This is the officially page of Kuching Old Bazaar with the past and present information about this area. During the 19th century, several waves of Chinese immigrants from Guangdong and Fujian provinces migrated south to settle in Kuching, Sarawak to find work as labourers and trade merchants. The earliest settlement, established along the bank of the Sarawak River, was named by the Chinese communi
ties as “Lao Ba Sa” (Old Bazaar), or “Main Bazaar”, meaning the main market place. In the past, Main Bazaar was the main commercial street where the wealthy businessmen ran their trading businesses. Behind the Main Bazaar, Carpenter Street by contrast was a cultural lane that housed the carpenters, food stalls, temples and various Chinese regional associations. Connecting directly to Carpenter Street is Ewe Hai Street, which was built and named after the name of the prominent local leader, Ong Ewe Hai. There are also several roads dissecting the Main Bazaar and Carpenter Street that have equally colourful histories. Wayang Street (Wayang is Malay for performance) was so-named because of the “Chinese Opera” held there during the annual festival. China Street, Upper China Street and Bishopsgate Street were notorious for their Coolie quarters, gambling dens, o***m houses, brothels, pubs and mobile hawker stalls. All these adjacent streets make up the famous ‘Old Bazaar Commercial Zone’ of today. The Kuching Old Bazaar including Main Bazaar, Carpenter Street, Ewe Hai Street, Wayang Street, Jalan Tun Abg Hj Openg (Old Rock Road), China Street, Upper China Street, Bishopsgate Street, Temple Street and Green Hill.
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19世纪初，中国人乘船越过南中国海，抵达并落户古晋，成为今天在砂拉越生活的海外华人。这批下南洋的移民，大多来自中国广东和福建省份，主要以劳工为主，也有木匠、厨师、铁匠、商人等。他们开始在砂拉越河畔的土地上建立商业市集，促进砂拉越的开拓与贸易发展。
海唇街是砂拉越最早的市集，隔着砂拉越河与对岸的马来甘榜对望。在这个市集上，华人与马来人密切来往；马来人带来各种海产、农作物和森林产品如亚答糖、亚答叶、硕莪粉、竹席、藤器、红树木等，与华人店家进行交易或物物交换，商贸活动蓬勃发展。两族人民在贸易关系的基础上，建立起深厚的异族同胞之情。
邻近海唇街的几条街巷，也跟着繁荣发展起来，而且各有掌故。比如亚答街，因为店屋都采用亚答叶作为屋顶和遍布的木匠聚集，也同时被称为木匠街。中国街、大井巷和下横街则是早年著名的“苦力间”，聚居着许多码头工友与其他劳工，早年在此处随处可见各色各样的商铺，如小摊贩、青楼、鸦片馆、赌馆、酒馆等，繁荣盛况空前、一时无两,非常热闹。
连接着亚答街的友海街则是以第一任福建大佬甲必丹王友海名字命名的街道。花香街的名字来自马来文“Wayang”（意：戏曲）的音译，因为在花香街上的华人寺庙凤山寺前有一座戏台，时常表演着各种地方戏曲，深受各族人民的欢迎。 此外，在亚答街的中部地段，有一道基督教圣公会园区的后门被称为“主教门”。当时，此门是主教采买日常生活必需品的主要出入口。
海唇街及其邻近的几条街道，组成这一整个商区，人们习惯称之为“老巴刹”。这个区域百多年来经历了砂拉越历史的开端、演变和进步。今天，老巴刹依旧，是古晋市的中心地带，是游客必游的重要旅游景点之一。老巴刹，在历史的进程中，见证了砂拉越各族人民群之间的亲善与和谐和友谊长青的重要记号。
古晋老巴刹的范围包括海唇街、亚答街、友海街、花香街、敦阿邦哈志奥本路（老大石路）、中国街、大井巷、下横街、神庙街和青山道。
