Sabah - Borneo - page 158

To reach the museum, follow Jln Singapura from the city centre and turn right up the
hill, or head up the Tangga Seribu (100 Steps) to Jln Istana and turn left. Just below the
museum gardens is an observation pavilion built by the local Rotary Club, which offers
more fine views.

Sandakan Memorial Park
( 9am-5pm) This park marks the site of a Japanese POW camp and starting point for
the infamous WWII 'death marches' to Ranau. Of the 1800 Australian and 600 British
troops imprisoned here, the only survivors by July 1945 were six Australian escapees.
Today the site of the POW camp has been converted into a quiet forest orchard and series
of gardens.
Large, rusting machines testify to the camp's forced-labour program, and a pavilion at
the park's centre includes accounts from survivors and photographs from personnel, in-
mates and liberators. In 2006 the original march route was officially reopened as a me-
morial trail - see www.sandakan-deathmarch.com for details.
To reach the park, take any Batu 8 (or higher-numbered) bus from the local bus station
in the city centre (RM1.80); get off at the 'Taman Rimba' signpost and walk down Jln
Rimba. A taxi from downtown costs about RM25 one way.

HISTORIC SITE

Puu Jih Shih Temple
(Off Jln Leila) Architecturally, the Puu Jih Shih is one of the finer Chinese temples in Sa-
bah: wrapped in the usual firework-colour display of reds, golds and twining dragons, fes-
tooned with lanterns that illuminate the grounds like a swarm of fat fireflies. As an added
bonus, this large Buddhist temple is perched on a steep hill overlooking Teluk Sandakan,
offering an extremely impressive view of the city. Take a bus to Tanah Merah and ask for
directions; from where you depart the bus it's not a far walk, but it's a steep uphill one. A
taxi here shouldn't cost more than RM6 one way, but don't be surprised if cabbies try to
charge RM20 for a round-trip plus waiting at the temple.

TEMPLE

St Michael's & All Angels Church
(Off Jln Puncak) This incongruous slice of the Home Counties is one of the few all-stone
buildings in Malaysian Borneo and the former locus of colonial worship. In 1893, prison
labourers lugged said stones across the jungle during the church's construction. Today,
despite a little mouldering, the church very much looks like a displaced bit of the Cots-
wolds transplanted into the heart of Borneo. Although the church is officially off Jln Pun-
cak, many people call the street 'Church Rd'.

CHURCH