The town of Donggongon in Sabah can very well be the definition of the word contrast.
Located on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu, Donggongan is the administrative centre of Penampang district.
Here, Sabah’s longest mall is just across the road from a tamu or traditional farmers’ market.
While the latest handphones and electronic devices as well as a supermarket chain can be found at the Megalong mall, it is a different scene altogether at the tamu across the road.
As they have been doing for generations, rural folk living along the Crocker Range and other areas bring their produce to the tamu.
Local vegetables such as losun or wild spring onions, bambangan or wild mango, tuhau or wild ginger, timadang or tarap fruit and karok freshwater fish are just some of myriad of local produce sold at the tamu held every Thursday.
Also to be found there are gongs, sigup or local tobacco and delicacies such as kuih pajaram or fried pancakes and kuih terang bulan or peanut pancakes.
For those looking for a more exotic fare, butod or insect larvae found in the sago palm is also available at the tamu.
The tamu that attracts hundreds of people to Donggongon as early as 6am every Thursday causes the weekly traffic slowdown in the town.
Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Donggongon a town of contrasting scenes
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