One limestone ridge above town holds a 30-metre oil derrick from 1910, a petroleum museum that charges nothing at the door, an 18-metre MIRI sign and a web of forest trails.
Canada Hill Miri is where Malaysia’s oil industry began, and it is one of the most popular places in the city to watch the sun go down over the South China Sea. We walked up Jalan Oil Well No. 1 from the town centre, and the coast opens out below you well before you reach the top.
This guide covers the history, the eight best things to do on the hill, sunset times, museum hours and how to get there.
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Bukit Kanada Miri
Canada Hill is a ridge running from the Tanjong Lobang cliffs to Pujut Corner. It divides Miri’s seafront from the inland districts behind it. Most visitors mean only its summit, where the Grand Old Lady derrick and the Petroleum Museum stand side by side, about 3 km by road from downtown.
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Locals first called the hill Bukit Telaga Minyak, which means Oil Well Hill. The Sarawak Museum Department now uses Bukit Tenaga, or Power Hill, and older references use Bukit Kanada. Canada Hill is the name that stuck.
The hilltop grounds, the derrick and the MIRI sign are open around the clock. The Petroleum Museum keeps its own hours, listed in full at the end of this guide.
History of Canada Hill Miri, Sarawak
Canada Hill Miri is known as the birthplace of Malaysia’s oil industry. Miri Oil Well No. 1, nicknamed the Grand Old Lady, struck oil on its summit on 22 December 1910 and kept producing until 1972.
Today the hill pairs that history with a free Petroleum Museum and wide views over Miri and the South China Sea.
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Eighteen Hand-Dug Wells in 1882
Long before any derrick went up, people around Miri drew oil from hand-dug wells. They used this minyak tanah, or earth oil, to light lamps, waterproof boats and treat illness.
In 1882 Claude Champion de Crespigny, a Brooke government officer, recorded 18 of these wells near the mouth of the Miri River and recommended the district be surveyed. Nobody acted on it.
Charles Hose and the Oil Seep Map
His successor, Charles Hose, picked up the idea. He mapped around 30 oil seeps in and around Miri and took the map and samples to an oil company in London. Rajah Charles Brooke signed the first Sarawak Oil Mining Lease in 1909.
The Canadian Behind the Name
The well was erected by a Canadian named McAlpine, who completed the wooden derrick on 10 August 1910 for Sarawak Oilfields Ltd, a Shell subsidiary.
The crew drilled with the cable tool method, the only technique available at the time, and needed several months to reach oil. The hill was named Canada Hill in his honour.
8 Best Things to Do at Canada Hill Miri
See the Grand Old Lady, Miri Oil Well No. 1
The 30-metre derrick is the reason most people come up here. Over six decades the well produced roughly 660,000 barrels of oil. When it closed in 1972 it was managing about seven barrels a day.
In total, 624 wells were drilled across the wider Miri field, which is still the only onshore oilfield Sarawak has had. The Sarawak state government has declared the well a protected historical monument.
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Explore the Petroleum Museum for Free
The Petroleum Museum was built with backing from Petronas and Shell Malaysia. It broke ground on 25 April 2003 and opened on 20 May 2005, inaugurated by then Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Entry is free.
Inside you will find a scaled oil platform, early extraction tools and an earthquake simulator, the exhibit visitors talk about most. Recent reviews note that some screens and displays are showing their age. Go for the history and the context, not polish, and plan on about an hour inside.
Find the Nodding Donkey and the Outdoor Timeline
In front of the museum, the derrick and a nodding donkey anchor an outdoor timeline of Sarawak’s oil history. The nodding donkey is the rocking pumpjack that once pulled crude to the surface.
This open-air display is the fastest way to follow Miri’s change from fishing village to oil town without stepping indoors.
Find the Time Capsule
The museum opened on the same day Miri was declared a city. That made Miri Malaysia’s 10th city and the first that was not a state capital.
To mark 20 May 2005, a time capsule was buried at the museum holding a newspaper article from that day and a commemorative book. It is due to be opened on 20 May 2105. Miri still celebrates City Day every 20 May.
