Philippines, Brunei, Bangladesh and Myanmar (8) Two-day tour of Brunei

Brunei Darussalam (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam), referred to as Brunei Brunei, meaning "the peaceful state on the sea"), is located in the northwest of Kalimantan Island (i.e. Borneo), bordered to the north and south China Sea, bordering Malaysia on land. Brunei's coast is plain and the interior is mountainous. The coastline is about 161 kilometers long and there are 33 islands. The terrain is higher in the east and swampy in the west. It has a tropical rainforest climate, which is hot and rainy all year round, with an average annual temperature of 28°C. Brunei is an absolute monarchy. The population is 459,500, of which Malays account for 65.8% and Chinese account for 10.2%. The capital is Bandar Seri Begawan.

Brunei was called "Henni" in ancient times and has been influenced by Chinese culture for a long time. In the mid-14th century, Islam was introduced and the Sultanate was established. At the beginning of the 16th century, the country's national power was at its strongest. Since the mid-16th century, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have successively invaded. It became a British protectorate in 1888. Occupied by Japan in 1941. Britain resumed control of Brunei in 1946. In 1971, it gained autonomy except for foreign and defense affairs. It became fully independent on January 1, 1984, and joined ASEAN on January 7 of the same year.

Brunei's economic situation is quite good, with proven crude oil reserves of 1.4 billion barrels and natural gas reserves of 390 billion cubic meters. Per capita GDP ranks fifth in Asia and second in Asia (after Singapore) outside the Gulf region. The production and export of oil and natural gas account for approximately 67% of GDP. Brunei’s social welfare system is complete, and it is even more famous. It is known around the world that residents do not need to pay taxes.

Brunei has rich tourism resources. Its tourism themes mainly include mosques, royal exhibition halls, water villages, national forest parks and oil bases. Tourism is one of the priority areas that Brunei has vigorously developed in recent years. Malaysia, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore are the top five source countries of tourists. Brunei is visa-free for Chinese citizens if they have a departure ticket and enter and exit from the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.

After getting off the plane at Bandar Seri Begawan Airport, I first came to the bus terminal, and then changed cars from here. After more than an hour's drive, I arrived at Seria, a small town in the northwest of Brunei.

My first place to visit was the Brunei Oil & Gas Discovery Center. This is actually a museum. The center introduces the formation, storage, exploration, development, and development of oil and natural gas through various forms such as multimedia and physical objects. In a series of oil and gas production and development processes such as transportation, there are many simulation machines, such as shaking heads (pumping units), etc.

Then I walked towards the beach and could see many oil pipelines.

Shaking machine in use

I came to the beach. No one could be seen on the beach. I could only look at the drilling platform on the sea.

There is a monument to the billionth barrel of crude oil called the Billionth Barrel Monument on the seaside. It was built in 1991. It was the site of Brunei's first commercial oil well "Siriya-1". The monument commemorates the extraction of 1 billion barrels of crude oil and the oil field's contribution to Brunei's economy. The monument faces the sea, like two rings intertwined, with the national emblem of Brunei on the top, giving people a very solemn feeling.

The monument faces a corridor with several small signs on both sides of the corridor, on which are engraved the exploration times of various oil wells in Brunei.

Oil storage tanks on the roadside

Pipelines, etc. No people can be seen here, but there are many birds.

Then I took the bus back to Bandar Seri Begawan bus station.

Bandar Seri Begawan, formerly known as Brunei City, is the capital of Brunei and the national political, economic and cultural center. It is located in the southwest of Brunei Bay, 14.5 kilometers away from the mouth of the Brunei River. Originally dozens of floating settlements distributed along the river, it is now a modern city with luxurious palaces, gymnasiums, museums and huge mosques. The residents are mainly Malays and Chinese. The population is about 140,000.

Bandar Seri Begawan budget travel map

When the Brunei River flows next to Bandar Seri Begawan, it forms a wide bay. On this wide water surface, there is a floating village Kampong Ayer with an area of 2.6 square kilometers. It is the largest in the world. One of the traditional floating villages. Italian traveler Antoni Pagata, who accompanied Magellan on his voyage, called this place the "Venice of the East." After more than 600 years, the water village has developed into a floating city with more than 3,000 houses and about 30,000 residents. It has schools, police stations, fire stations, hospitals, mosques, etc. The houses on the water are supported by stone pillars and covered with wooden boards. Residents rely on speedboats to travel, which also provides tourists with opportunities to visit.

pier

I rented a speedboat at the dock. The boatman had to go home first to get a life jacket, which gave me the opportunity to visit his home.

Then we went to the upper reaches of the river to visit the mangroves

You can see monkeys and water birds here

Then we returned to the water village

The boatman then showed me the wooden houses and various public facilities in the water village. Here, schools, police stations, fire stations, hospitals, mosques, etc. are all available.

Watching Bandar Seri Begawan from the water

Finally the boatman took me to the dock on the shore.

I started to visit the attractions in the city. The buildings in the city are all newly built, which shows that the country is very wealthy.

Came to a small square

Here you can see the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

Continuing to walk north, you will reach the Brunei Royal Regalia, the royal exhibition hall, also known as the Sultan Memorial Hall. As one of the symbols of the royal family, this exhibition hall aims to let the subjects understand the solemnity and sanctity of the royal family. It mainly displays the royal items used by the Sultan when he ascended the throne and the precious souvenirs and gifts the Sultan received from all over the world.

Walking further north, we passed a pedestrian bridge and looked at the road from the bridge. It was clean and tidy.

government agency

After getting off the overpass and walking south, you will soon see a red Chinese temple - Tengyun Temple. It was formerly Tengyun Temple built in 1918. It was later destroyed due to the war and was rebuilt and updated in 1960. Current name. The hall enshrines gods such as King Guangze and God Xuantian, and retains complete worship procedures. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, New Year's Day and other festivals, Tengyun Hall will hold traditional activities.

Then I went back to visit the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque. It was built in 1958 and is a representative of modern Islamic architecture. It is located beside an artificial lake and has a carefully designed and maintained garden. It is large in scale and unique in style. .

inside the mosque

I walked back to the hotel and the whole city of Bandar Seri Begawan was like a garden.

Early the next morning, I came to Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, which is currently the largest and most luxurious mosque in Brunei. It was built to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Sultan’s accession to the throne. The main vault of the mosque and the surrounding minarets are all plated with 24k pure gold. Seen from a distance, they sparkle with gorgeous and solemn golden light, making the entire temple look graceful and spectacular.

Garden and fountain

The mosque has two prayer halls for men and women respectively. The men's hall can accommodate 3,000 people and the women's hall can accommodate 1,500 people. The crystal chandelier in the men's prayer hall weighs 3.5 tons and is also home to what is said to be the world's largest manuscript of the Quran. In addition, the mosque also has modern ancillary facilities such as offices, libraries, and clean rooms, and the decorative materials are extremely elegant.