Bustling Capital of Malaysia
Garland Seller.
We go to Kuala Lumpur a lot. Our most recent visit was Christmas 2018. I suppose it was our sixth visit. I know our first was on a free stopover on Malaysian Airlines from England. That trip involved a free sightseeing tour around Kuala Lumpur and to the Batu Caves.
History of Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur lies at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers. Its name means muddy confluence. Kuala Lumpur was first settled in 1857 by Chinese tin prospectors. It started life as a rowdy wild west sort of town. In 1881 the centre of government was moved from Klang to Kuala Lumpur and in 1896 KL became the capital of the Federated Malay States. The Japanese overran Malaysia during World War II. After the war in 1957 Malaysia's independence from Britain was declared in Merdeka Square. Since then Kuala Lumpur has continued to develop rapidly.
KL Sights
The main sights in KL are: the old colonial style buildings around Merdeka Square, mosques, Chinese temples, Little India, Chinatown, the old Malay area of Kampung Baru and the beautiful and extensive Lake Gardens.
The Lake Gardens are close to central KL and are a peaceful spot to escape the bustle of the city. The gardens occupy 92 hectares. We went round on foot, but this was tiring in the heat. There is also a shuttle for getting round. If you do walk, wear a sun hat, sun screen and bring plenty of water with you. The gardens most famous site is the Bird Park. Open 9am to 7.30 pm. Adm Rm 28. There is also the Taman Rama Rama, the Butterfly Park. Open 9am to 6pm. Adm Rm 15. We did not actually visit either of these sights. Instead we visited the Taman Orkid, the Orchid Garden. Open 9am 6pm. Adm free. We also visited the Taman Bunga Raya, the Hibiscus Garden. Open 9am 6pm. Adm free. Both were beautifully laid out and filled with colourful flowers. The park also contains a lake, where it is possible to hire boats, the National Monument, which we visited on a previous trip, and the Hotel Carcosa Seri Negara, which was once the luxurious residence of British Government Representative, Frank Swettenham.
Water lilies.
Hibiscus Gardens.
My husband in the gardens.
Malaysia's independence from Britain was proclaimed in Merdeka Square at midnight on August 31st 1957. Merdeka is the Malay word for independence. In the centre of Merdeka Square lies the Padang, a large grassy cricket field. Around the Padang lie a wealth of beautiful old buildings. These include the Royal Selangor Club, the lovely St Mary's Cathedral and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
Merdeka Square.
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building dominates one side of Merdeka Square. This building dates from 1897 and was designed by British architect A.C.A. Norman. It is an example of K.L.'s famous Moghul style architecture. The building is two stories high and is dominated by a central clock tower which is 41metres high. The building is called after Sultan Abdul Samad, the fourth Sultan of Selangor. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building was the main British administrative building in K.L. until 1957. Then the building became the High Court, Federal Court, and Court of Appeals Complex for Malaysia. It continued in this role until 2007. Nowadays it is home to the Information, Communication and Culture Department. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building's clock tower chimed for the first time in 1897 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. After the declaration of Malaysian independence on August 31st 1957, the clock has chimed at midnight on every Independence Day to commemorate the independence of Malaysia. This is a beautiful building and we were very fortunate on one visit as the busy road in front of it was temporarily closed to traffic, enabling us to approach it more easily and to photo it while standing in the middle of a normally traffic-filled road.
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
The Old High Court Building is located on the Gombak River just across from the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. It is a striking looking building with cupolas and keyhole and ogee arches. Keyhole arches are shapes like keyholes and ogee arches are pointed at the top and have S shaped curves at the sides. It was designed by British architect A.B. Hubback in the Mughal architectural style. The towers of this building were originally dining chambers which had private tiffin or light snack rooms. This building dates from 1915. Personally, I find this building to be one of K.L.'s loveliest old buildings.
The Textile Museum is on the other side of the Sultan Abdul Samad building from the Old High Court Building. We did not go inside. We just admired the building from the outside. This building dates from 1896 and was designed by British architect, A.C.A. Norman. Originally it housed the Headquarters of the Federated Malay States Railway Department. Then in 1917, the building was given to the Selangor State Government and became the headquarters of the Selangor Public Works Department. Later the building was redeveloped as the Textile Museum, which was first opened to the public on the 9th of January 2010. The museum traces the development of textiles in Malaysia from prehistoric times up to the present day. It consists of four galleries.
The Textile Museum.