Photograph the Giant MIRI Sign
Miri City Council opened the all-white MIRI sign in July 2022, a short walk from the derrick. It is 37 metres long and 18 metres high and faces the South China Sea.
At 18 metres tall it beats the Hollywood sign, so getting all four letters into one frame takes some backing up. Both the sign and the Grand Old Lady are wheelchair accessible.
Explore Canada Hill Hiking Trail Map
The ridge is laced with numbered forest trails that Miri’s runners and walkers use daily. The most popular on AllTrails, Canada Hill Trail 10/21, is a 3.1 km loop rated easy that takes just under an hour.
Tougher loops climb steeper, muddier ground, with knotted ropes fixed on the hardest pitches. Another route starts at a Buddhist temple and winds up to the summit. Bring insect repellent, proper shoes and plenty of water.
Detour to Kampung Haji Wahed
Kampung Haji Wahed is a Kedayan village on the hill where old wooden houses stand beside newer homes. It is about five minutes by car from the museum.
A homestay on Jalan Kampung Haji Wahid offers overnight stays with views across the city. This is a residential village, so keep voices down and ask before photographing anyone.
Watch the Canada Hill Miri Sunset
The car park behind the museum is the best lookout on the hill. From there you can see the town, the stretch of coast towards the Miri-Brunei border, and the offshore rigs and supply vessels on the horizon. Arrive 30 minutes before sunset to claim a spot along the edge. Stay after dark for the city lights.
What Time Is Sunset at Canada Hill Miri?
Sunset at Canada Hill Miri falls between roughly 6.15pm and 6.40pm, depending on the month, with the latest sunsets in July.
Miri stays on Malaysia Time all year, so the window barely moves. Reach the top by 6pm to catch the full colour change over the South China Sea.
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Sunrise at Canada Hill
Sunrise comes between about 6.10am and 6.40am. The earliest sunrise of 2026 is on 24 October at 6.09am, and the latest falls in early February at around 6.40am.
Best Time to Visit
Day length in Miri changes by less than half an hour across the year, so any month works. Morning visits have the extra advantage of cooler air on the trails.
How to Get to Canada Hill Miri
Canada Hill Miri is about 2 km from the town centre. You can walk up Jalan Oil Well No. 1 in around 20 to 30 minutes, take a Grab or taxi for roughly RM7, or drive up and park behind the museum. All three routes bring you out beside the Grand Old Lady.
Walking Up Jalan Oil Well No. 1
The road climbs steadily, with a few steep sections near the top. The walk costs nothing and burns no fuel, and on a hill that made its name from oil, that small irony is hard to miss. Set off early morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat.
Grab or Taxi
Recent visitors report paying around RM7 for a Grab from the city centre. Taxis are also available around Jalan Setia Raja.
Driving and Parking
A paved road leads to the summit, and the car park behind the museum has plenty of space outside peak sunset hours.
Is Canada Hill Miri Worth Visiting?
Yes. Canada Hill Miri is worth visiting for the views alone. The free Petroleum Museum, the Grand Old Lady and the MIRI sign also make it the most complete introduction to Miri’s history in a single stop. Allow two to three hours to see everything, or one hour if you are only coming for sunset.
The hill suits history lovers, anyone curious about how oil shaped Borneo, trail runners, photographers chasing evening light, and families with children who want a turn on the earthquake simulator.
Miri Petroleum Museum Opening Hours
The museum is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.45pm. On Saturday, Sunday and public holidays it opens 10am to 4pm. Some visitors report a Friday prayer break from 11.45am to 2.15pm, so plan Friday visits for the morning or mid-afternoon.
The museum closes on the Birthday of the TYT of Sarawak, 10 October 2026, and on Christmas Day, 25 December 2026. Check the Sarawak Museum Department page before visiting on any public holiday.
Entrance Fees
Admission is free. The museum asks visitors to wear modest clothing.
Contact Information
- Address: Petroleum Museum, Jalan Oil Well No. 1, Canada Hill, 98000 Miri, Sarawak
- Contact number: +6082 548181
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