The Chinese Farmhouse at the Sarawak Cultural Village showcases the lifestyle of the Chinese people in Sarawak. The Chinese composes 29.2% of Sarawak's population. Although there has been contact between Sarawak and China for the past 1500 years, the majority of the Sarawak Chinese can trace their roots to immigration in the last 100 years, encouraged by the Brooke administration that wanted to build a solid farming middle class. The Chinese were working the gold and antimony mines since the early decades of the 19th century. The majority are Hakka or Foochow descent.
A Chinese farmhouse.
Unlike the dwellings of the natives, the Sarawak Chinese farm house is built at ground level. The floor is of trodden earth, the walls are of whitewashed sawn timber while the roof is of attap. The Sarawak Chinese house is likely to consist of two main parts, the living quarters consisting of the kitchen, dining and living area is one part, while the storage area and bedroom is the other.
A focal point of the living area of the Sarawak Chinese house is the household altar. A print or statuette of the revered diety is placed here, before it are the joss sticks, candles, cups of tea and other offerings. The doorpost is also divinely protected via the application of strips of red paper with protection verses.
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