Kota Kinabalu: Monsopiad Cultural Village

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Travel is all about learning new culture, eating new food, meeting new people and experience new things in life. After we unpacked and took a quick bath, we drove to Monsopiad Cultural Village. 

Monsopiad Cultural Village is a living museum located about 1/2 hour from KK CBD. It is a showcase of Kadazan culture, the largest ethnic group in Sabah aka Borneo. Monsopiad is a fearsome Kadazan warrior nearly 200 years ago, who made head-hunting as his hobby. They have guided tour, cultural dance performance and rice wine tasting, all included in the entrance fee.

However, we reached Monsopiad Cultural Village too late and missed all the shows. We get to have a guided tour and rice wine tasting for RM15 as entrance fee. Much cheaper price as compared to normal entrance fee. Though lesser things to see with heavy rain in between, we had a great experience there, especially the story about the village.

So let the photos guide you through my experience in Monsopiad Cultural Village.

Registration counter - where we bought our entrance ticket and met our guide. Look at the feather pen. So cute! XD

This is also the place we started applying mosquitoes repellent. Yes. A note for whoever that's going to Monsopiad Cultural Village: Despite the uniqueness of the cultural village, there's PLENTY of mosquitoes around. PLENTY. Make sure you apply enough mosquitoes repellent and cover up as much as you can. 

Our first stop of the guided tour - The rock where the tribe believes that there's spirit living in it. They moved this rock from Kota Kinabalu, guided by Bobohizan, their village doctor who knows black magic.

According to our guide, he said that the tribe believes that the rock will protect them and they even put skulls on the stick, surrounding the rock, to scare the enemies away. 

Passed by rice wine tasting area. We did came back after our guided tour. Quite a relaxing place but it gets a bit dark in the evening.

Few steps after the rice wine tasting area, there's a canopy walk. Nothing much to see the other side but it feels adventurous to walk on such half-destroyed bridge. Only 5 of us walked over whereas the others enjoying their sweet moments at the rice wine tasting area. *feeling conned* 

A village house. What's in it? 

Traditional cradle and some traditional clothes hanging. Should be the living room.

There's also some gongs in the house.

And Skull hanging up there! =O 
Head Hunters' village, maybe I shouldn't be so surprise with a skull appearing.


WHAT'S NEXT?? MORE SKULLS COMING UP!

Welcome to The House of Skulls also called Siou Do Mohoing.

There's collections of skulls hanging at the ceiling. 

According to my reading after the trip, there's 42 skulls (aka "trophies"), a leg bone and a 3-foot long sword, believed to be used in battles. After battle, Monsopiad took the fresh skulls into the jungle, hanging off tress to dry out before being displayed at his house. The guide told us that people in the past need to hang skull(s) in their house to show that they are manly. Man needs at least one skull to get married. The more skulls you have in the house, the more manly you are. (Hmmm... Amazing and scary)

Bobohizan. Yes, in the past, all of the village doctors are women. This is their costume.

And some interesting traditional stuff in The House of Skulls.

More information about Monsopiad Cultural Village and their stories, please click here.

Monsopiad Cultural Village address:
Kg. Kuai/Kandazon, Penampang,
P.O. Box 153 Tanjung Aru, 89458 Kota Kinabalu.

Opening Hours: Daily from 9am-5pm