenters, cooks, blacksmiths, farmers and merchants from the coastal areas of China such as Fujian and Guangdong provinces. With their settlement, Kuching entered a new phase in history.

According to the elders of the Teochew clan, one origin of the name "Kuching" referred to an "old well" situated at the Upper China Street in Old Bazaar area. "Old Well" is pronounced as "Kuching" in Teowchew dialect. The Old Bazaar, including the Main Bazaar, on the bank of the .Sarawak River was the earliest trading post or market. Barter trade flourished between the Chinese at the old Bazaar and the Malays who lived on the opposite bank as well as the coastal areas. The Malays brought their products such as "gula apong", "atap" leaves for roofing, sago flour, bamboo Mats, rattan furniture and "bako" timber from the mangrove swamp to the Old Bazaar for trade. Through these mutually beneficial trading . and cultural exchanges, a long history of multi- cultural cordial relationship was established and nurtured among the 1v'alays and Chinese.

The Moon Cake Festival is traditionally celebrated by the Chinese on the 15th day of the 8th month of Lunar Calendar. In 2002, two members of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, viz. YB Lily Yong from Padungan constituency where Old Bazaar is located and YB Dr. Abdul Rahman Junaidi of Pantai Damai constituency on the opposite bank of Sarawak River, with the blessings of the Chief Minister of Sarawak, YAB Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, initiated the "Sarawak Inter-Cultural Moon Cake Festival" to be jointly organized by the Malay and Chinese communities. The two communities responded positively and enthusiastically in organizing the celebration to foster closer rapport and mutual understanding towards creating a harmonious and peaceful multi-cultural society. The following year, the Dayak and Indian communities also joined in and the "Sarawak .1 Inter-Cultural Moon Cake Festival has now become an annual celebration event along Carpenter Street. Many streets in the Old Bazaar have their historical origins. Carpenter Street (Atap Street) was so named because in those years all the buildings were constructed of wood and "atap" and carpenters were very important to the community. Elsewhere, in China Street and Upper China Street the inhabitants were mostly single male Chinese laborers i.e. "Coolie" or "coolie-geng" in Hokkian dialect. At night, these streets were very busy. There were hawkers, bars, gambling rooms, prostitutes, opium smoking dens etc, legally going about their trades.

Ewe Hai Street was named after an early Chinese leader known as Kapitan Ong Ewe Hai. Bishopgate Street was the road the British Bishop used to get in & out of the Church. It has now become a historical relic.

In short, the Old Bazaar marks the beginning of Kuching City. Many Chinese temples and the premises of various Chinese Associations were built over 150 years ago' and today these buildings are still standing proudly signifying the adventurous and enterprising spirits of those pioneers who helped make what Kuching is today.
Source : Sarawak Tourism Department

Life Cafe @ Ewe Hai Street 人间茶坊
108 Jalan Ewe Hai, Kuching. +60 82-425 707

Opposite Life Cafe is Black Bean Coffee & Tea Company 黑豆食品咖啡茶叶贸易公司
87, Ewe Hai Street, Kuching

Kuching’s old neighborhood, in fact is Sarawak’s first neighborhood. In the early years, a large number of Chinese immigrants came from the province of Guangdong, Fujian as well as other coastal areas and slowly developed this area into prosperity.
The Chinese emigration brought various cultures and handcrafts skills, blended with the old neighborhoods to create the current unique multi-cultural characteristic.

There are numerous furniture shops on Ewe Hai Street, one of the world’s famous Shanghai carpenter also ran a carpentry business here in the early days.

Jing Fong Foh, Shanghai Carpenter
There are dental clinic, bookstores, coffee shops, herbal shops, incense store, etc., which added much colors and liveliness to the lives on the streets.

British colonial style building.

Ewe Hai Street together with Carpenter Street formed the "Old China Town" of Kuching.

Carpenter Street's main entrance (Western end) is at the right side of Old Courthouse (Kuching's Visitor Information Centre) .
It is just opposite the Kuching Waterfront and Leboh Cina (Upper China Street).
Parallel to Carpenter street is the new Jalan Wawasan 2020
 

According to history of Old Bazaar
Carpenter Street is an old street that runs from Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, where the General Post Office is located, to Jalan Ewe Hai to the east, immediately behind the Main Bazaar. Due to its location, it is considered the backstreet to the Main Bazaar, which acted as the main thoroughfare fronting the river. In the old days, Carpenter Street was called "attap street" because of the thatch houses on both sides. This was where carpenters set up their workshops, earning the street its name.

A facelift took place in 1884, by courtesy of a big fire that razed all the wooden houses along the street. Charles Brooke, the then White Rajah of Sarawak, issued a decree that henceforth the houses to be rebuilt with non inflammable material. This necessitated the construction of the more permanent brick shop houses along Carpenter Street, a few of them surviving till today. During those days, Carpenter Street was a lower working class neighborhood filled with opium dens, gambling joints, brothels and other clandestine activities. These were eventually cleaned up by the British.

Today Carpenter Street marks the entrance to the Kuching Chinatown. There is a big Chinese archway here, and the shops stock the daily necessities of the local Chinese in Kuching.

Chinatown of Kuching is marked with a grandiose Chinese-inspired red archway that indicates the entry point of this popular tourist place.
Harmony Arch at Carpenter Street was officially launched on 7th March 2007 by the Chief Minister.
The arch signified the multi-ethnic groups in Sarawak co-existed peacefully.
The launching is organized by 25 Community Associations of Kuching Division.

Dragon dance was performed during the launch dinner followed by fireworks display which cost about RM20,000.
The refurbished old shophouses became nice to look at, with brightly painted walls and windows. The Carpenter street a garbage-free streets with no moving vehicles crowding the alley ways frequently by tourists.

Shops along Carpenter Street sell mostly non-touristy stuff.
Here you find bicycle shops, book stores, hardware stores, antique furniture stores and quaint coffee shops (kopitiam) where you can witness this old town dwellers go about their daily life.
Catered for tourist here is the Carpenter Guesthouse which seems like a decent backpacking place.
Century Café which provides a great cocktail bar is an exquisite looking Chinese restaurant.

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