Sungai Merah Heritage Walk — Attraction in Sarawak

As the sun set, swallows swiftly occupied overhead cables as Sungei Merah (with its upper reaches known as Sungei Seduan) shimmered like an elongated mirror snaking its way to meet the Igan river. A friend of mine, a long-time Sungei Merah local now in his sixties, used to regale me with tales of Iban fishermen wielding spears rowing up to the headwaters of the river to spear spawning terubok (longtailed shad). This happened during high tide when water salinity rose - between the new moon and the full moon. Imagine, in the backdrop of a full moon and with the headwaters looking silvery, and terubok almost immobile in the shallow water in the upper reaches, spearing them was too easy. In his childhood days, my friend, whose family home was close to the current traffic bridge, would stand by the riverbank looking on slack-jawed as the fishermen rowed by in boats groaning under the weight of bountiful catches. Some of the terubok were truly massive, unlike the catches you find in markets nowadays. Today, probably as a tribute to those fishermen, the heritage walk features a viewing alcove in the shape of a sailboat. Sadly, the timber flooring has been warping. Loud music blared from an upper-floor gym located on a row of riverside shops. Below, in a dimly-lit restaurant, waiters sat twiddling thumbs waiting for business to pick up. Surprisingly, as shadows lengthened in the twilight, three makeshift stores offering pork in chilled display cabinets remained open. Business must have been abysmal. One of the butchers - looking like he's been kicked in the solar plexus - told me they are anxiously waiting for the completion of the new market to move back to their previous trading spots. Before the pandemic years, I recalled observing long lines of customers snapping up large portions. Pork sales at the current makeshift stalls? Less than 50 percent of previous volumes. His furrowed forehead said as much. Equally forlorn was the riverside park. Giggling teens huddled inside a pavillion smoking, the thick smoke spiralling upwards to meet circling swallows. On a bench, a gentleman in his seventies absent-mindedly watched a drama on his phone. He acknowledged my nod. His faraway gaze showed he was deep in thought - perhaps to the days when during full moons, he would feast on terubok heavily pregnant with...

Sungai Merah (literally "Red River") - This old bazaar is the earliest site of the Chinese settlements in Sibu - Sungai Merah. The bazaar is named after this colour-changing river. Why Red River? Well, the water changes colour, depending on whether it's low tide or King Tide. Locals can tell it is King Tide when the water’s colour turns light brown like teh tarik (literally "pulled tea"). When the tide is low, the water reverts to its original dark red. As you stroll along that Sungai Merah Heritage Walk, you'll notice it will lead you to a landscaped park - Wong Nai Siong Memorial Park - which is erected to commemorate Sibu's principal founder. Along the walking path, a temporary market stalls have...

The walk way is terrible dangerous for people to walk on it during the red River market. When all the vendors selling goods and foods over there. There is limit space for people to...