Sarawak

Beautiful Place in Sarawak

This only some of the pictures...
Dont forget to Sarawak...

Sarawak culture

The dance in Sarawak

Ibans dance

Bidayuh dance

Melanau dance

Malay dance

Orang Ulu dance

Chinese dance

Ethnic Of Sarawaks

Sarawak

Sarawak is home to 28 ethnic groups, each with their own distinct language, culture and lifestyle. The Ibans form the major ethnic group on this land with about 30.1% of the total population per the year 2000 census. The Chinese, who generally live in the cities, are the second largest group at 26.7%, followed by the Bidayuh, Melanau and other native tribes of Sarawak who are collectively known as Orang Ulu. The Malays constitute a large portion (23.0%) of the population as well, mainly concentrated along the coast. Sarawakians practice a variety of religions, including Islam, Christianity, Chinese folk religion (a fusion of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and ancestor worship) and animism.

The Malays make up 21% of the population in Sarawak. Traditionally fishermen, these seafaring people chose to form settlements on the banks of the many rivers of Sarawak. The Melanaus have been thought to be amongst the original settlers of Sarawak. Originally from Mukah, the Melanaus traditionally lived in tall houses.The Melanaus were believed to originally worship spirits in a practice brinking on paganism. Today many of them are Christian and Muslim, though they still celebrate traditional animist festivals such as the annual Kaul Festival.

The Chinese first came to Sarawak as traders and explorers in the 6th Century. Today, they make up 29% of the population of Sarawak and comprise of communities built from the economic migrants of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, the Chinese are amongst Sarawak's most prosperous ethnic groups. The Sarawak Chinese belong to a wide range of dialect groups, the most significant being Hokkien, Foochow, Hakka, Teochew, Cantonese and Henghua. Hokkien and Mandarin are the most widely spoken dialects. The Chinese maintain their ethnic heritage and culture and celebrate all the major cultural festivals, most notably Chinese New Year and the Hungry Ghost Festival. The Sarawak Chinese are predominantly Buddhists and Christians.

The Ibans form the largest percentage of Sarawak's population, making up some 30%. Reputed to be the most formidable headhunters on the island of Borneo, the Ibans of today are a generous, hospitable and placid people. Because of their history as pirates and fishermen, they were conventionally referred to as the "Sea Dayaks". The early Iban settlers who migrated from Kalimantan (the Indonesian part of Borneo south of Sarawak) set up home in the river valleys of Batang Ai, the Skrang River, Saribas, and the Rajang River. The Ibans dwell in longhouses, a stilted structure comprising many rooms housing a whole community of families. Sarawak is unique to colourful festivals such as the Gawai Dayak (harvest festival), Gawai Kenyalang (hornbill festival) and Gawai Antu (festival of the dead).

Originally from West Kalimantan, the Bidayuhs are now most numerous in the hill country of Bau and Serian, within an hour's drive from Kuching. Historically, as other tribes were migrating into Sarawak and forming settlements, the meek-natured Bidayuhs retreated further inland, hence earning them the name of "Land Dayaks". The traditional Bidayuh abode is the "baruk", a roundhouse that rises about 1.5 metres off the ground. The Bidayuhs speak a number of different but related dialects.

The phrase Orang Ulu means upriver people and is a term used to collectively describe the numerous tribes that live up river in Sarawak's vast interior. Such groups include the major Kayan and Kenyah tribes, and the smaller neighbouring groups of the Kajang, Kejaman, Punan, Ukit, and Penan. Nowadays, the definition
also includes the down-river tribes of the Lun Bawang, Lun Dayeh, Murut and Berawan as well as
the plateau-dwelling Kelabits. The various Orang Ulu groups together make up roughly 5.5% of
Sarawak's population. The Orang Ulu are artistic people with longhouses elaborately decorated with
murals and woodcarvings. They are also well-known for their intricate beadwork detailed tattoos. The Orang Ulu tribe can also be identified by their unique music - distinctive sounds from their sape, a stringed instrument not unlike the mandolin. A vast majority of the Orang Ulu tribe are Christians but old traditional religions are still practiced in some areas.

Bidayuh

Orang Bidayuh

The Bidayuhs are known for their warrior audacity. In a war, a Bidayuh man’s status is judged by the numbers of skulls hung on the ceiling just before entering their houses. The more skulls you have, the higher your warrior rank. Bidayuhs are mainly Pagans or animist and they believe in ancestral worship and they also believe in theancient spirits or nature. Due to that, they would have big celebrations like the Gawai (June 1st ) which is a celebration to please the padi spirit for good harvest. They would also hold small praise and worship sessions occasionally to the River and Jungle spirits to cure illness and ward of bad luck.

In Sarawak there are generally said to be three main linguistic groupings (Biatah; Bau-jagoi; Bukar-Sadong) but these can be broken down even beyond the list referenced below as most people can be distinguished by locals down to village level through smaller differences in vocabulary and intonation. Each area speak its own dialect:

1. Lundu speak Jagoi, Salako & Lara

2. Bratak, Singai, Krokong and Jagoi speak Singai-Jagoi

3. Penrissen speak Bisitang

4. Siburan vicinity speak Biatah

5. Bidayuhs who live around Serian such as Tebakang, Mongkos, Tebedu to Tanjung Amo near the border of Kalimantan Indonesia speak Bukar-Sadong.

6. Bidayuhs in Padawan speak several but related dialects like Bi-anah, Pinyawa, Braang, Bia’, Bisepug & Emperoh/Bipuruh.

Bidayuh

Bidayuh dance

Tarian Ngajat Orang Iban

Tarian Ngajat Iban
Tarian Ngajat adalah merupakan identiti utama kaum iban yang menjadi kebanggaan kebudayaan di Sarawak. Keunikan dalam setiap persembahan tarian ngajat inilah menjadikan suku kaum ini terlalu istimewa dan tersendiri. Kebiasaannya, tarian ngajat ditarikan dalam sambutan Hari Gawai sebagai tanda kesyukuran dalam hasil menuai padi sepanjang tahun. Perayaan Gawai merupakan perayaan utama bagi suku kaum Iban.Perayaan ini disambut pada awal bulan Jun.



Contoh tarian ngajat

Pua Kumbu Sarawak

Pua Kumbu

Pua Kumbu is a traditional patterned multicolored ceremonial cotton cloth used by the Iban, made and used in Sarawak, Malaysia. Pua kumbu are woven by Dayak women and are considered to be sacred objects. They are used for lifecycle rituals and special events including the birth of a child, coming of age celebrations, receipt of an important item to a longhouse, and to screen a corpse that is being laid out in a longhouse prior to burial.

To the Iban of Sarawak, the pua kumbu is not just a blanket. It is a sacred ceremonial and ritual textile. The word pua in Iban means 'blanket', kumbu means 'to wrap'. Together, the two words mean a 'grand blanket'. However, the pua kumbu is very seldom used as a sleeping blanket. It is reserved for the times when men and women seek an encounter with the spiritual.

Beside Pua Kumbu, there are also Pua Sungkit and Pua Karap.

The pictures of the woven of pua kumbu by sarawak women