The Queen Victoria Fountain is located on one of the corners of Merdeka Square, not far from the textile museum. It is an old ornamental fountain and drinking trough. It was imported into Kuala Lumpur from England then reassembled locally in 1897. The fountain was originally meant to be placed in Market Square, but the police objected to this plan on the grounds that it would obstruct the flow of traffic there. The fountain was built to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The ornamental centre piece of the fountain consists of eight winged lions spouting water from their mouths. These represent courage. There is also a Queen Victoria Fountain in Melaka.
Queen Victoria fountain.
The Royal Selangor Club is also on Merdeka Square. It was founded in 1884. The original club building was just a tiny wooden hut with a thatched roof. Later it was redesigned in traditional black and white Tudor style. The Club was granted a royal charter in 1984 and so became the Royal Selangor Club. Nowadays the club has more than 6,500 members. The Royal Selangor Club is where the Hash House Harriers originated. The Hash House was the nickname given to the Selangor Club, by the British civil servants and businessmen who dined there due to its predictable and boring food. In 1938 a group of British civil servants and workers in British Malaya formed a running club called the Hash House Harriers. Their aim was to work off the excesses of their boozy weekends. The first ever Hash House Harrier run took place starting from the Selangor Club in December 1938. The founding member of the club, G. Gisbert, was killed in action in Singapore during World War II. After the war the running club was continued as a tribute to him. The Royal Selangor Club is a members only club. Address: Dataran Merdeka.
Royal Selangor Club.
St Mary's Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral next to Merdeka Square. Around 1887 Anglicans in British Malaya worshipped in a wooden church on Bluff Road near the police headquarters. Frank Swettenham, the Resident General of the Federated Malay States and William Treacher, the British Resident of Selangor, were among the more famous members of the church. In 1894 William Treacher laid the foundation stone for a new Anglican Church building. Local philanthrophists, Yap Kwan Seng and Thamboosamy Pillay, contributed substantial sums of money to help fund the new church. The church was designed by British architect A.C. Norman. In 1895 the new church was finally consecrated by Bishop Hose. A pipe organ was installed in the church. This was built by the famous 19th century organ maker, Henry Willis. Henry Willis had also made organs for St. Paul's Cathedral and the Royal Albert Hall. During World War II the stained glass windows of the church were removed for safekeeping. However, after the war they remained missing, whereabouts unknown. In 1983 St Marys Chuch was upgraded to St Marys Cathedral. We entered the cathedral at the top near the bookshop. It is quite a plain building inside. During our visit there was a rehearsal for a musical performance going on. There is a pretty little garden at the rear of the cathedral. Near St Mary's Anglican Cathedral there is a little square which is filled with colourful flowers and a large fountain shaped like pitcher plants.
St Mary's.
Pitcher Plant Fountain.
The KL Railway Building and the Malayan Railway Administration Building face each other across a busy road. They are also close to Merdeka Square. Both buildings are in Moorish style and look like exotic multi-roofed palaces. The Railway Station was built in 1911 by AB Hubbock. The building has recently been restored and has a lovely atmospheric cafe inside. There is an underpass to cross to the Malayan Railway Administration Building. We took a peek inside and it was really beautiful.
Railway Station.
The Masjid Jamek or Friday Mosque is a beautiful building. It lies at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers where KL started life and from which it took its name. The mosque was designed by AB Hubbock in 1907.
The Friday Mosque.
As I said above Kuala Lumpur began life at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers when some Chinese tin miners settled there. The confluence lies behind Masjid Jamek and the old colonial heart of KL.
The Confluence.
The Little India area is also well worth a stroll. It has some lovely old shop houses, market stalls and the Masjid India - India Mosque from which the area takes its name. We especially enjoyed visiting the Coliseum Hotel at the south end of Jalan TAR. This colonial era hotel was once frequented by Somerset Maughm. It was wondefully atmospheric inside; had an interesting British flavoured menu and although a bit run down was a joy to visit.
Coliseum Hotel.
Little India.
When we were travelling form KL Sentral to our hotel, we passed by a beautiful Chinese temple and a lovely Chinese clan house. We decided to come back and visit them the next day. They are located right next door to Maharajalela Monorail Station. We did not realise it at the time, but they are right on the edge of Chinatown. The temple is called the Wei Zhen Gong Guan Yin Si Temple and dates from the late 19th century. It is dedicated to Kuan Yin, Chinese goddess of mercy and is associated mainly with the Hokkien community. This temple is open from 7am to 5pm.
