The Rungus are an ethnic group living in northern Sabah in the area around Kudat. They are a subgroup of the Kadazan-Dusun with an own language and a distinct cultural heritage. The isolation from mainstream Malaysia has allowed them to preserve their culture and traditions better than other ethnic groups in Borneo. The Rungus live in longhouses which are quite different from other longhouses in Borneo. Rungus longhouses are built with bamboo and wood with a pentagonal profile, on stilts which are shorter than those of longhouses of other ethnic groups. The Bavanggazo longhouse is located 41km south of Kudat and 98km north of Kota Kinabalu. It is a big, very well preserved longhouse built with traditional materials. Actually Bavanggazo is a settlement of several Rungus longhouses. Tourists can stay overnight, for instance by booking a package with a travel agency.
01 Lateral view of the Bavanggazo longhouse 02 Bavanggazo Rungus longhouse
03 Rungus longhouse and coconut trees 04 Rungus longhouse and coconut trees 05 Rungus longhouse 06 Southern side of the Bavanggazo longhouse 07 Bavanggazo Rungus longhouse
08 Rungus longhouse and coconut trees 09 Lateral view of the Bavanggazo longhouse 10 Wooden tower 11 Wooden tower 12 Rungus longhouse
13 Rungus longhouse 14 Wooden stilts 15 Souvenir shop 16 Rungus longhouse
17 Rungus longhouse 18 Roof and wooden wall 19 Longhouse detail 20 Rungus longhouse
21 Rungus longhouse 22 Rungus longhouse on stilts 01 Inside the Rungus longhouse 02 Inside the Rungus longhouse 03 Common hall
04 Common hall 05 Common hall 06 Hall with bowl gong instruments 07 Hall with bowl gong instruments 08 Covered passage
09 Passageway 10 Passageway 11 Common area inside the longhouse 12 Living quarters 13 Bamboo floor
14 Living quarters 15 Handicrafts 16 Bead jewelry for sale 17 Colourful scarves
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