The Gaya Street is a street
Sunday market area in
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu (; formerly known as Jesselton), colloquially referred to as KK, is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is also the capital of the Kota Kinabalu District as well as the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the ...
, Sabah, Malaysia. It is known as the
Chinatown
Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
of Sabah due to many Chinese
coffee shops
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargile ...
and restaurants situated there. In addition with an
arch gate that was erected since 2005.
History
The street was known as ''Bond Street'' during the
British colonial era, and was established in 1902, after the construction of shop houses there was completed. The street started as a
railway track
Railway track ( and UIC terminology) or railroad track (), also known as permanent way () or "P way" ( and Indian English), is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers ( railroad ties in American ...
for the transportation of
rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds.
Types of polyisoprene ...
all the way from Sapong and Melalap rubber estates in
Tenom
Tenom (, ) is the capital of the Tenom District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It is located about 176 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu and 128 kilometres north of Long Pasia, which is one of the famous attractions in Sabah. Ten ...
which ended at the wharf. The Jesselton Harbour was the main gateway from North Borneo during when there is still no passenger planes.
The market is once considered as the "heart" of Jesselton as major business activities was done there.
Since then, farmers and ordinary folks from the interior and fishermen from the coastal areas would make their trip to sell agricultural produce and other crops in the market, this include the Chinese immigrants as well Filipino and Indonesian traders.
Aside from agricultural products, local food, souvenirs, arts and craft, footwear, antiques and even pets are sold in the market.
Along the market street, it is also the place where the old
Jesselton Post Office (now the main office of Sabah Tourism Corporation (STC)) are located together with the
Jesselton Hotel.
Gallery
File:Bond Street, Jesselton, British North Borneo in 1914.jpg, Bond Street in 1914.
File:Gaya Street, Jesselton, British North Borneo in 1930.jpg, Bond Street with Chinese shops in 1930.
File:Gaya Street Chinese New Year Lanterns.jpg, Gaya Street today filled with Chinese lantern
A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a oil lamp, wick in oil, or a thermoluminescence, thermoluminescent Gas mantle, mesh, and often a ...
s during Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...
.
File:Old General Post Office.jpg, The former Jesselton Post Office building.
File:Kota Kinabalu Jesselton Hotel 9770.jpg, The Jesselton Hotel.
File:KotaKinabalu Sabah Memorial-stone-Gaya-Street-01.jpg, Memorial stone in Gaya Street, laid by the Crown Colony Governor Ralph Hone commemorate the erection of the first block of permanent shophouses under the new town plan of Jesselton.
Further reading
Of Gaya and Kaya StreetDaily Express
etawau
References
External links
*
Chinatowns in Malaysia
Kota Kinabalu
Shopping districts and streets in Malaysia
Restaurant districts and streets in Malaysia
Tourist attractions in Sabah
{{Sabah-stub