As I have been frequenting Miri since 2013, I have always made it a point to visit the Miri Handicraft Center to see if there is anything to purchase. This is purely due to my collection of native Sarawakian items.
Miri Handicraft Center
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| The Miri Handicraft Center |
The new Miri Handicraft Center was built at RM1.6 million, which is quite reasonable, considering that the entire building was torn down and rebuilt. Interior wise, it has two levels and a modern design for the vendors.
The old Miri Handicraft Center was officially closed for major renovations in October 2016 and was eventually completed and then relaunched in September 2017.
Sliding automatic glass doors welcome visitors into the handicraft centre, and an information counter is the first thing you will see to your left.
As you walk in, the beautiful colours of the ethnic crafts and products will distract your attention, luring you deeper into the vendor section.
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| Inside the craft centre |
As you walk in, the beautiful colours of the ethnic crafts and products will distract your attention, luring you deeper into the vendor section.
Once you get into the main area, you will be welcomed by a 270-degree angle of vendors selling all sorts of Sarawakian ethnic items, where 90% of them are handmade by different ethnic groups.
The beauty of the Miri Handicraft Center is that all the products here are Sarawakian, which means that this is one of the rare places to get authentic native or ethnic products.
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| One of the vendors at the craft centre |
At many handicraft centres around Malaysia, you will always see several non-Malaysian handicrafts sold or passed off as Malaysian handicrafts.
At this centre, you will find several different vendors selling all sorts of local Sarawakian handicraft that comes from various parts of Sarawak.
The Old Miri Handicraft Center
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| This is the old Miri Handicraft Center |
Previously before becoming a handicraft centre, this place was known as the Miri Community Hall, where many local events took place, including concerts, plays, weddings and so on.
This community hall opened on 16th August 1958, making this place 60 years old. The site was also changed to the Miri Handicraft Center in 2001, after serving 42 years as a local community hall.
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| Ethnic crafts sold at the Miri Handicraft Centre |
The most important thing to buy for visitors are souvenirs, and the Miri Handicraft Center is one of the best places for this. There are countless items available, depending on what you want to get. The list of things you can buy from the Miri Handicraft Center is;
- Woven Bags
- Beaded Jewelry
- Hand Carved Souvenirs
- Traditional Baskets
- Local Antiques
- Tree Bark Hats and Vest
- Batik Sarongs
- Local Sarawak T-Shirts
- Ladies Woven Clutch Bags
- Layered Cakes (Kek Lapis)
- Bario Salt in Cylinders
- Ethnic Weapons
- Woven Mats
- Pottery
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| Penan woven bags are sold at the handicraft centre here. |
- Dayak
- Penan
- Kayan
- Kenyah
- Melanau
- Kelabit
- Lun Bawang
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| Map to the Miri Handicraft Center |
The handicraft centre is located at the intersection of Jalan Brooke and Jalan Merbau in the city centre. Another prominent landmark is the Bintang Megamall and Meritz Hotel.
From the other part, where Ming Cafe is located on Jalan North Yu Seng, you can walk five minutes to the Miri Handicraft Center.
There is ample parking available here for those driving, and you simply need to use Waze or Google Maps to get here.
Other Facilities at Miri Handicraft Center
There is ample parking available here for those driving, and you simply need to use Waze or Google Maps to get here.
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| The new Miri Handicraft Center |
There is a local cafe called NarsCafe that serves drinks, cakes, and some local food. This cafe also provides sit down service where you can take a break and relax while you are here.
Miri Handicraft Center Address
Address: Corner of Jalan Brooke and Jalan Merbau, Miri City, Sarawak
Hours: 8.00 M to 6.00 PM
Tel: +6085 433 501
GPS Coordinates: 4.39614, 113.99115
Due to the year-long renovations, most of the original vendors were moved to a temporary handicraft centre at Jalan High Street in Miri.
And when the new handicraft centre re-opened, many came back, but some vendors preferred to stay back on High Street.
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| Business hours at the craft centre in Miri |
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| The Miri Handicraft Centre was officiated by Datuk Lee Kim Shin. |
And when the new handicraft centre re-opened, many came back, but some vendors preferred to stay back on High Street.
This means there are now two handicraft centres in Miri for visitors to choose from. One of them is located in High Street, and the original one is in the city centre.
After you are done here, just take a walk over to Miri Container City for some food and drinks. This is one of the latest lifestyle, coffee and food places made entirely out of shipping containers.
After you are done here, just take a walk over to Miri Container City for some food and drinks. This is one of the latest lifestyle, coffee and food places made entirely out of shipping containers.
This is also a great place to chill and unwind after a long day of walking around.
The Miri Handicraft Center is also the best place to find some unique Sarawakian souvenirs and the good thing here is that you can bargain a little from the locals when buying a lot from them.
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| A giant Orang Ulu mural is seen on a billboard outside the craft centre. |
Conclusion
I also wrote an article on things to do around Miri for anyone who wants more information. It generally covers the main tourist areas here and can be quickly done independently.
If you are spending a few days here and on the weekend, do check out Coco Cabana in Miri at the weekend, namely just before sunset, as this place is one of the trending lifestyle places in Miri.
If you are visiting Miri, visit the Miri Handicraft Center, as it houses a fantastic collection of ethnic products from northern Sarawak. Shortly, there will also be special cultural performances for visitors here.