KUCHING, Nov 3 — Kuching South City Council (MBKS) will commission a series of murals to mark Jalan Padungan’s 100th anniversary this year.
Kuching South mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the murals will depict the area’s significant heritage through the years.
He said Jalan Padungan has played a crucial role in one of Sarawak’s most significant heritage areas — its gastronomy.
He pointed out that in 2021, Kuching achieved the distinction of becoming Malaysia’s first Unesco Creative City, joining this prestigious international network under the field of gastronomy.
“The council has taken a leading role in this initiative. We are in the process of establishing a new gastronomy centre, aimed at not only raising awareness about our culinary heritage but also fostering creativity and innovation in the food and beverage sector,” he said in his speech for the roundtable conference on Maritime Silk Road Cultural Heritage Conservation in Nanning, China today.
“To support our smallholders and vital F&B (food and beverage) industry, we are implementing various capacity-building activities, chef exchanges, public awareness campaigns, conferences, and events, and launching gastronomic tourism packages.”
He said MBKS oversees some of the city’s wet markets, an integral part of the food chain and a significant example of sustainable development.
Some traders have been in business for three generations, ensuring year-round availability of local produce, some of which are unique to Sarawak, said Wee.
As part of the city of gastronomy project, he said MBKS would support creative economy efforts, providing digital content to connect producers and traders, as well as organising events and activities in markets to engage the next generation.
He explained MBKS is also responsible for organising the Kuching Festival — the city’s largest food festival — which attracted over one million visitors this year with both traditional and modern cuisine from Sarawak and around the world.
“We allocated space for the Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) Kuching team to showcase Sarawak gastronomy through the expertise of our young, emerging chefs.
“Additionally, nightly demonstrations of our culture, ranging from tattooing to pottery, to traditional music, were presented to the public,” he said.
He stressed heritage conservation is vital for the city’s future to not only reflect on the past but also shape the next generation. — Borneo Post
