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Tourism Malaysia

THE WONDERS OF PULAU DUYUNG, TERENGGANU

 

Terengganu, situated on the east coast of Malaysia, is well known as the cultural state of Malaysia, rich in practising traditions, a seafaring history and platefuls of delicious cuisine.

In the state capital of Kuala Terengganu, a riverside city facing the South China Sea, you will find a village community that lives among a maze of inlets and islands such as the one at Pulau Duyung.

Pulau Duyung – literally, Mermaid Island – is not short of wonders as its name suggests. The small village surrounded by rivers is just a 10-minute drive from the city of Kuala Terengganu. In this calm oasis of shady trees and labyrinth of narrow lanes, ordinary village folk, fishermen, event artists and talented craftsmen call it home and welcome visitors into its sanctum.

Artisan boatbuilders

Accessible by road or by boat, the area is well known for its boat-making heritage. At least three main boatmakers remain much sought after on the island, namely, Pak Lah, Pok Awi and Hassan Ali. The craftsmanship of these fine carpenters is much in demand not only among Marang fishermen, but also by boatmen from around the world including Italy, Denmark, Australia and Algeria.

Touted as a vanishing legacy, the result of modernisation, vanishing forests and lack of interest by the younger generation to learn the trade, boatmaking is very much alive in their hearts. It is believed that there are only three boatbuilding yards on this island when just a few years ago, there were a thriving 38!

Working without any physical plans, these craftsmen rely only on their decades-long experience and skills taught to them by their forefathers. Traditional methods and local materials, such as the tree bark of the gelam tree for caulking and water-proofing the vessel, are used. Throughout the year, domestic and international tourists seek out these artisans in their boatyards to admire how they turn sturdy cengal timber into fine handmade boats that cut through the rough South China Sea effortlessly.

Today, these old hands still take in orders to build entire 40-foot boats by hand. You may want to book a handmade yacht once you see their skillful handwork, but mind you, the waiting list is a few years long, and the price is not for ordinary sailors!

Art for the times

Art lovers will be enthralled with the existence of the relatively new Pulau Duyung Gallery in the area, which is as much a cultural commune as it is an art gallery.

Modest in size but not short of talents, the jetty-front gallery organises exhibitions and conducts art workshops, as well as houses many works by local artists.

One of their core successes was in organising the Duyung Art Festival from 2015 to 2017. The festival has since been regarded as the force that connects and welcomes people through culture and arts.

Their previous exhibition entitled “Postcards to Duyung” in 2017 attracted participants from Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Australia, France and Sweden to exhibit about 800 postcards made from original art works. The upcoming one held until January 2019, “Duyung: Kenangan Lalu Mengusik Jiwa” (“Memories of Old Duyung”) is a nostalgic look at Duyung Island in the 1990s and earlier through photographs, artworks and oral expressions.

Built to Last

Among the collection of wooden houses in the area, one building stands out for its unique architecture, the Duyung Old Fort.

Built originally in the 1920’s by the owner and local leader Dato’ Biji Sura, the building curiously combines Malay traditional wooden architecture with European influences. Marvel at the sturdy pillars with Greek and Egyptian influences, the tendrils of Islamic motifs cut into the wooden lattices on the verandah, and the thick walls surrounding the building, believed to have been constructed of bricks and cemented with a concoction of fine sand, lime, honey and egg white.

Within the wall is a complex of houses interconnected in various styles of the Terengganu architecture such as the gabled roof, the five ridge roof, and the Dutch roof. Elements such as rain-water harvesting through ingeniously simple architectural planning, and how the morning light casts shadows through the woodcarvings, are just some of the admirable features to be admired.

In 1986, though, a big flood destroyed much of the house but the Terengganu State government took the effort to restore it to its original glory and opened it as a heritage museum under the auspices of the Terengganu State Museum.

The entrance is free, but do not expect a full-fledged museum as you enter. The display is modest, but enough to give you a glimpse into the lifestyle back in theolden days.

Note: Pulau Duyung is accessible either by the water taxi, car or the Heritage City bus. The water taxi departs from Shahbandar Jetty with the crossing taking less than 10 minutes.

Duyong Art Gallery
Venue:           GP 5, Pulau Duyung Kecil, 20100 Terengganu
Email:            duyongartgallery@gmail.com
Tel:                 +6019 6340214

Entrance fee: Free

Duyung Old Fort
Open:             Every day except Friday
Time:             9.00 am to 5.00 pm
Fee:                Free
Address:       Pulau Duyung Kecil, 20100 Terengganu
Contact:        National State Museum
Tel:                 +609-622 1444

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

Joe Flizzow @ Mystical Eve – ENCORP Strand

December 16, 2011 at 2:59 pm

Joe Flizzow is an award-winning Malaysian hip hop artist and businessman. He is one half of the internationally renowned Malaysian hip hop duo, Too Phat – the most successful hip hop act to ever emerge from Malaysia. He is also founder and CEO of Kartel Records.

President Joe Flizzow will be performing at ENCORP Strand this 31st December!

Joe Flizzow started his career as one half of the groundbreaking duo Too Phat. With sales of over half a million records sold to date, the group’s multi-platinum albums have won numerous awards locally as well as achieving recognition from MTV Asia and Channel V. International collaborations with artists from Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Sweden, Canada and United States have allowed for an all access pass on the global stage.

