Miri Sarawak Goes for Cultural Tourism 2005... and Murals

Miri in Sarawak was the venue for the 2003 Annual Professional Congress of IMCA, which held its Congregation in September 2002 at Wintoun House. Prestoungrange, Dolphinstoun, Lady Prestoungrange, Bryan and Joan Wills were all there with myriad Clan members too. They made sure they checked out the local Cultural Tourism activities. Thus far, they are somewhat thin but the city has set 2005 as its target date to begin a major promotional campaign.

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There were two murals to be found out and around in, for many of us, unlikely places - the first was at a Buddhist Temple and the second in a limestone cave deep in an Equatorial National Park. Both are depicted below. The limestone cave painting is surely the oldest recorded, so far, by us all in our ever widening global search.

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The cave painting is in the National Park.

The cave, when discovered, also contained 'death ships' which are now in the National Museum. They are rendered in red hematite and cover a narrow strip stretching for some 30 metres. They portray spread-eagled human figures probably representing hunters and warriors, some of the animals from the surrounding forests and, most significantly, longboats carrying the souls of the deceased on their dangerous journey to the land of the dead.

The city already boasts some interesting sculpture especially several seahorses; and, to commemorate the city's origins as an oil town from Canada Hill in the early 20th century, nodding donkeys have also been crafted.

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And as a footnote, an appealing sign on the forest route to the caves at Niah.

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