Carpenter Street & Chinatown

Just opposite the waterfront, Carpenter Street marks the entrance to Kuching's Chinatown. A red, Chinese-style archway, the Harmony Arch, welcomes you into a lane of 19th-century shophouses, many still home to family-run businesses.

Wander past antique and handicraft shops, traditional Chinese medicine halls and old-fashioned coffee shops, and look out for the Hong San Si Temple at the far end of the street. Carpenter Street is also one of Kuching's best food streets, with hawker stalls and cafés that come alive in the evening. Traffic still passes through the street, so take care as you explore