 Brunei Water Village, Kampong Ayer, or the water village, is an area of Brunei's capital city, Badar Seri Begawan. That is situated over Brunei Bay. 39,000 people live in the water village. This represents roughly 10% of the nation's total population. All of the water village buildings are constructed on stilts above the Brunei River. As part of His Majesty's plans to improve the standard of living of the population in Kampong Ayer, King Hassanal Bolkya decreed to build modern two-story stilt houses made of concrete in the center of Kampong Ayer, starting around 2013 to 2014. These houses would be given to people in need of a new house not wishing to live on land. Built entirely of stilt houses, the wooden walkways, this cluster of 42 villages housing more than 30,000 inhabitants, is the world's largest water village. The water village is really made up of small villages, linked together by more than 29,114 meters of foot bridges, consisting of over 4,200 structures including homes, mosques, restaurants, shops, schools, and a hospital. 36 kilometers of boardwalks connect the buildings. Private water taxis provide rapid transit. Most of these taxis resemble long wooden speedboats. It actually enjoys modern amenities including air conditioning, satellite television, internet access, plumbing, and electricity. Some of the residents keep potted plants and chickens. The district has a unique architectural heritage of wooden homes with ornate interiors. People have lived in Kampong Ayer for over 1,300 years. It has been dubbed Venice of the East when the fleet of Erdine and Magellan visited in 1521. The district is a culturally important part of Brunei that preserves the nation's river dwelling origins. It has been said that this is the largest and the most famous water settlement of Southeast Asia. It was historically the very core of Brunei and one of the most important centers of trade in Borneo. In order to preserve Kampong Ayer as Brunei Jerusalem's most valuable heritage, the government through the district office has provided it with numerous facilities including footbridges, concrete jetties, piped water, electricity supplies, telephones, a school, mosque, clinics, a police station, and a marine fire station. All of the six water village mukhims are collectively known as the water village Kampong Ayer. But are identified as separate mukhims for administrative purposes. Visitors can have a personal experience of this heritage by taking one of the many water taxis that ply daily between the water taxi jetty in front of Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkya in the center of town and the water village itself.