Sarawak Kuching - Chinese area Kuching is the capital of Sarawak state, Kuching means "cat". The legend tells that when the city was ceded by the Sultan of Brunei to the English adventurer James Brooke, he was impressed by the amount of cats that roamed. Several sculptures and statues adorn the city, and the fact is that in Kuching there is the only museum in the world totally dedicated to cats. The Chinese district, riverfront developed the river commerce, and boasts the most picturesque and oldest city.