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The Chinese migration into Sarawak began under the British rule, when James Brooke, the British Resident of the time, brought in labourers from China to work tin mines here.

Over the years, the Chinese moved on, venturing into trade and industry, with their natural skills for business.

Today, the Chinese form about 29% of the total population of Sarawak. The Chinese in Sarawak speaks a variety of dialects including Hokkien, Mandarin, Foochow, Hakka, Teochew, Cantonese and Henghua.

Most of the Chinese populations in Sarawak live in cities. A majority of Chinese are Buddhists, although a number of them have adopted Christianity. However, most of them still adhere to taboos and beliefs traditionally held in the Chinese culture.

Some of the favourite pastimes for the Chinese are mahjong, Chinese card playing, Chinese Chess, Chinese checkers and Ping Pong.