Borneo Cultures Museum, Kuching

The Borneo Cultures Museum opened in 2022 next to the Victorian museum it replaced, and it is one of the largest in the region: five floors, with the exhibition galleries stacked above an entrance level and a children's gallery. The permanent displays run through Sarawak's natural history, the archaeology of its cave sites, and the material culture of the state's many peoples, which is the strongest section: Iban pua kumbu weaving, Orang Ulu beadwork and carved hornbill figures, Melanau sickness images, ceramics and brassware traded up the rivers. Presentation is modern, built on film, sound and reconstructed interiors rather than rows of cases. The old museum building and its gardens next door remain part of the same complex.

Highlights

• The textile and beadwork gallery - Iban pua kumbu, Orang Ulu beadwork and ceremonial dress.
• The archaeology floor - cave material and the long prehistory of Borneo.
• The carved figures - hornbill sculptures and Melanau images used in healing rites.
• The old museum building - the Victorian hall and gardens beside the new galleries.

When to go

Open most days with one weekly closing day, so check before going. Weekday mornings are quiet; weekends and school holidays fill the children's gallery. Allow three to four hours for the permanent floors. It is a good rainy-afternoon option in a city where downpours are frequent from November to February.

What to expect

The building is large and the circulation is not obvious, so people miss whole floors. Some galleries are thinly filled compared with the space given them, and a few sections were still being completed after opening. English labelling is good but several film loops are long. The old museum next door has been closed for restoration for extended periods.

Nearby

The Kuching waterfront, Main Bazaar and Fort Margherita are within a walk or a river crossing.