Kota Kinabalu's iconic Gaya Street gets facelift

Kota Kinabalu City Hall personnel took some time off to pose for a group photo before the now-iconic spot among tourists in the city. – Photo: ANDYSTREETPHOTOGRAPHY

KOTA KINABALU: One of the city’s iconic spots has received a facelift, courtesy of the Kota Kinabalu City Hall’s (DBKK) Landscape Department, resulting in a fresher and cleaner appearance.

The facelift is part of the department’s continuous efforts to maintain and sustain Kota Kinabalu’s image as a green and liveable city.

According to a statement posted on DBKK’s Facebook page, the initiatives included removing wild vegetation growing on buildings along Gaya Street and maintaining the trees in Sinsuran.

The clean-up operation, which started on July 12, was conducted in conjunction with the Gaya Street Clean-Up Operation, organised by DBKK in collaboration with the vendors of the Api-Api Night Food Market.

“The latest phase of the operation focused on Gaya Street, particularly the Maybank building, which has recently drawn the attention of international tourists,” the statement read.

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A team of 10 personnel was involved in the exercise, which also included tree pruning around commercial premises in Sinsuran.

A street photographer known only as Andy captured a group photo of the DBKK team during a break, set against the now-famous backdrop.

The area gained popularity after photos were shared online, including on the China-based social media platform Xiaohongshu, also known as the “Chinese Instagram.”

Online forums like Reddit have speculated that the spot’s newfound fame might be linked to an unnamed celebrity who took a photo there.

DBKK remains committed to continuing its clean-up operations across the city, with plans to target areas frequently visited by tourists in the coming stages.