Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown: A Draw With Tourists
Many large cities in the world have a Chinatown, which is a section of the city dominated by Chinese culture. Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown, however, is unique in that Malay and Indian influences have added more color to the district. Visitors can browse inside a Chinese medical hall, walk across the street to admire the magnificent statues inside the Sri Mahamariman Temple, and stop by the nearby Central Market to enjoy Malay nasi campur or shop for handicrafts such as tekat and songket. Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown is a melting pot of cultures and testament to the tolerance and warmth of its people.
This colorful network of streets and alleyways is roughly bounded by Jalan Tun HS Lee, Jalan Sultan, and Jalan Cheng Lock. A hodgepodge of neoclassical shops, modern shopping complexes, fan-ventilated cafes and shops selling a myriad of goods ranging from salted fish, herbal medicines, Buddhist figurines and funerary paraphernalia make for interesting browsing. Chinatown’s character changes throughout the day. In the morning, office workers munch on dim sum in restaurants and housewives jostle each other in a wet market; in the late afternoon, the stalls begin to open their doors, and at night, there are all kinds of lively activities: smells of cooking food wafting through the air, hoarse shouts from fruit merchants, haggling by customers and waiters compliment passers-by.
The establishment of this district is inextricably linked to the founding of the city in 1857. Raja Abdullah, the Malay chieftain of Klang, instructed a group of Chinese prospectors to search for tin in the area, who landed on the east bank of the Klang River. near its confluence with the Gombak River. They established tin mines at Ampang, which attracted hordes of Chinese immigrants who settled on the eastern bank of the Klang River. The Malays settled mainly in the north, through Jalan Tun Perak.
In 1868, when Yap Ah Loy became Kapitan Cina (Chinese chief) of Kuala Lumpur, he set up his house, opium dens, and gambling sheds at Lebuh Pasar Besar, near today’s Central Market. Under his leadership, the settlement developed rapidly. In 1882, Sri Frank Swettenham, the British Resident ordered the sheds to be demolished and moved to the south, leading to Chinatown’s gradual change to its present concentration. Along the old High Street (now Jalan Tun HS Lee), the shops, especially numbers 34 to 40, are original buildings from 1880. Today, an Art Deco clock tower stands in Lebuh Pasar Besar. It was erected in 1937 to commemorate the coronation of King George VI.
If you can stand the smell of fish and poultry, visit Wet Market on Jalan Petaling, which has been in business since 1914. Panting fish writhe on concrete slabs, chickens are crammed into cages, pig’s trotters dangle from hooks. and piles of vegetables lie invitingly in baskets. The entrance to the wet market is on Jalan Hang Lekir, a street with an unsavory past, as it had 39 registered brothels in 1890. For the best sight and smell, wander the five-foot paths of shops on Jalan Hang Kasturi. In front of the Central Market. Witness Chinese pottery and a potpourri of vinaigrette products like century-old eggs, salted vegetables, sea cucumbers, bottles of soybean paste, and salted fish.
A visit to Chinatown would not be complete without a visit to its tea houses. Customers select a type of tea that is brought by a waitress along with a tea set consisting of a burner, teapot, miniature cups, a wooden spatula to stir the tea, and a small spoon to remove the dross. The waitress explains and demonstrates the entire tea making process. The guests then have the privilege of repeating the tea preparation ritual.
Historical sights are plentiful. On Jalan Tun HS Lee (formerly known as High Street), the Kwang Siew Association was completed in 1888. The roofs and eaves of its temples are adorned with stone dragons and mythical creatures, while two granite lions guard its entrance. Sin Sze Su Ya Temple, built in 1864, is now hidden behind modern buildings. Continuing south will take you to the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple with its magnificent goporam (entrance tower). Built in 1873, this temple is arguably the most important in the city, as the annual Thaipusam pilgrimage to the Batu Caves begins from here. Another interesting temple is the 1906 Chan See Shu Shu Temple, which is located at the southern end of Jalan Petaling. Its eaves and walls are decorated with colorful terracotta figures.
At Jalan Tun HS Lee, the sloped roof of the Old Victoria Institution peers through the foliage of the angsana trees. Resembling an English country house and made of wood and brick, it was designed by AC Norman. In 1911, the bungalow on its grounds was the scene of a murder. On April 23, 1911, Mrs. Ethel Proudlock, the acting manager’s wife, fired six shots at William Steward, a European planter, killing him. Following her trail, Mrs Proudlock claimed that she shot Steward in self-defense as the latter had attempted to rape her. However, she was convicted of her crime when witnesses proved that one day before the murder she had met Steward at the Selangor Club. The English writer Somerset Maugham immortalized this crime of passion in a short story that was later made into a film entitled “The Letter.”
The modern face of Chinatown shopping can be found at Uda-Ocean and Plaza Warisan, as well as Kota Raya and Sinar Kota on the fringes of the district. A large selection of local handicrafts is sold in the Central Market. Batik, songket, kris (Malay dagger), wood carvings and wau bulan (moon kites) are the popular items purchased by visitors. You can have your portrait drawn by artists or have palmists and astrologers predict your future. At night, Jalan Petaling (Petaling Street) comes to life under its perplexing multi-tiered roof. Stroll along its brick floor past dozens of stalls selling handbags, sunglasses, CDs, VCDs, watches, perfumes, and clothing.
Eating is the number one pastime for Malaysians and there is plenty of Chinese food to savor in Chinatown. The Grand Chinatown Restaurant, Tang City Food Court and Restoran Chinatown are packed with stalls selling noodles, hotpot, roast duck, grilled fish and “dragon eye” water.
Chinatown has many cheap hotels. For more exclusive places to stay, try the Mandarin Pacific Hotel, Furama Hotel, Malaya Hotel, and Swiss Inn, to name just a few. A wealth of experiences awaits the traveler in Chinatown. Make sure it’s on your itinerary when you’re in Kuala Lumpur.