In 1841, Kuching became the capital of the Kingdom of Sarawak after the territory in the area was ceded to James Brooke for helping the Bruneian Empire in crushing a rebellion particularly by the interior Borneo-dwelling Land Dayak people who later became his loyal followers after most of them were pardoned by him and joined his side.

The town continued to receive attention and development during the rule of Charles Brooke such as the construction of a sanitation system, hospital, prison, fort, and a bazaar.

The Japanese government set up a Batu Lintang camp near Kuching to hold prisoners of war and civilian internees.

Since then, Kuching has been divided into two administrative regions managed by two separate local authorities Mohd Azri Bin Subohi.

[16] Despite this etymological discrepancy, Sarawakians have adopted the animal as a symbol of their city, and it features in statues as well as the municipal council's coat of arms - an example of heraldic canting.

A well situated in the present day China Street in Main Bazaar helped to combat the disease by providing clean water supply.

[21] The founding of Kuching was spurred by the discovery of antimony ore at the upper Sarawak river in 1924, which was in high demand in the market of nearby Singapore.

[22] A Dutch report mentioned that there lived about a hundred Malays and three houses of Chinese in the area shortly before the founding of Kuching.

Neither side could gain an edge over the other until 1840 when Pengiran Raja Muda Hashim, the Bruneian Prime Minister, offered to hand over the governorship of Sarawak to British adventurer James Brooke to acquire his help to defeat the rebel chiefs.

[22] Pengiran Raja Muda Hashim later ceded the territory to James Brooke as a reward for helping him to counter the rebellion.

[15] Charles Brooke's wife, in her memoir (My Life in Sarawak), included this description of Kuching: The little town looked so neat and fresh and prosperous under the careful jurisdiction of the Rajah and his officers, that it reminded me of a box of painted toys kept scrupulously clean by a child.

The Bazaar runs for some distance along the banks of river, and this quarter of the town is inhabited almost entirely by Chinese traders, with the exception of one or two Hindoo shops....Groceries of exotic kinds are laid out on tables near the pavement, from which the purchasers make their choice.

At the Hindoo shops you can buy silks from India, sarongs from Java, tea from China and tiles and porcelain from all parts of the world, laid out in picturesque confusion, and overflowing into the street.

[30][31][32] From March 1942, the Japanese operated the Batu Lintang camp, for POWs and civilian internees, 5 km (3.1 mi) outside Kuching.

[58][59] Since the British period, a small population of South Asians—notably, Pakistanis—have lived in the city, their livelihoods primarily the selling of clothing and spices.

[67] A number of speciality and private schools provide English as a medium of instruction (primarily for wealthy and/or expatriate children), among other foreign language courses which can be found through the city.

[70] Kuching has hosted numerous national, regional and international conferences, congresses and trade fairs, such as the Malaysia Global Business Forum,[72] Tomorrow's Leaders Summit,[73] International Hydropower Association (IHA) World Congress,[74] ASEAN Tourism Forum,[75] and Routes Asia Conference.

As Kuching is located near the equator, potholes have the tendency to develop on the roads during the monsoon season, usually at the end of the year, due to coinciding with winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

Between the banks of the Sarawak River, near the city centre, many 'tambang' (traditional roofed wooden sampan) can be seen carrying passengers from one riverbank to another.

The International College of Advanced Technology Sarawak or ICATS is an institution created as the state government's initiative to enhance technical and vocational training education among school leavers.

[123] Operated by a state-owned subsidiary, ICATS focuses on producing human capital for the hi-tech sector, especially for the development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy.

Interesting historical landmarks and sites of Kuching include The Astana (the former palace of the White Rajahs and currently the official residence of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak), and Fort Margherita.

[139] It covers a total area of approximately 19,400 hectares (47,938 acres), and comprises all lands below the high tide marks on the respective islands.

[140] Damai, one of Sarawak's main beach resort area, is located on the Santubong Peninsula, about 35 minutes drive from Kuching.

[142] Each resort has their own private beach, swimming pool and offers jet-skiing, waterskiing, windsurfing, mountain biking, tennis, squash and fitness centres.

[142] Aside from that, Damai is also one of the places in Sarawak to see the Irrawaddy dolphin as the mammals can be spotted along the Salak River, Santubong estuary and at the Bako-Buntal Bay.

[153] Designed by Sydney architects,[153] the waterfront landscaped is served with food stalls, restaurants, benches and offers an excellent views of the Astana, Fort Margherita, and the New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building.

This latest mural is painted in Zacharevic's usual interactive style, with an actual wheelbarrow sliced into half and secured to the wall to enable the public to take selfies while holding onto the handle.

A varieties of vegetables and fruits can be found there including other handicrafts, forest produce (such as wild honey), orchid plants, and a whole range of local snacks and delicacies.

Several countries have set up their consulates in Kuching, including Australia,[163] Brunei,[164] China,[165] Denmark,[166] France,[167] Indonesia,[168] Poland[169] and the United Kingdom.