I am not sure when my hometown becomes a famous tourist hotspot that we could google for numbers of travel guide online. However, locals write none of those articles. Beaufort is far more interesting than you could think of.
1. The only Malaysian district named after French
There are a few Malaysian districts named after European languages, e.g. Cameron Highland and Port Dickson. Among them, Beaufort is the only district with French name. Beaufort is named after the governor of North Borneo Chartered Company, Leicester Paul Beaufort.
L.P Beaufort is the grandson of two prominent grandfathers. His paternal grandfather is the creator of the Beaufort Scale for indicating wind force, Rear Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort. His maternal grandfather is the former governor of Hong Kong, Sir John Davis.
2. Venice of the East: Elevated shops and houses design
Known for its annual flooding, this so-called “Venice of the East” is characterized by its shops built off the ground——excerpt from Sabah tourism.
The frequency of flooding is comparable to Sibu, Sarawak. To the best of my knowledge, Beaufort is the only Malaysian town having such an elevated design about a metre off from the ground. It is a brilliant idea developed during colonial period, which have been adapting in any new commercial and residential buildings.
Unfortunately, fires had destroyed rows of the oldest elevated wooden shop houses in recent two decades. The remaining one is still standing firmly near the Shell petrol station. Kampung Cina (where my house is), the Chinese settlement village located at the town centre, is a unique landscape comprised of plenty of elevated wooden bungalows. You can find wooden boats (Sampan), the second transportation vehicles after motor cars, hidden beneath those wooden buildings! In fact, those landmarks should be recognized as the historical sites.
Jia Han's site 