As an individual Joe Flizzow arguably the nicest Malaysian MC to ever grip a mic, is a talented writer, lyricist and producer. Forever pushing his boundaries and artistry into new areas of development; a pattern familiar since the late 90?s, where he revolutionized the Malaysian underground Hip-Hip scene and forced the music industry to recognize it as a serious music genre. After 10 years as a member of Too Phat, Joe Flizzow set out to begin carving a career as a solo artist in 2008 with the release of his debut solo album called President.

Joe Flizzow, Malaysian Rap Star, formerly of Too Phat

Rap along with Joe as he performs an all new song at Mystical Eve 2012 @ ENCORP Strand’s New Year’s Countdown party this 31st December 2011. The party will begin at 6 pm and only end at 2 am as we usher in 2012. So put on your party hats and make your way to ENCORP Strand for Mystical Eve 2012!

Don’t know how to get there? Check the map out!

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Categories
Tourism Malaysia

Hope Comes A-Floating

October 19, 2011 at 4:30 pm

It is not everyday that a person can boast of living on board and being a part of a majestic ship for week or a month, what more two years. Unless that individual plans to serve in the Navy or has an endless supply of funds which enables them to travel on a cruise endlessly, it is a rare opportunity for the people to live a life on a ship. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is what makes serving on-board the Logos Hope so memorable for volunteers who have chosen this rather unique path of life.

Logos Hope

The ship, Logos Hope docked at Port Klang

The story of a ship named Logos Hope…

The Logos Hope was first built in 1973 and was originally built for the purpose of a passenger car ferry. Before it was known as Logos Hope, it was called Gustav Vasa and it sailed along the North Atlantic routes. A decade after it was built, the ship changed hands to Smyril Line and was renamed Norröna. The vessel then plied the route between the Faroe Islands and Denmark. It came into the hands of GBA Ships in the year 2004 and underwent major renovations to fulfill her upcoming role. She obtained her current name, Logos Hope, in 2005 and after outfitting in Kiel, Germany; Køge, Denmark and final dry dock in Sweden, Logos Hope finally became an active ship in February 2009.

The ship is manned by a crew of 400 volunteers from 45 different nations. The community is diverse, from retirees to children of families serving on board and has an average age of 25 to 30 years old. Most of the volunteers serve for two years, which is the longest period of time available for service. Volunteers not only get a chance to give back to the people around the world, they are also given training programmes, which when combined with the work experience and the cross-cultural encounters, provides them with an opportunity to learn new skills and develop their characters.

Visitors browsing through the many titles that is available onboard the Logos Hope

“Mommy, look… it’s a floating library!”

The company that is behind this vision is GBA Ships e.V, a non-profit organisation that is based in Germany. GBA Ships operates ships that sail around the world with the purpose of bringing knowledge, help and hope to those who are in dire need of it. Their vision is to provide access to high-quality literature to those who need it, providing practical love and promoting peace by embracing diversity, as evident in the ships’ crews. Since 1970, the fleet of ships owned by GBA Ships have established a name for themselves as floating book fairs. These ships have made over 1,400 port calls in over 160 countries and territories and have welcomed over 42 million visitors on board their ships.

The floating book fair offers a selection of over 5,000 titles for visitors who come to the book fair. The wide selection of books on display are suitable for every member of the family as it covers a good range of categories such as cookery, sports, hobbies, science, medicine, dictionaries, languages and philosophy. The books are donated by publishers whose books have been removed from circulation in first-world countries after the latest editions have been released. This gives Logos Hope the chance to offer these books at a fraction of their costs to people in developing countries.

Visitors can see pictures of the ship’s history on the walls as they head to the book display area

A ship full of angels in disguise…

One of the many things that volunteers of the Logos Hope find meaningful is the initiatives and projects that they do for the communities in need. GBA Ships believe in quality life for all, regardless of personal background and circumstances. As the ship sail from port to port, the crew contributes to the society’s needs in every way possible – be it a simple task of sharing and exchanging experiences with locals to donating supplies or even building schools or houses. Some of the projects that have been undertaken by the Logos Hope’s communities include hosting over 80 tribal chiefs on board in Ghana, building orphanages and donating over 50,000 books to community groups and colleges in Liberia, running HIV / AIDS Awareness projects in West Africa and offering free eye examinations for the people in Malaysia.

Some of the book titles that are available for sale at the floating book fair

Where will they go next?

The Logos Hope is currently docked at Port Klang until 24th October 2011. The ship will then be heading to Kuching, Sarawak where it is expected to arrive on 27th October and will be there till 15th November before it moves on to Kota Kinabalu. The Logos Hope will then continue to make its way to Singapore and Philippines. The fair is open to the public from 10 am to 10 pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and 3 pm to 10 pm on Sundays. It is closed on Mondays. Entrance fees are priced at RM1 per person and admission is free for children under 12 who are accompanied by an adult.

Though it was almost 5pm when this picture was taken, there were still many people queueing up to board the floating book fair

For more information on the Logos Hope and its future port of calls, log on to their website here.

Logos Hope is currently looking for donations for its generators. Interested parties may refer to the above website or speak to any of the staff on-board Logos Hope for more information.

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