KUCHING: The Bung Bratak Heritage Centre (BBHC), a bidayuh mountain-top historical and tourism project, is now 80 per cent completed.
The RM8-million centre is fully supported and financed by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
“This is the first historical site turned into a tourist-cultural spot in Sarawak and in fact, in Borneo. When fully completed, BBHC will have a unique longhouse for 100 guests and another longhouse for conference or seminars,” revealed Bung Bratak Heritage Asssociation (BBHA) chairman Dato Peter Minos.
With a big ‘baruk’, a traditional roundhouse, and a dining place and a special reception hall, BBHC would be a hit for nature lovers, he said.
“At 1,000 feet, the scenery from BBHC is simply great and surrounded by virgin jungles with tropical flora and fauna and two waterfalls. This is on top of the fresh mountain air and fresh mountain spring water.
“Local visitors and tourists as well as those interested in whatever tropical and natural, will love BBHC. That is why almost yearly a big group of students and lecturers from one Australian University camped at Bung Bratak. So did many local students and teachers,” he added.
BBHC is the pride of the Bidayuhs and especially the 33 villages of the Jagoi-Bratak group. They are most grateful of the federal government for financing the project and the state Public Works Department for its construction and completion.
“The Bidayuhs cannot be any happier when seeing government is respecting and honouring their history and culture. It must be remembered that the Bidayuhs from Sungkong first settled at Bung Bratak over 750 years ago, according to historians and the elders,” said Minos.
Bung Bratak is a place of pride and much honoured by the Bidayuhs.
The soft opening of BBHC is expected to be held at end of this year. By next year on 1 May, there will be the usual Bung Bratak Day and grand opening of BBHC.
