06 June 2011

Today is The DuanWu Festival. Generally to us it's the zongzi (chinese rice dumpling) festival; although it's also the Dragon Boat Festival. Officially it falls, each lunar year, on the 5th day of the 5th month (thus also called The Double Fifth Festival). So for 2011, the lunar "Double Fifth" falls on the Gregorian "Double Sixth"!

The entry in wikipedia had many interesting details and stories (a visit highly recommended). I highlighted some below.

The thing about zongzi is that we can buy it everyday, and we eat it many times throughout the year. So there was hardly anyone making a special effort to sell it today! Those who have mothers making the zongzi at home are the lucky ones (check out this blog entry for pictures and details).

As usual, with the many thousands of years, there were over-lapping stories about this festival. The most known one was that the festival concerned the suicide of the poet Qu Yuan in 278BCE. The zongzi were thrown into the lake each year to feed him.

Other lesser known versions included the suicide of a loyal advisor Wu ZiXu (sometime around 500BCE), the drowning of Cao E (143CE) while searching for her father who had fallen into the river. It would seem these all had something to do with water; ergo the Dragon Boat Festival?

But "Double Six" also refers to the commemoration of the tragedy that occurred in Kota Kinabalu on 6th June 1976. I blogged on this last year (gallery and the opening). This morning, there was a simple remembrance ceremony there.

Once a year the monument was decked with flowers and wreaths ...

... after getting a fresh coat of paint ...

... then you can read all about it tomorrow.

6 June 2010

Passing by, I noticed that the Gallery was to be officially declared open in the morning. After buying some breakfast, I grabbed my camera and paid a visit.


If you carry a camera (Not a compact point and shoot lah!), no one will stop you wandering around at these official functions! Most probably they assumed you were with the official media of photographers/journalists. Anyway I don't cause any trouble or get in the way, so no one gets upset, and I get my photos.


As the tragedy claimed the life of her husband, Tun Fuad Stephens(Fifth Chief Minister of Sabah), and also her son who was on the plane, Toh Puan Rahimah Stephens was the one to declare open the Gallery. The Mayor of Kota Kinabalu, Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim, was on her right.

Also present was Datuk Harris Salleh, the successor Chief Minister after the tragedy. He was on the second plane with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (the then Finance Minister of Malaysia).

The Reception Counter.

Most of the exhibits were photographs. Other exhibits included videos, books and documents. The air-conditioning was excellent!

There were some interesting photos of Malaysia Day (16 September 1963) at Padang Merdeka Kota Kinabalu.

Datuk Harris thinking about "Them Old Days"?

A replica of the Oath Stone (said to be at Keningau - put up there in 1974). The oath covered the promises of the Government on religion, land and culture in Sabah.

It seemed that the exhibits came from private collections, government departments, and the newspapers archives.

Obviously the monument was bedecked with wreaths and flowers. KK seems to have bright and beautiful mornings.

Looking closely at the plaque, I wondered why didn't they list those individuals who perished, instead of the rather anonymous "several Sabah leaders"?

Double Six Gallery at Grace Point

Grace Point Kota Kinabalu; a memorial to the "Double Six" Tragedy (center), a food court, a jogging track, and a new building (left of photo).


The memorial to the plane crash site. In 1976, this spot was in the sea (just off the shore). Progress is in reclamation!


That new building had been constructed last year. I noticed some activity in the past week and saw the curtains installed yesterday. This morning, a cleaning crew was at work inside and outside.


I saw it was named "The Double Six Gallery".


The very "Artistic" poster at the front. I have heard some locals calling Grace Point "666" instead of Double Six. I suppose they included the third six from "1976"!


It seems that the place is by DBKK (KK City Council). They expect visitors (adults) to pay RM2 each. I would expect mostly tourists to visit!

I have no idea when it will officially open. But since tomorrow is 6 June 2010, it should be the right date for the official opening. If true, then the lack of publicity is a sad reflection.