KUCHING: The Red Bridge in Kampung Seropak, Bau is the oldest existing bridge built in 1904 to improve the access to the Dahan Estate using the Tegora Road.
According to researcher Ib Larsen, the bridge was designed by Louis Harper and manufactured by Harpers Limited (Ltd) in Aberdeen, the United Kingdom.
He said Tegora Road provided the access to and the delineation of the Puak/Dahan rubber estate, which commenced its operation in 1903.
“The bridge substitutes a previous bridge at the same site, that was constructed as part of the access road to the Tegora mercury mine.
“The bridge was renovated by the Japanese during World War 2, to enable reopening of the Tegora mine,” said Larsen when presenting his talk on the Red Bridge of Kampung Seropak at Telang Usan Hotel here, yesterday (Oct 22).
Larsen said he had come across the Red Bridge in 2005 and found it to be in a good condition.
“The foundation of the bridge is solid and made to last with a very concrete foundation.
“It is surprisingly well preserved like it was just built yesterday,” he added.
Larsen is known for his research about Sarawak history in the Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Malaysian Heritage Society’s Buletin Warisan and Atelier Society’s Atelier news.
He has also given talks on the relation between the Hakka mining kongsi in Kalimantan, Indonesia and in Sarawak for the Indonesian Heritage Society and has worked in Malaysia for 13 years, including seven years in Sarawak between 1999 and 2006.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Principal Assistant Secretary Dr Elena Gregoria Chai from the Arts, Culture and Heritage section said a group of researchers will go to the field to find out more on the discovery of the Red Bridge in Kampung Seropak, Bau.
The talk is organised by Sarawak Heritage Society, as part of its Heritage Speaker Series and supported by MTCP.
