HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN ASIA ( MOUNT KINABALU )

MOUNT KINABALU 

  

  

Mount Kinabalu is the most dramatic feature in Sabah and the tallest peak between the Himalayas & the New Guinea. Towering at 4,095 metres (13,435 feet), Mount Kinabalu exerts a magical quality that is both indescribable and unbelievable. The granite peaks are constantly veiled in wisps of clouds which sometimes resemble a graceful woman peeping coyly from behind the veil. At times during a clear day, the summit reveals a distinct glacier carved pinnacles, rising from the smooth granite dome, exuberating tranquility and peacefulness.
The mountain itself represents one of the world’s youngest batholiths: an old magna chamber that was forced through the earth’s crust. Though young, it is the central focus of Kinabalu Park and the legends of the KadasanDusun people, Sabah’s largest ethnic group. The KadasanDunsun believe that the mountain is the sacred resting ground of the spirits of their ancestors

There are many folklores and fables that tell stories of how Kinabalu got its name. The local KadazanDusun people believe that the word is derived from “Aki Nabalu”, which translates into “revered place of the dead”. The mysterious KadazanDusun tribe believes that spirits dwell on the mountain top. According to another popular folklore, the name Kinabalu actually meant “Cina Balu”. “Cina Balu” translates into “chinese widow”. Legend tells a story of a Chinese prince who ascends from the mountain in search of a huge pearl guarded by a ferocious dragon. He married a Kadazan woman upon his successful conquest, whom he soon abandoned for return to China. His heartbroken wife wandered into the mountains to mourn whereby eventually she turned into stone.

On the rainforest-clad island of Borneo lies Kinabalu Park, Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO. Kinabalu Park was established in 1964 to protect Mount Kinabalu and its plant and animal life. The biggest attraction in Kinabalu Park would be Mount Kinabalu, one of the world’s most prominent mountains, and the Mount Kinabalu Botanical Garden. Kinabalu Park is a scenic 2-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah. The Park covers an area of 754 square kilometers (291 square mile), has four climatic zones and also one of the richest collections of flora and fauna in the world.