Water has always held a fascination for me, maybe because I was raised in Kampong Ayer. The 600-year-old heritage of Brunei Darussalam has a special meaning not only for myself, but also for most locals who have had the opportunity to live there during its heyday.
So, standing on a rocking water taxi is second nature to me, but not so for my companion, who was terrified of the prospect of travelling via water taxi to reach our destination, the Cultural and Tourism Gallery.

The Cultural and Tourism Gallery situated in Kampong Ayer is one of the most recent additions to Brunei’s cultural galleries. Enclosed in an area of 565 sq metres, it provides visitors and locals alike a glimpse of Kampong Ayer’s celebrated past.

Situated at the heart of Kampung Ayer, the Cultural and Tourism Gallery building is a tribute to Kampong Ayer’s construction, where Malay-style architecture was used as a concept for the building itself.

There is a particular aspect of the construction that takes me back to when times were simpler. Reaching the jetty I was astounded by a small floating jetty by the side of the main jetty – it very much reminded me of the old Customs and Immigration Department’s floating jetty which we called ‘lanting’ back in the 80s, where passengers would disembark to and fro to reach Labuan and Kota Kinabalu.

Opened in August 2009, the gallery has been swarmed by locals and tourists alike. A video presentation of archived footages of life in Kampong Ayer greets visitors as they walk in, while the observation tower gives a bird’s eye view of the surrounding landscape.

There are four galleries with each dedicated to the history and development in Kampong Ayer from as early as the 10th century.

The gallery in itself is small, but is full of information especially on the history and culture of the water village.

It is particularly impressive as to how much information and research are available at the gallery, from handicraft to metal and iron works that were available all those years ago.

There are more exhibits on Kg Ayer at the Brunei Museum, Brunei Malay Technology Museum as well as the Royal Regalia, however, what is great about the Cultural Gallery is that it gives visitors a chance to fully soak in the atmosphere of Kampong Ayer.

Not only do visitors have to travel via water taxis to reach the gallery but they also have the opportunity to experience the unique sensation of being in a structure dedicated to centuries of livelihood, culture and heritage.

Latest by Mohammad Abdullah:

• Paragliders to compete in Indonesia
• Pilgrims in holy land to perform umrah
• Brunei couple ready for Paragliding World Cup
• L'Oreal impressed by Brunei following
• United for the love of riding

number of view: 289