Mount Santubong
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Mount Santubong | |
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Mt. Santubong from Santubong Bridge |
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Elevation | 810.2 metres (2,658 feet) |
Location | Sarawak, Borneo |
Prominence | 810 m |
Coordinates | |
First ascent | Unknown |
Easiest route | hike |
Mount Santubong (Malay: Gunung Santubong) is a mountain in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is located about 35 km north of the state capital Kuching.
On a clear day, it can be seen from Kuching. The mountain and its surrounding area is a popular tourist attraction.
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[edit] History
Excavations of the surrounding area uncovered Hindu and Buddhist relics from the 9th Century CE. Song and Tang dynasty ceramics are also found, indicating that the area around the mountain was a trading port from the 11th to 13th century.
[edit] Legend
A legend often associated with the mountain is of two beautiful princesses, Santubong and Sejinjang. Santubong was an expert weaver while Sejinjang was an excellent rice tresher. One day, they had a quarrel and exchanged blows. Sejinjang swung her tresher which hit Santubong's cheek. Santubong threw her weaver at Sejinjang, hitting her in the head. Putting an end to the quarrel, the King of Heaven cursed both of them into mountains. Santubong turned into Mount Santubong while Sejinjang was turned into Mount Sejinjang. It is said that Mount Santubong resembles a woman lying on her back.
[edit] External links
- Satellite image from Google Earth
- Sarawak Tourism page on the mountain
- A song about the two princesses, with translations
[edit] References
- National Parks of Sarawak, by Hans P. Hazebroek, Abang Kashim bin Abang Morshidi. ISBN 983-812-032-4
- The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, ISBN 981-3018-47-X.