Tambunan rice wine has great tourism potential

TAMBUNAN: ‘Lihing’, the KadazanDusun version of rice wine, has great tourism potential in the open market.

Tambunan lihing producer David Francis, the owner of Lihing No. 1 at the Tapai Factory Tambunan Village Resort Centre (TVRC), did not waste time to introduce the local alcoholic drink to members of the Innovation Walk delegation to the Tambunan district recently.

The delegation was led by deputy secretary general (policy and innovation), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Dato’ Dr Sharifah Zarah Syed Ahmad during the visit and explore innovation at the factory.

“Previously and until the present day, lihing is a tonic (good health drink) to a mother who has just given birth to a new baby and those who lack blood can cook chicken with lihing to make chicken soup,” said David during his briefing to the delegation.

David said his rice wine factory has been in existence for 30 years ago, but he took over the factory about 10 years ago.

He said the ingredients for making lihing are cooked glutinous rice and yeast.

David also explained in detail the lihing-making process.

He said his factory could produce about 2,000 bottles per month with a market price of RM6.50 per bottle.

Continue reading at: Tambunan rice wine has great tourism potential
.
.

Tuaran to host the launch of the State-level Tadau Kaamatan festival

Tambunan: Tuaran will host the launching of the State-level Tadau Kaamatan this year on May 1.

However, Deputy Chief Minister cum President of Kadazandusun Murut Cultural Association (KDCA) Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said the traditional celebration of the KDM community has already started at village and mukim levels.

To this, he said the Kaamatan is traditionally held to enable the people or residents of a village living elsewhere to return home to unite with their families.

"It is also to remind them of their identities and the effort to preserve and conserve their culture," he said at the Mukim Monsorulung Kaamatan celebration recently.

The theme this year he said is "Cultural Understanding - The Way Forward", which also is a symbolic appreciation to kinorohingan (God).

As with previous celebrations, he said the event this year is to showcase the rich cultural heritage in Sabah.

He said there would be event such as sugandoi (singing) contest, Unduk Ngadau (beauty contest), traditional sports and also exhibition on agriculture and handcraft products.

In conjunction with the Kaamatan, he urged KDM community throughout Sabah to wear their respective traditional sub-ethnic costumes.

"We hope that the celebration this year will be aptly used to display the unique tradition and culture of the community in a locality," he said.

He said they should be proud wearing the traditional costumes because such display would also attract visitors to know more about KDM ethnic diversity.

Continue reading at: Tuaran to host the launch of the State-level Tadau Kaamatan festival
.
.

Time to climb Sabah's Trusmadi

Ever heard of Trusmadi? No? Figures. All everyone knows is Mt Kinabalu. Nobody remembers No 2.

Maybe it’s true what they say about being Number Two — nobody knows, let alone remembers you.

Everyone and his brother know Gunung Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia, and many, many people have climbed it. That’s how it is when you are Numero Uno. What about the second highest mountain in Malaysia?

What is the second highest mountain in Malaysia?

Most of the time, there’s a deafening silence because so few people have ever heard of Gunung Trusmadi in Sabah, which, at 2,642m above sea level, is a relative dwarf compared to Kinabalu.

But that’s no reason not to climb it, which was why five companions and I found ourselves in a speeding minivan on a scenic drive across the Crocker Range. This rugged range of mountains is virtually in the backyard of Kota Kinabalu, yet little visited by tourists.

To one side of the road, down a deep ravine, was a rushing river, while a slab of verdant rainforest rose vertically on the other side. Clouds of mist rose, wraith-like, from damp valleys far below to obscure the road.

From the heights of the Crocker Range, some 80km later, we descended into the flat, sunlit valley of Tambunan. There were golden fields of padi in the late afternoon light, a clear blue sky and lush surrounding hills. The air was sweet.

Tambunan could have qualified as the most idyllic postcard-village in the state. The roads were straight and well-paved, the buildings in good repair and the town itself looked scrubbed and prosperous.

We put up at a little resort a short distance from town. Our hut, basic but adequate, looked out to a disused football field beyond which was a shallow, rippling river crossed by a wire suspension bridge. The small riverside restaurant served surprisingly good food to the few customers it had. Hot food, good companions, a murmuring river nearby, peace and quiet in a remote corner of the country — what more could one ask for?

The next morning, our two 4WDs left the tarred road for an unpaved logging road a few kilometres from Tambunan town. The air was cool and fresh, with logged forest on either side of the road. At some point, the gradient became steep enough for our driver to lock the freewheels of the vehicle. Some distance later, we turned a corner and I gaped.

Up ahead was the largest butterfly I had ever seen in my life. It was a Rajah Brooke Birdwing, no less, with distinctive green triangles on black wings, but with a wingspan well over 3m wide.

For a fleeting moment, the thought of Nature striking back for all the indignities we heap upon the blemished land crossed my mind — the Attack of the Giant Butterflies. And that was before I noticed the giant Rafflesia and giant pitcher plant near the butterfly.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Time to climb Sabah's Trusmadi
.
.