Labuan Chimney Museum: Where History Puffs Out Its Secrets 🚂🧱

#kotakinabalutrip Standing at the foot of the mysterious **red-brick chimney**, I half-expected Mary Poppins to come floating down. But this isn’t London—it’s **Labuan’s** most intriguing landmark, a 106-foot enigma that’s been baffling visitors since 1890. Is it a chimney? A lighthouse? A secret spy tower? (Spoiler: The answer’s weirder than fiction.) **The "Wait… What?" Moment** The museum guard whispered: *“This thing never smoked—not even once.”* Cue my existential crisis—*what’s the point of a chimney that doesn’t chimney?!* Turns out, it’s likely a **ventilation shaft** for an underground coal mine. Mind = blown. 💥 **Sensory Time Warp** - **Touch:** The bumpy **British bricks** (each stamped “LONDON”—fancy!) - **Sound:** The eerie *whoosh* of wind through the hollow tower (ghosts of coal miners? Probably just pigeons.) - **Smell:** Earthy dampness from the **secret tunnel** (now sealed) that supposedly led to the sea **Hidden Gem** Behind the museum, hunt for the **abandoned railway tracks**—only 20 feet remain, swallowed by jungle. Perfect for: ✓ Dramatic “last train to nowhere” photos ✓ Pretending you’re in an Indiana Jones sequel **Creepy/Cool Artifact** The **“Devil’s Coin”**—a 1900s mining token with a horned figure. Workers believed finding one meant death was coming. (It’s now safely behind glass, but still… *shivers.*) **Local Legend** Old-timers swear the chimney **glows red** every anniversary of a 1945 Japanese soldier’s suicide here. (I visited at dusk. Can confirm: it was just sunset. Probably.) **Pro Exploration Plan** ⏰ **3:00 PM:** Arrive (avoid the noon furnace heat) 🧭 **Do the clockwise walk:** Start at museum → chimney base → railway relic → beach viewpoint 📸 **Best photo spot:** Lie on the grass shooting upward—the spiral brick pattern is trippy! **Why You’ll Love It** This isn’t just a tower—it’s a **Victorian mystery** wearing a tropical jungle skirt. And that sealed tunnel? Labuan’s biggest “what if…” **#chimneychronicles #labuanlore** Who’s ready to solve history’s quirkiest cold case? 🔍🕵️♂️ **P.S.** The gift shop sells **mini brick keychains**—because nothing says “souvenir” like carrying chimney rubble in your pocket. 🧱💼