Exhibition on Gaya Street attracts big crowd

Saturday, 18 February 2012 06:12

KOTA KINABALU: One of the oldest streets in the state capital came alive last weekend in an event called Bonding with Gaya Street.

The exhibition was held in conjunction with Kota Kinabalu’s 12th year celebration of being recognised as a city. The event drew flocks of people eager to either relive or learn of Gaya Street’s rich and colourful history through old photos and artifacts, among others.

Originally known as Bond Street, Gaya Street came up in the early 1900s with only 17 shops opened by Chinese settlers.

Located within the Kota Kinabalu Central Business District now, Gaya Street has risen over the years to become a bustling commercial and business area, with a line up of numerous shops, corporate offices, hotels and entertainment outlets.

Despite the rapid development, the popular street – even more popular among locals and foreign tourists on Sundays with the Gaya Street Fair –has maintained much of its heritage and continues to attract historical buffs.

Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir said visitors to the event could get an idea of the community’s lifestyle back then as well as learn about the city’s history.

“The younger generation will come to know of Gaya Street’s uniqueness through the exhibits which featured old buildings, culture, important incidents or events and social history that affected the community there throughout the ages,” he said.

The event was jointly organised by City Hall and North Borneo History Enthusiasts, a group consisting of Sabahan bloggers who have a mutual love for local history.

Organising chairwoman Datin Fazar Arif said Gaya Street was the centre of the event as the street gave root to Jesselton, now known as Sabah’s beloved capital Kota Kinabalu.

From The Star