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| Photo by Sarawakiana : Channel Road at Night. |
The Brooke administration built the Sibu Fort along Channel Road in Sibu according to written history. Thus it can be concluded that the road is the first ever built in Sibu in 1862.
A small Chinese bazaar started by merchants who came to trade in the middle valley of the Rajang River soon grew, clustering around the Fort.
On May 13 1870 a group of Ibans under Lintong tried to attack the Sibu Fort. A year later, the Sarawak Gazette reported that there were 60 wooden shops in Sibu. In 1873, the Sibu Division was created by the Rajah and Sibu town was officially included.
The first traders were Teochew, Minnang and Hakka people. They were followed by the Cantonese and the Foochows and much later the Hin Hua People.
A small Chinese bazaar started by merchants who came to trade in the middle valley of the Rajang River soon grew, clustering around the Fort.
On May 13 1870 a group of Ibans under Lintong tried to attack the Sibu Fort. A year later, the Sarawak Gazette reported that there were 60 wooden shops in Sibu. In 1873, the Sibu Division was created by the Rajah and Sibu town was officially included.
The first traders were Teochew, Minnang and Hakka people. They were followed by the Cantonese and the Foochows and much later the Hin Hua People.
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| Old photo of Channel Road, facing the Rajang River. |
The original towkays (before the arrival of the Foochows) therefore owned probably the entire row of shop houses along the Channel Road.
In 1893 Munan anak Minggat and his followers arrived in Sibu. He had found Sibu a thriving bazaar and decided to build a longhouse at Pulau Kerto opposite Sibu.
As a loyal war leader to the Brooke Government, he had helped to suppress Iban rebels in Upper Katibas and Lupar rivers in 1860's and 1880's. In 1903, he was the first Iban to establish a rubber plantation in Kuching. He used his wealth from rubber to buy shop houses and land in Sibu.
On 10th February 1889, Sibu Town was razed to the ground. On March 8th 1928, Sibu was again ravaged by fire.
In 1893 Munan anak Minggat and his followers arrived in Sibu. He had found Sibu a thriving bazaar and decided to build a longhouse at Pulau Kerto opposite Sibu.
As a loyal war leader to the Brooke Government, he had helped to suppress Iban rebels in Upper Katibas and Lupar rivers in 1860's and 1880's. In 1903, he was the first Iban to establish a rubber plantation in Kuching. He used his wealth from rubber to buy shop houses and land in Sibu.
On 10th February 1889, Sibu Town was razed to the ground. On March 8th 1928, Sibu was again ravaged by fire.
All the wooden shophouses were burnt and slowly concrete ones took their place. If one could look closely, the years of the shop houses were built could be seen on the facade.
Many of the shophouses along the Channel Road were were built in the colonial style, two storeys only and about 120 deep and 60 feet wide. Moreover many of the shop facades look like those shop buildings of Singapore, Malacca and Penang.
The Five Foot Way is wider in the traditional shophouses is higher above the road.
Note : Much literature can be found about the five foot way or Kaki Lima after Sir Stamford Raffles designed and planned the Singapore "entrepot". The term Ngo Ka Ki (five foot walkway) may have been coined by builders in response to the minimum width of the walk way. "The walkway became an integral feature of Malay Peninsular and in the later half of the 19th century, a feature of the Straits Settlement Style buildings."
Many of the shophouses along the Channel Road were were built in the colonial style, two storeys only and about 120 deep and 60 feet wide. Moreover many of the shop facades look like those shop buildings of Singapore, Malacca and Penang.
The Five Foot Way is wider in the traditional shophouses is higher above the road.
Note : Much literature can be found about the five foot way or Kaki Lima after Sir Stamford Raffles designed and planned the Singapore "entrepot". The term Ngo Ka Ki (five foot walkway) may have been coined by builders in response to the minimum width of the walk way. "The walkway became an integral feature of Malay Peninsular and in the later half of the 19th century, a feature of the Straits Settlement Style buildings."
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