# Tutong River

The Tutong River (Malay: Sungai Tutong) is a river in Tutong District, Brunei. It is the second longest of the four main rivers in the country.

## Etymology

The story revolves around the marriage of Si Tutong to a shark (ikan yu) and features two central characters: Si Tutong and his younger brother, whose name remains unknown. The two brothers lived along the Tutong River. One day, they set out to sea in a small boat to catch fish. Suddenly, their boat capsised, and they were rescued by a shark that happened to be nearby. The shark carried them to its underwater dwelling at the ocean floor. Upon arrival, they discovered that the sharks had transformed into human-like beings. These sharks only assumed their fish form when outside their underwater residence.
This transformation puzzled Si Tutong and his brother, who realised that the sharks that had rescued them were no ordinary creatures. The brothers were treated kindly and served a meal consisting of two options: fish and bananas. Each of them chose a different dish—Si Tutong selected bananas, while his brother chose fish. Since the younger brother had eaten fish, the sharks considered him an enemy, accusing him of consuming their kind. As a result, the sharks devoured Si Tutong's brother in retaliation.
Among the two brothers, Si Tutong stood out as a virtuous person who showed respect towards the sharks. Consequently, he was married to one of the sharks. According to the tale, Si Tutong lived with the sharks for some time and even had children with his shark wife. After a while, he sought permission to return to his home on land. Leaving his wife and children in the sea, Si Tutong returned to his village and never visited them again. However, they promised to assist Si Tutong's descendants whenever they needed help, especially when facing threats or attacks from crocodiles in rivers or seas.
To honour the contributions of Si Tutong's family who lived in the river, the community agreed to name the river after him—Sungai Tutong. It is a common tradition among communities to name places after significant events, people, animals, plants, fruits, or other notable occurrences. In the context of the origin of the name "Tutong," there are two interconnected elements: the tale of Si Tutong's marriage to a shark and the use of his name to commemorate the event.

## Sites

Tutong Town is one of the largest human settlements in the district in which the river passes through, and it has a small commercial jetty used by locals. At the mouth of the river, it links up with Sungai Danau which also has its own former jetty in Kampong Danau. Several more kampongs such as Lubok Pulau, Nyanyag, Tanjong Maya, Layong, and Rambai also lie upstream of the river.
Some of Brunei's historical sites are located along the river banks, including:
* Kuala Tutong old ferry jetty, used significantly especially in the 1950s, to get across from Danau to Tutong.
* Kuala Tutong Mosque, built in 1993.
* Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque, built in 1966.
* Istana Pantai, an istana built in 1950.
The Jambatan Lama (Old Bridge) was built around 1950. It connects Kampong Serambangun and Kampong Sengkarai, across the Tutong River. The entire structure is made of steel and concrete, with a length of 600 feet and a width of 50 feet. This bridge was constructed to serve as a road link between the Brunei and Brunei–Muara District, Tutong District, and Belait District, replacing the Jambatan Feri (Ferry Bridge).