Gadong, Brunei

Gadong is a commercial area in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. It is a popular shopping and dining area in the city as well as in Brunei, with several shops, restaurants and cafes establishing their presence in the area. Notably, the area was formerly a rubber estate and was called Gadong Estate or Gadong Rubber Estate.

Name
Some believed that the name Gadong most likely originated from the term gedung, which means warehouse, rather than the word gadong, which refers to the color green in Brunei Malay. Gadong must have once had some warehouses because the name came to be used as a metonym for the location. The word godown in English, which means a storage space, is derived from the words gedong or gudang, which likely descended from the Telugu or Tamil words gidangi or kidangu in India.

The name Gadong is derived from a fruit of the same name, which grows along the riverside in Pulau Sungai Gadong, according to an old project of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) on Brunei streets. The flesh is edible when boiled after being soaked in water and has a reddish color.

History
At Berakas, Gadong, and Temburong in Brunei, rubber estates were constructed. By 1914, 2200 acre had been set aside for plantations. From the mid-1920s, Joss' Coghill has been in charge of overseeing the Gadong Rubber Estate. In 1923, the Island Trading Company (ITC)-owned estate in Gadong was increased in area. Despite the discovery of oil in Seria prior to 1931, The early decades of the century witnessed the emergence of rubber estates in Berakas, Gadong, and Temburong, but initially, revenues from the nascent oil sector were sluggish to materialize.

According to a 1933 report, malaria incidents in Gadong estate had been relatively low compared to others. By 1934, the estate had a total population of 53 and 32 laborers. The Government Rubber Estate at Labu (Labu Estate) not only failed to meet the constitutionally mandated financial standards (as did the Estates at Gadong and Berakas), but it also accrued debts to the Government of Brunei of $40,151, as stated in paragraph 25 of the State Auditor's Report on 1960. These debts, which represented money borrowed from the Miscellaneous Advance Fund, reached a total of $221,828.65 by 31 December 1965, and the State Financial Officer communicated his concern to the government about the growing losses that these Estates were suffering in April 1966.

The construction of a bridge connecting Bandar Brunei and Jalan Gadong, as well as the establishment of major government facilities there, such as the Gadong Power Stations and, later, the Police Headquarters and the Land Transport Department, led to the fast expansion of Gadong in the 1960s. About 1967 or 1968 saw the completion of Jalan Gadong, which was later joined to Jalan Tutong at the present Jalan Tutong/Jalan Gadong junction sometime in the early 1970s. When the road was constructed, the only means of transportation from the capital to Gadong was via barge along the Menglait River.

Infrastructure
The Abdul Razak Complex is home to the Consulate of Sweden.

Centrepoint Hotel
At Bandar Seri Begawan, near to the region's tourist attractions, is the Centrepoint Hotel. The hotel has 216 rooms and suites, 113 deluxe rooms, 92 junior suites, 9 executive suites, 2 presidential suites, and 2 penthouse suites. Additionally, 10 meeting rooms and dining restaurants are also present.

Rizqun International Hotel
The Rizqun International Hotel is located within The Mall shopping complex. Facilities of the hotel includes; Rizqun Coffee House, Rizqun Poolside Bar, swimming pool, ballroom, multi-function meeting rooms, business centre, surau and a gym. Business travelers have a choice of 168 rooms and suites.

Commercial
Commercial activity in Gadong focuses in the area of the commercial buildings owned by Abdul Razak Holdings, a local real estate company which also owns a few other commercial buildings in Bandar Seri Begawan as well as abroad.

The Mall
The Mall is a one-stop development complex, the mall has state-of-the-art architecture inspired by the merging of social and cultural exaltation and aims to recast the country's story to the world by developing the new consumer culture of Brunei's commerce. On 9 July 2006, the Rizqun International Hotel and The Mall shopping center were officially opened by the Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah. There are 378 staff members working at the hotel, 277 of whom are locals. It is situated in the center of Gadong's commercial area. It is a three-story shopping mall with two spacious parking basements. After the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (YSHHB) Complex in Pusat Bandar, it is the biggest mall in the Gadong area. On the top floor, there is a cinema next to a sizable food court with vendors serving a variety of various cuisines. In addition to being next to the food court on the top floor, The Arcade Funland is an arcade.

Gadong Wet Market
The Gadong Wet Market (Pasar Gadong) is one of the main marketplaces in the city selling fresh meat and produce. The wet market becomes a flower market on Friday and Sunday mornings (pasar bunga). The market is open from 6 am to 3 pm on Monday through Thursday, on Saturday, and on Sunday. On Friday, it is open from 6 am to noon and from 2 pm to 3 pm.

Following concerns from sellers, the Municipal Administration has promised to address hygiene issues at Gadong wet market. According to Ali Matyassin, acting chairman of the Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal Board, the market's problems, such as rat infestation, slick floors, and inadequate lighting, are being addressed in both the short- and long-term by his department. He stated in an interview on 31 October 2016 that the department will install rat traps as a temporary solution to lower the rodent population. The department will hire pest control specialists to come up with a long-term solution to the rat problem.

On 29 October 2021, the wet market was re-opened after restrictions implied by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in its attempt to combat the COVID-19 pandemic was lifted. The sellers and customers of the wet market is required to follow standard operating procedures (SOP). Visitors to the market are required to abide by the MoH's SOPs, which include restricting the number of people accessing the location, submitting to temperature checks, scanning the QR code upon entry and exit, and always donning a face mask. Prior to the opening, the building got a thorough cleaning and disinfection.

Gadong Night Market
The Gadong Night Market (Taman Pasar Malam Gadong or Pasar Pelbagai Barangan Gadong), which is currently located in a brand-new 5980 m2 structure, and is open every night from 4 pm to midnight and curates Bruneian cuisine and culture. The night market's main draw is its food, which ranges from regional specialties like kuih malaya, to exotic fruits like durian and jackfruit. Local specialties include roti john, ambuyat, satay, various grilled meats.

Before the market became its current form, vendors and customers maintained a night market for years. The Bruneian government launched an initiative to revamp the night market in the 2010s after seeing the need for improvement. The majority of vendor stalls were covered by tarps before the present building, but the ground and aisles were left open to the weather. Since the market's grand reopening in 2017, it has a solid floor and a roof over it all. Public sinks and other useful amenities were built in close proximity to vendors and lounging places. The market has remained the same despite a change in appearance. The same vendors, customers, and food selections are still available. The market retains a local character because foreigners are not frequently seen in Brunei. Also, there is no need to bring your bartering talents because the cost of food and drinks is set.

There are four extensive rows of vendor stalls dividing the market. A customer may view the entire market from any point in the layout because there are no significant impediments. The Gadong Night Market feels less congested and dirtier than the majority of other sizable night markets in East Asia as a result of the restoration. The market stalls are divided into sections for meals, snacks, fruits and vegetables, desserts, drinks, and occasionally one or two for apparel.