Mount Santubong...A tale about Santubong and Sejinjang

                                  

Etymology

According to the Encyclopaedia of Iban Studies the original inhabitants of Santubong were the iban. Si-antu-ubong means 'spirit boat' in the Iban language. Antu is hantu in Malay which means spirit or ghost. Santubong are boat like coffins made from a single hollow log designed to represent the vesell in which a dead person will travel from this world to afterlife. Following another theory, the name Santubong is derived from "san choo bong" in the Hakka Chinese dialect, meaning "wild pig king" or "king of wild pig.

Legend
A legend often associated with the mountain is of two beautiful princesses of heaven, Santubong and Sejinjang. Santubong was an expert weaver while Sejinjang was an excellent rice tresher. When war broke out between two villages, Kampung Pasir Puteh and Kampung Pasir Kuning, the King of Heaven sent the princesses to keep peace in both villages. The villagers saw both beautiful princesses and stopped the war. After the war, both princesses taught the villagers their expertise and both villages began to trade and became prosperous. Many princes heard of them and came from the whole island to marry them, but all was denied by them. One day, a handsome prince came, and the princesses had a quarrel and exchanged blows because both of them fell in love with the prince. Sejinjang swung her tresher which hit Santubong's cheek. Santubong threw her weaver at Sejinjang, hitting her in the head. Putting an end to the quarrel, the King of Heaven cursed both of them into mountains. Santubong turned into Mount Santubong while Sejinjang was turned into Mount Sejinjang. It is said that both mountains resembles women lying on their back and a crack on Mount Santubong was the scar on Princess Santubong's cheek.

The entrance to the trail is controlled by a private company claiming to be the caretaker appointed by the authorities to maintain and collect rubbish left by visitors on the mountain. They charge an administrative fee of RM8 per person and also issue certificates for an additional fee. All parks are managed by Sarawak Nature Reserve as provided for under National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance, 1998 Sarawak.

A report has been lodged under the states' Talikhidmat which is under the purview of the Chief Minister's office of the collection of fee by the private company.

It takes between 3 and 4 hours to reach the summit and slightly less to descend again. Climbers need to take plenty to drink and some food to keep them going. A BBQ has been built at the top but begin your descent by 3pm to get back in the day light and avoid stepping on snakes that cross the path sometimes. A lucky climber may be rewarded with the chance of a rare Hornbill with a cream/yellow beak. These Hornbills are black and white.

Villagers say the well at the top never dries up, however this pond is often sadly full of rubbish today and should not be relied upon as a source for thirsty climbers. In fact Lord Medway reported it to be dry on his overnight expedition to the top in the 60's before the ropes and ladders were installed. Cub scouts and guides once camped at the top too on their expeditions.