Jong Batu
Encyclopedia
Jong Batu is a rock outcrop located in the Brunei River
. It is shaped such that when viewed from the shores of the Brunei River, it resembles a sinking ship, with the bow sticking out of the water. In Brunei
folklore, the legend of Nakhoda Manis
(literally the "Captain Manis (His name was Manis, and Nakhoda mean Captain)" in Malay
) tells of how an unfilial son was turned to the rock outcropping known as Jong Batu.
to the east of the Istana Nurul Iman
. Administratively, it is part of the Lumapas
mukim
of the Brunei-Muara district. The rock outcropping is about 20m long and 15m wide at its widest point and is uninhabited. A few shrubs dot the island. It takes approximately 15 minutes to travel to it by boat from Kampong Ayer. A light buoy was constructed near the rock outcropping to warn mariners about the island. The island is a popular spot for sightseeing, especially from the river cruises that operate on the Brunei River.
and her son, Nakhoda Manis, inherited wealth from his deceased father. In other versions, they were both poor. They lived in Kampong Ayer.
Nakhoda Manis left Kampong Ayer to seek his fortune in the city of Sulu
. After many years, he achieved success and wealth there and married a pretty noblewoman and became owner of a huge ship. The version of the legend where they were rich had his mother sharing her wealth with poor people until one day she found herself poor like them. In any case, she longed for her son.
Dang Ambon was overjoyed to hear that her son’s ship was going to anchor in the Brunei River
and Nakhoda Manis was also looking forward to reuniting with his mother. When he arrived at the Brunei River, Dang Ambon paddled a small boat out towards his larger vessel and shouted that she missed him. He was very happy upon hearing his mother’s voice and looked forward to introducing her to his wife. However, before he could say anything to his wife, she was disgusted with the poor old woman and demanded her to be chased away. Nakhoda Manis was forced to turn his back on his mother and ordered his crew to push her small boat away. Other versions of the tale had them throwing her overboard. Dang Ambon was heartbroken and she cursed her son, whereupon a storm came and capsized the ship.
After the storm, there was a huge rock in the river where Nakhoda Manis had anchored his vessel, which sank in the storm. The rock is known today as "Jong Batu".
Similar stories about the ships of unfilial
sons turning into stone are also told in Tutong
which is a different part of Brunei, the Batu Caves
of Selangor
in Malaysia, the Philippines
and Padang
, Sumatra
, Indonesia
.
Brunei River
The Brunei River is a river which flows through Brunei and empties into Brunei Bay towards the North-east direction. The Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, stands on its banks. The Brunei River is the shortest major river in Brunei Darussalam. Brunei Darussalam's...
. It is shaped such that when viewed from the shores of the Brunei River, it resembles a sinking ship, with the bow sticking out of the water. In Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
folklore, the legend of Nakhoda Manis
Malin Kundang
Malin Kundang is a Southeast Asian folktale about retribution on an ungrateful son. A sailor from a poor family, the protagonist sneaks onto a trading ship, eventually becoming rich, marrying a princess, and acquiring his own galleon...
(literally the "Captain Manis (His name was Manis, and Nakhoda mean Captain)" in Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
) tells of how an unfilial son was turned to the rock outcropping known as Jong Batu.
Description
Jong Batu is located in the Brunei RiverBrunei River
The Brunei River is a river which flows through Brunei and empties into Brunei Bay towards the North-east direction. The Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, stands on its banks. The Brunei River is the shortest major river in Brunei Darussalam. Brunei Darussalam's...
to the east of the Istana Nurul Iman
Istana Nurul Iman
The Istana Nurul Iman palace is the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, and the seat of the Brunei government. The palace is located on a leafy, riverside sprawl of hills on the banks of the Brunei River, a few miles south of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital.-Design...
. Administratively, it is part of the Lumapas
Lumapas, Brunei-Muara
Lumapas is a mukim in the Brunei-Muara district of Brunei. It is located in the south of the Brunei-Muara district, bordering the water village mukims and Mukim Kianggeh to the north, Mukim Kota Batu and Pulau Berambang to the north and east, Limbang, Sarawak to the east and south, Mukim...
mukim
Mukim
In Brunei, a mukim is a subdivision of a daerah . The equivalent of the word 'mukim' in English would be 'sub-district'.In Malaysia, a mukim can either be a subdivision of a daerah or a subdivision of sub-district, In Singapore, a mukim is one of two varieties of survey...
of the Brunei-Muara district. The rock outcropping is about 20m long and 15m wide at its widest point and is uninhabited. A few shrubs dot the island. It takes approximately 15 minutes to travel to it by boat from Kampong Ayer. A light buoy was constructed near the rock outcropping to warn mariners about the island. The island is a popular spot for sightseeing, especially from the river cruises that operate on the Brunei River.
Legend
In some versions of the story as told in Brunei, Dang Ambon was a rich widowWidow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
and her son, Nakhoda Manis, inherited wealth from his deceased father. In other versions, they were both poor. They lived in Kampong Ayer.
Nakhoda Manis left Kampong Ayer to seek his fortune in the city of Sulu
Sulu
Sulu is an autonomous island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Jolo and occupies the middle group of islands of the Sulu Archipelago, between Basilan and Tawi-Tawi...
. After many years, he achieved success and wealth there and married a pretty noblewoman and became owner of a huge ship. The version of the legend where they were rich had his mother sharing her wealth with poor people until one day she found herself poor like them. In any case, she longed for her son.
Dang Ambon was overjoyed to hear that her son’s ship was going to anchor in the Brunei River
Brunei River
The Brunei River is a river which flows through Brunei and empties into Brunei Bay towards the North-east direction. The Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, stands on its banks. The Brunei River is the shortest major river in Brunei Darussalam. Brunei Darussalam's...
and Nakhoda Manis was also looking forward to reuniting with his mother. When he arrived at the Brunei River, Dang Ambon paddled a small boat out towards his larger vessel and shouted that she missed him. He was very happy upon hearing his mother’s voice and looked forward to introducing her to his wife. However, before he could say anything to his wife, she was disgusted with the poor old woman and demanded her to be chased away. Nakhoda Manis was forced to turn his back on his mother and ordered his crew to push her small boat away. Other versions of the tale had them throwing her overboard. Dang Ambon was heartbroken and she cursed her son, whereupon a storm came and capsized the ship.
After the storm, there was a huge rock in the river where Nakhoda Manis had anchored his vessel, which sank in the storm. The rock is known today as "Jong Batu".
Similar stories about the ships of unfilial
Filial piety
In Confucian ideals, filial piety is one of the virtues to be held above all else: a respect for the parents and ancestors. The Confucian classic Xiao Jing or Classic of Xiào, thought to be written around 470 BCE, has historically been the authoritative source on the Confucian tenet of xiào /...
sons turning into stone are also told in Tutong
Tutong
Tutong may refer to:*Tutong District, Brunei*Tutong , the administrative town of the Tutong District*Tutong River, which flows through the Tutong District*Tutong people, the main ethnic group in the Tutong District...
which is a different part of Brunei, the Batu Caves
Batu Caves
Batu Caves , is a limestone hill, which has a series of caves and cave temples, located in Gombak district, north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. Batu Caves is also the name of the nearby village.The cave is one of the...
of Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
in Malaysia, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Padang
Padang, Indonesia
Padang is the capital and largest city of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located on the western coast of Sumatra at . It has an area of and a population of over 833,000 people at the 2010 Census.-History:...
, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.