KUCHING is the capital of Sarawak, one of the states (the other being SABAH) in East Malaysia.The river (in the picture) runs through the city, separating the Commercial Areas from the Government Administrative Centre/Kampong. Top to Bottom 1.Sampan 2.Fort Margaret n New Legislative Building3. Kuching Golden TriangleThe Sampan or rowing boat is a mean of transport for crossing the river; i.e. between the kampong (Malay village) and the main city centre which we called Kuching Golden Triangle. All the 5 star hotels are in the golden triangle. Further up or further down, two 4 lanes bridges are provided for vehicles crossing. If you watch closely, there are adverts on top of the Sampan roof. In return, the sampan owner will get free maintenance such as new boat paints and safety accessories (life jackets etc). Nowadays, thae sampan is mainly powered by 2 stroke engine (modified). The paddles are only used when nearing the pontoon. On the city side there is this beautiful promenade and walkway (by the riverside) for leasurely stroll.