Introduction

Culture In Sabah

Sabah

Sabah, "The Land Below The Wind" is located on the island of Borneo. It is a state that is filled with a rich line of cultural heritage.

 Source : http://www.e-borneo.com/travel/map2.shtml

Sabah consists of more than 32 different etnic groups, the main being Kadazandusun ( 17.8 %), Murut (3.2%), Bajau (14%), Brunei Malay (5.7 %), other ethnic groups ; Lundayeh, Rungus, Orang Sungai, Jawa, Talantang, Sino, Tinagas, etc  (20.56 %).

Penampang

 

Source :  http://www.sabah.gov.my/pd.ppg/english/Penampang.district.map.htm

Penampang is a district just 15 minutes drive away from Kota Kinabalu city. It is the main district for all cultural events. It hosts the state level Harvest Festival every year.

  

Harvest Festival

 Penampang is the host for the State Level Harvest Festival also known as Kaamatan every year. It is also a place where the famous Unduk Ngadau or Miss Harvest festival is held every year. This pageant is held to commemorate the sacrifices of Huminodun, the daughther of the god Kinorohingan and goddess Sumundu so that her people would not suffer starvation suring a plight.

Tamu Donggongon

Front view of the Tamu

 

Donggongon Weekly Market, or known locally as Tamu Donggongon  is a market located in the district of Penampang, Sabah. The tamu is held once a week for 2 days, Thursday and Friday.

 

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Cultural Conservation On Buildings

CULTURAL CONSERVATION ON BUILDINGS

A stretch of stalls in the market

The market features several  stretches of stalls arrange symmetrically around a square center

Columns in supporting the structure of the market

The structure of the market is supported by columns made of Borneo Ironwood, 

which is typical in the architecture traditional houses.

Roof of the market

The roofs mimic the roofs of traditional kadazan /dusun houses.

Usually, the traditional houses have thatched roof made of sago tree leaves. 

However, due to practical reasons, the material is substituted with wood.

The ceiling of the market

Due to the equatorial climate, the ceiling features traditional ventilation aside from being decorative. 
These “holes” on the sides of the ceiling enables hot air to rise and escape, making the place cooler. 
The same design is applied on traditional kadazan/dusun houses.

Surrounding Activities

A mini shopping mall built within the town

A recent development, this shopping mall features numerous types of shops, a food court and a cinema. The name of this building is Megalong, due to its reputation as the longest shopping mall in Sabah.

Penampang Library

There is a library in town for the community to use. Most of the visitors are students due to the location of the library. it is the midpoint of all the schools.

Old development of the town

The old part of the town features 2 or 3 storey concrete buildings. 

The shops here are normally restaurants, pharmacies and private clinics.

Food

Known as a farmers market, goods sold in the tamu are normally fresh produce for everyday human consumption.

Variety of rice available

This shows a variety of rice available for consumptions. 
Depending on health and preference, consumers can choose which ever type of rice they want

Ginger

Ginger is important in the diets of the locals in Sabah. 
Generally, ginger is used in almost all the local dishes because it believed to be good for health.

 A variety of fresh vegetables

These vegetables are commonly eaten by the locals. 
These are grown locally in the mountainous area of Sabah due to the conducive weather to for farming.

Durians

The market is also a haven for seasonal fruits such as durians. 
On top of that, the seasonal fruits are always fresh and cheap.

Fresh water fish/ eel

Fresh water fishes and eel are part of the diet of the locals. 
This is due to the number of rivers, ponds, and swamps in the area.

Traditional food

These are 2 of the traditional food of the Kadazan and Dusun people.

The red one is called tuhau while the yellow is called bambangan. 

Parts of a jackfruit

These 2 bags contains the non-edible parts of a jackfruit. 
It cannot be eaten raw, however the locals usually cook it as soup.

A stack traditional snacks

This is a traditional snack eaten by the locals for breakfast or tea time. 
Each piece is fried individually on a small fire.

Local Handmade Souvenir

These handmade items are locally made by people in the interior areas of the district and brought to the market for sale.

Culture

Donggongon Weekly Market, or known locally as Tamu Donggongon  is a market located in the district of Penampang, Sabah. The tamu is held once a week for 2 days, Thursday and Friday.

PEOPLE (Sellers and Customers)

Most of the sellers are people from the interior areas. Their races are normally kadazan or members of the dusun sub-ethic group.

The market is a place where people from around Sabah converge to sell their goods.

This shows a man in his late 50s doing the tedious process of manually selecting 

the best quality rice.

A man selecting unpolished rice grains

A woman in her 20s waits on for customers to buy her local goods. 

Her race is most probably kadazan.

A local woman waiting for customers

This woman is from the deeper interior area of Sabah. This is due to the fact that her produce is more focus on one rather than a variety suggests that she probably owns a farm which is usually situated in the deeper interior.

An old woman from the interior area selling turmerics and bananas.

This is a woman selling tobacco while looking at passers-by in the market. Most of these tobacco sellers are selling to fill their times instead of earning profits because they are no longer working.

A woman selling tobacco.

This man is probably around his late middle 60s. his dressing shows that he is from nearby due to the fact that his dressing is typical of men retired from serving the government offices.

An old man looking at goods to buy from the market

Penampang is a suburban area where most “homestays” are located. These homestays are a part of the Second Home Programme launched by the tourism department. Due to its location, the market is frequently visited by westerners.

Locals looking on westerners in the market.