Chong (third from right) and the front office team showing the updated Sandakan Heritage Trail map.
A NEWLY updated map and information boards will greet visitors embarking on a walk down memory lane from a century-old mosque to other historical sites along the Sandakan Heritage Trail.
Described as a “must-see” when in Sandakan, the trail covers 10 heritage sites that can be leisurely explored on foot in about two hours.
Founder and chairman Lai King Hang said, realising its importance, they decided to work with the Sabah Tourism Board to update the trail map and put up information boards to guide visitors.
“The new and updated information boards, along with additional footprint marks, will make it easier for first-time visitors to navigate the trail.
“This light walking exercise offers a glimpse into the past of Sandakan, which was the pre-war capital of British North Borneo,” he said.
In addition to tourism, the trail has become a focal point for social programmes, such as runs and school projects, aimed at raising public awareness of its conservation, especially among the younger generation.
“The self-guided Sandakan Heritage Trail maps, which are given out free, are available at Hotel Sandakan, conveniently located just a stone’s throw from the 100-year-old Masjid Jamik, which is the entry point of the Sandakan Heritage Trail,” he said.
Lai, who handed copies of the map to Sandakan Hotel assistant manager Sheila Chong, added that the hotel has been the main venue sponsor of this community project, which was launched on June 21, 2003.
From Masjid Jamik, visitors will be led to the Pryer Memorial, a granite structure erected to honour the founder of Sandakan, William B. Pryer, before climbing the Stairs with a Hundred Steps leading to a beautiful view of Sandakan town and its bay.
The trail will also lead to the famous Agnes Keith House, the first government permanent timber dwelling built after the Second World War, occupied by Harry Keith, a conservator of forests, his wife Agnes and their son George.
Visitors will also walk past the remains of the consulate building of the pre-war Chinese government, as well as a few places of worship – St Michael’s and All Angels Church, Sam Sing Kung (Three Saints) Temple, and Goddess of Mercy Temple, to name a few.
In addition to physical maps, the trail can also be downloaded by scanning the QR code visible on all the maps and information boards along the route.
