Padungan
Government
The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) headquarters is located there.
The state constituency represented in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly is Padungan (state constituency). The elections were heavily contested in 1983,{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=oB9qDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT110&dq=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL_rL3y-SJAxXgkokEHUDmL9EQ6AF6BAgKEAM#v=onepage&q=%22Padungan%22%20-wikipedia&f=false|title= Domination and Contestation|first=Faisal |last=Hazis |year=2003|isbn= 9789814515528|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies}} and 1991.{{cite book|pages=11, 244, 259|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wqyJAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&dq=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj0tsG33eSJAxXZvokEHaiuMtY4ChDoAXoECAUQAw#%22Padungan%22%20-wikipedia|title= Chinese Politics in Sarawak: A Study of the Sarawak United People's Party|first=Ung-Ho |last=Chin |year=1996|isbn= 9789835600074}}
Businesses
A number of civic associations have had headquarters in Padungan for the past 90 years,{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WPAzzz01tVEC&pg=RA7-PA167&dq=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL_rL3y-SJAxXgkokEHUDmL9EQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q=%22Padungan%22%20-wikipedia&f=false|title= The Sarawak Government Gazette|publisher=Sarawak |year= 1933}} with many businesses having offices there.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mTWCGPwuPqIC&q=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&dq=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL_rL3y-SJAxXgkokEHUDmL9EQ6AF6BAgOEAM#%22Padungan%22%20-wikipedia|title= The Sarawak Government Gazette|volume=44|pages=82, 135, 895|publisher=Sarawak |year=1989}} An “industrial estate” and a housing estate were built in the area in 1959.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=D7FaiV34nr0C&pg=RA1-PA45&dq=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL_rL3y-SJAxXgkokEHUDmL9EQ6AF6BAgJEAM#v=onepage&q=%22Padungan%22%20-wikipedia&f=false|page=45|title=Sarawak|publisher=Great Britain. Colonial Office |year=1959}} In the 1960s, the area became industrial.{{cite journal|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0qK7mMe0uPoC&pg=RA11-PA29&dq=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL_rL3y-SJAxXgkokEHUDmL9EQ6AF6BAgNEAM#v=onepage&q=%22Padungan%22%20-wikipedia&f=false|title=Sales Leads for Exporters |journal=International Commerce|volume=73|year=1967}}
There are a variety of banks, travel agencies, currency exchanges, and related institutions in the neighboring area, and even right on the high street, in the 21st century.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=I52jB28QKokC&pg=PA413&dq=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL_rL3y-SJAxXgkokEHUDmL9EQ6AF6BAgLEAM#v=onepage&q=%22Padungan%22%20-wikipedia&f=false|pages=411-416|title=Let's Go Southeast Asia 9th Edition|first=Deysia L. |last=Dundas|publisher=Let's Go Inc. (imprint of St. Martin’s Press) |year=2004|isbn= 9780312335670}}
A significant new ecologically friendly hotel has opened, the Roxy Pandungan Hotel.{{cite book|page=320|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BHO2EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA320&dq=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj0tsG33eSJAxXZvokEHaiuMtY4ChDoAXoECAcQAw#v=onepage&q=%22Padungan%22%20-wikipedia&f=false|title=A Sustainable Green Future: Perspectives on Energy, Economy, Industry, Cities and Environment|isbn=9783031249426 |publisher=Springer International |year=2023}}
Amenities and tourism
Tourism in Malaysia has boomed in the 21st century, especially to the islands, including to Kuching.{{cite book|publisher=Lonely Planet|title=Lonely Planet Best of Malaysia & Singapore: Top Sights, Authentic Experiences |first=Simon |last=Richmond |pages=7-15|year=2019|isbn=9781786574961}} Hotels are being built in the Padungan area.
Padungan became a budget tourism destination for inexpensive food and hostels, as well as its central location in Kuching. In 2014, Rough Guides featured the Nomad hostel and restaurants in the Topspot food court and Pinoy restaurant (serving Philippines cuisine) on Jalan Padungan, the main or high street of the neighborhood.{{cite book| title=The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia On A Budget|publisher=Rough Guides |pages=476-481 |year=2014|isbn=9781409345596}} Nightlife and cafe culture has arrived in recent years, as of 2012, pushing aside the traditional karaoke culture.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=DCDkRTYwN5AC&pg=PA256&dq=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL_rL3y-SJAxXgkokEHUDmL9EQ6AF6BAgIEAM#v=onepage&q=%22Padungan%22%20-wikipedia&f=false|page=256|title=Borneo: Sabah - Brunei - Sarawak|first=Tamara |last=Thiessen |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|isbn= 9781841623900 |year= 2012}} A variety of businesses that cater to tourists have been operating in the area, including currency exchanges, dining options, and cyber cafes.
At both the western and eastern sides of Jalan Padungan are “kitschy” monuments to cats; the city’s name is a homophone of “cat” in the local
language.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=V064DAAAQBAJ&pg=PT713&dq=%22Padungan%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL_rL3y-SJAxXgkokEHUDmL9EQ6AF6BAgPEAM#v=onepage&q=%22Padungan%22%20-wikipedia&f=false|year=2016|title=Lonely Planet Malaysia Singapore & Brunei|first1=Isabel |last1=Albiston|first2=Brett |last2=Atkinson|first3=Greg |last3=Benchwick|isbn= 9781760341626}}