One of the most attractive features of the state of Sarawak and one which sets it aside from many of the other Malaysian states is its cultural diversity. Sarawak ‘Culture’ would be the main focus of Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), pertaining to the tourism sector of the State. There are wide varieties of Sarawak deep-rooted culture, ranging from; traditional housing (longhouses) of the Dayaks, to festivals that showcase the culture and essence of the destination. In total there are approximately 4,500 longhouses in the Sarawak, where majority of it hosts home for the indigenous people. Some of the longhouse has been commercialised which cater mainly for tourists, whom are looking for a more authentic experience in Sarawak.
A further step was taken by the STB in 1989, when Sarawak Cultural Village was being built to display all the different culture in one location. Within the Sarawak Cultural Village, there are replications of traditional accommodation for the different indigenous tribe.
- Bidayuh Longhouse
- Chinese Farmhouse
- Iban Longhouse
- Malay Townhouse
- Melanau Tall House
- Orang Ulu Longhouse
- Penan Hut
Additionally, another unique selling point of SCV would be the living museum concept. There are very strong tangibles item for the visitor to look forward too, beside the normal architect of the building, the tribes people was living there as well.
The Cultural Village is a living, thriving community, a “village-within-a-village,” where many of the staff and performers live, work, marry, and bring up families, devoting their lives to promoting and preserving the culture and traditions of their beloved Sarawak. – (Sandra Goh & Samantha Chern, TP, 2010)
On top of that, there are festivals happening in the Sarawak Cultural Village all year round. One of the most successful festivals would be the Sarawak World Music Festival, happened during July started back in 1998. It approximately attracts 300 audiences when first started; currently it draws at least 20,000 visitors to the 3 days festival. One of the reason contributing to the success of the event is the perfect location of the festival. It is located in the middle of rainforest, giving it an edge over others music festival around the world. The performances are staged as a way to depict indigenous cultural histories to tourists.
