Kapit 2491559 190785297 2008-02-12T02:28:12Z Aiman abmajid 448921 '''Kapit''' is a town, and the capital of the Kapit District in [[Kapit Division]], [[Sarawak]], east [[Malaysia]] on the south bank of the [[Rajang River]]. The district comprises 15,595.6 square kilometers and a population, as of 2002, 60,200. [[Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke|Rajah Charles Brooke]] founded ''Fort Kapit'' in 1880 as a garrison town, primarily to prevent the [[Iban people|Iban]] from migrating up-river and attacking [[Orang Ulu]] settlements. The fort was later renamed ''Fort Sylvia'', after the wife of [[Charles Vyner Brooke|Rajah Vyner Brooke]], but the town retained the name of Kapit. Initially settled by [[Hoklo (ethnic group)|Hoklo]] ([[Hokkien]]) Chinese in 1880, additional Ka Chinese immigrants arrived in 1906, and [[Fuzhou]] Chinese in 1919. The Chinese grew [[rubber]] and [[black pepper|pepper]] and traded treated rubber sheet and forest products. In 1941, at the time of the [[Japanese occupation of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak|Japanese occupation]], Kapit only had two rows of 37 shophouses. The town was completely destroyed by allied bombing during the war. Kapit today remain as a busy but compact with a few streets running parallel to the river. Although accessible only by boat (slightly more than 2 hours from [[Sibu]] by express boat) or light aircraft, it is the vibrant commercial and social center for the middle [[Rajang River]] catering to the [[longhouse]] communities and timber camps. It is an excellent base for exploring nearby longhouses or for arranging trips to the [[Rajang River|Upper Rejang]] and [[Balleh River]]s. ==Fort Sylvia== To prevent further Iban migration upriver in the [[Rajang River]] basin, which was creating conflicts with the[[Orang Ulu]], Rajah Charles Brooke built ''Baleh Fort'' at Nanga Balleh, the confluence of the Rejang and Baleh rivers between [[Kanowit]] and [[Song,Sarawak|Song]] in late 1874. Rajah Charles Brooke nearly drowned here in 1877 when his boat capsized in the dangerous currents. He abandoned the fort in 1878, and replaced it with a new fort located lower down the river in 1880. The new ''Kapit Fort'' was built entirely of ‘belian’ ([[ironwood]]) timber with thick walls to withstand attacks. On November 16 1924, a peacekeeping ceremony between the  [[Iban people|Iban]], [[Kayan]], [[Kenyah]] and [[Kajang]]  was held here in the presence of Rajah [[Charles Brooke]]. In 1925, Kapit Fort was renamed Fort Sylvia after Rani [[Sylvia Brooke]]. During the 1960s, the fort housed the District Office and the District Court House, and later the Resident’s Office when [[Kapit Division]] was formed in 1973. In May 1997, the fort was declared as historical monument, and is now managed by the [[Tun Jugah Foundation]] as a museum. It exhibits a collection of ethnic arts and handicrafts and documents relating to the history of Kapit, heirloom jars, brass cannons, brass plaques and photographs of past community leaders. ==Landmarks== * Fort Sylvia * Kapit Museum - houses a fine collection of ethnic arts, handicrafts and sketches and water colors of life along the mighty rivers. * Hock Leong Tieng Temple * Pasar Teresang – Wet Market * Regency Pelagus Resort [http://www.theregencyhotel.com.my/Pelagus] ==External links== * [http://www.kapitro.sarawak.gov.my Kapit Resident Office] * [http://www.kapit.net.my Kapit Tourism] {{Sarawak}} {{Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy}} {{Sarawak-geo-stub}} {{coor title dm|2|01|N|112|56|E|region:MY_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki}} [[Category:Towns in Sarawak]] [[ms:Kapit]]