Kundasang

Kundasang is a village in Sabah, Borneo that lies along the bank of Kundasang Valley. It is located about 6 kilometres away from Kinabalu National Park and is renowned for its vegetable market which is open seven days a week. It is the closest village to Mount Kinabalu and has a panoramic view of the Mountain. It is populated mainly by the native Dusun and a very small population of Chinese people. Almost all the shops are operated by locals.

Vegetable wholesale stalls

Vegetable Stalls

Beside the main road vegetables wholesalers can be found in a long row of wooden stalls (Malay: gerai). Bulk buyers come from all over the state of Sabah, Sarawak and even Brunei for the fresh harvest. Pick up trucks are seen laden fully with harvest from the farms nearby the valley and delivered to the stalls. Passing tourists and travellers also stop by the road for shopping at a good bargain. The stalls are open 7 days a week.

Kundasang War Memorial and Gardens

Located on a hill immediately behind the vegetable wholesale stalls is the Kundasang War Memorial and Gardens.

Major G. S. Carter, D.S.O. (Toby Carter) a New Zealander employed with Shell Oil Co. (Borneo) initiated the building of the Memorial in 1962, together with the launching of Kinabalu Park; to commemorate the 2,428 Australian and British prisoners who died during World War II at the Sandakan POW Camp, and the casualties of the three infamous forced death marches from Sandakan to Ranau. It also serves as a tribute to the many local people who risked their lives while aiding the prisoners of war. Only six Australians survived in this tragedy to tell their horror and there were no English survivors.

The fort-like Memorial was designed by J.C. Robinson, a local architect. It has four interlocking but separate gardens to represent the homelands of those who died: an Australian Garden, a formal English Garden of roses, a Borneo Garden with wild flowers of Kinabalu and at the top level is the 'Contemplation Garden' with a reflection pool and pergola.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Memorial was restored in 2005 by Mr Sevee Charuruks and with funding provided by the Malaysian Government. The Gardens have been replanted with flowers, particularly roses and rare orchids that include the Paphiopedilum rothschildianum (Rothschild's slipper orchid). The Memorial is open to all visitors not only to view the gardens but to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of others.

ANZAC Memorial Services and private Memorial Services are welcomed with prior arrangements. The Memorial is open to visitors with minimal entrance fees charged.

Golf course

The Kundasang golf course is located near the border of Kinabalu National Park at an altitude of approximately 2000 metres above sea level.

External links

• Many photos of the War Memorial
• Kundasang Town
• War Memorial Gardens