Kampong Limau Manis
# Kampong Limau Manis

Kampong Limau Manis is a village in the south-west of Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The population was 1,097 in 2016. It is one of the villages within Mukim Pengkalan Batu, a mukim in the district. It is home to an important archaeological site in the country, dating back to the 10th century AD. Their primary economic activities were agriculture and collecting forest products.

## Name

Kampong Limau Manis is the Malay name which translates as "Limau Manis Village". The village is said to be named after a citrus tree grown at a riverbank in the village which was deemed special as it bore very sweet fruits, hence the name limau manis (lit. 'sweet citrus'). The riverbank then is said to have had a jetty (pangkalan) and the place was then named Pangkalan Limau Manis, and the village was eventually named after the jetty.

## Geography

Approximately 25 kilometers separate Bandar Seri Begawan from Kampong Limau Manis, which is part of Mukim Pengkalan Batu, despite the fact that, in accordance with earlier elders' accounts, Limau Manis was a mukim up to the early 1960s. The community is surrounded by hills: Bukit Basungan, Bukit Bandung, Bukit Kota, Bukit Gadong, and Ipai Limbang village. Bukit Kota is the tallest of them, standing at 133 meters (436 feet) above sea level. Kampong Kuala Lurah, Jalan Sekolah Limau Manis, and Jalan Junjongan are a few of the nearby communities.

## Demography

There were over 2,000 villagers in the village head Awang Haji Mohimin bin Haji Johari's care, and he has constructed about 220 homes. The Murut and Bisaya tribes, followed by the Kedayan tribe, were the Kampong Limau Manis' first occupants, according to historical sources. Various tribes now make up the population of this village, particularly the Brunei Malay, Dusun, Iban, Chinese, and Indian tribes that are involved in commerce.

## History

According to the local oral tradition, the area and its vicinity were once home to a non-Muslim indigenous people and in the 15th century ruled by a leader named Raja Lumbi. The oral tradition also mentioned of a fight between the said leader with his followers, and a group of Muslim inhabitants led by a Muslim missionary named Sharif Mohammad or Sharif Alwi. The present-day village is believed to have existed since 200–250 years ago. According to a 1906 document, the village was formerly part of the district of Limau Manis (also known as Ulu Brunei), one of the six districts of Brunei at the time, before being merged with other districts to become the present-day Brunei-Muara District.

The Kampong Limau Manis neighborhood was larger than it is today; it was formerly a part of Kampong Wasan (where the original boundary was Tajau River), of Kampong Batu Ampar (where one place was known as Durian Mahligai), and of Jalan Junjongan (where Mengatai River, now the settlement's origin, was Kampong Burung Pingai Air, now a part of Kampong Junjongan). Pengkalan Limau Manis is the main business center (pengalu) which functions as the ulu of Brunei River with the main connection through Limau Manis River to the Pusat Bandar.

## Archaeology

The village is home to Sungai Limau Manis archaeological site which has unearthed the largest and richest archeological finding in the country. It was discovered in 2002 and has unearthed Chinese ceramics artefacts, mainly dating back to the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties. The 100-acre (40 ha) site has since been gazetted under the 1967 Antiquities and Treasure Trove Act.

## Economy

In 2013, the 50 hectares (120 acres) Laila Rice Planting Project in the Bunga Cawan Rice Site area was implemented. The Limau Manis Village Consultative Council (MPK) rice plantation is located on the site of the Gazette of the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food (JPA) with an area of 50 hectares and is cultivated by 21 entrepreneurs. MPK Limau Manis registered with JPA at the beginning of October 2013 and started cleaning the fields until 9 November 2013 for which the Rice Planting Launch Ceremony was held on 11 November 2013. The monitoring of the status and development of the farm is held throughout the planting season until the production of the produce where before starting this project, new members and junior members of MPK Limau Manis have attended a basic course on rice cultivation management (RFFS) at JPA. The result of this Rice Farming School (SPP) has been able to contribute to the improvement of good rice management knowledge, besides the MPK Limau Manis has also successfully implemented an agricultural youth training program through a rice planting project at the Agricultural Development Area site. The rice yield from the MPK Limau Manis farm is estimated to be around 150 metric tons per year, which can certainly contribute to the country's total rice yield. This company will also be able to help farm operators increase their source of income.

## Infrastructure

The village primary school is Panglima Barudin Primary School.

Kampong Limau Manis Mosque is the village mosque; it was built in 1994 and can accommodate 1,200 worshippers.

The village is home to Pengkalan Batu Health Centre, the community health centre for the residents of Mukim Pengkalan Batu.