The Chan See Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall is also close to the Maharajalela Monorail Station. This building dates from 1906. It was built to provide support to newly arrived immigrants from China, especially those from the extended Chan clan. Due to the green tiles which cover its exterior walls, this temple is sometimes called the green temple. The building was being renovated when we visited and inside was a mess. However, we enjoyed the detailed ornate carvings on the front of the building. These depict stories from Chinese legends. I loved the stone lions hiding among lanterns, too. The temple is open from 8am to 5pm normally, though currently closed for renovation.
Art work at the Chinese temple.
Chinese Temple Kuala Lumpur.
Art Work
Clan House.
Clan House.
Clan House.
The Sri Maha Mariamman Temple is located on Jalan Tun HS Lee. It is KL’s most important Hindu temple. A Sri Maha Mariamman Temple has stood on this site since 1883, but the current temple dates mainly from the late 1960s. The temple has a striking five tier tower. This is carved with 228 brightly coloured figures from the Indian epic, the Ramayana. To enter the temple you must take off your shoes. There were many worshippers inside the temple when we visited. Most were sitting down enjoying a meal. The inside of the temple was very ornate and interesting. The temple is open from 6am to 9pm.
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple.
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple.
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple.
The Guanti Temple is just across the road from the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Jalan Tun HS Lee. This temple was completed in 1888 and is dedicated to the Chinese god of war. This temple was predominately red and had large coils of burning incense. It is open from 7am to 6pm.
Guanti Temple.
Guanti Temple.
Guanti Temple.
The Lee Rubber Building is an Art Deco style building designed by A. O Coltman in the 1930s. It was founded by philanthropist and businessman, Lee Kong Chian. Lee was known as Southeast Asia's Pineapple and Rubber King. This building also has a slightly sinister history as it was once the headquarters of the Kempeitai, or Japanese secret service during World War Two. We did not go inside the building, but it is now a shopping centre, containing a popular book store on the ground floor and trendy Peter Hoe fashion in the loft.
The Lee Rubber Building.
Petalang street is a street lined with market stalls in the centre of Chinatown. However, don't forget to explore Chinatown's side streets, too with their dragon lamposts, hanging umbrellas, shops, temples and cafes.
Chinatown.
Chinatown.
On one of our stays, our hotel was located near the huge Pavilion shopping mall. As well as having lots of shops, it also had a large number of restaurants selling a wide variety of international cuisines and drinks. We ate at one of the Italian restaurants here.
Pavillion Shopping Mall.
Sri Kandaswamy Kovil is a Hindu Temple in the Brickfields area. We visited this temple after passing it on the monorail. It was a short walk from Tun Sambuthan Monorail Station along Scott Street and the Klang River. Unfortunately when we arrived there, the temple was closed, so we just viewed it from the outside. This temple is over a hundred years old. It is a Sri Lankan Hindu temple and it is based on the Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna. When Malaysia was under British rule, many Ceylonese Tamils were employed in the railway industry, They were mainly housed in Brickfields, because it is quite near the Administrative Centre of the Malayan Railway and the old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. They had nowhere to worship, so built this temple to serve their religious needs.
The Petronas Twin Towers were once the tallest building in the world. These 88 story high steel towers dominate KL's skyline. We watched the sun set behind them on our first evening. The towers were opened in 1998. They are 451.9 m high and house the headquarters of the Petronas Oil Company. Visitors can go to the 41st floor Skybridge; open 9am - 1pm and 2.30pm - 4.45pm Tues to Sat. Inside the towers on the lower floors there is an attractive and busy shopping centre.
We revisited the Petronas Twin Towers at night. We walked there using the air conditioned walkway from outside the Pavillion Shopping Mall. The towers look beautiful and dramatic when lit up at night. There were lots of people around taking photos.
Petronas Twin Towers .
On one trip we walked to China Town. The way took us past central market, which we had not visited before. It turned out to be well worth a visit. The market is mainly touristy, souvenir based with batik, elephants, antiques, fake antiques, clothes. The market was colourful and interesting. Upstairs there was a food court where we stopped for a coke float and a pineapple juice. We were not hungry at this point but there were plenty of places to eat. Next door to the food court there was a Thai restaurant that we might visit on a future trip.
Central Market.
On one trip we stayed in the Renaissance Hotel, Kuala Lumpur just after Chinese New Year and were very pleased to watch lion dancing at the hotel. Lion dancing is a form of Chinese dancing used to welcome in the New Year or mark the start of a new business. The dance involves lots of noise from drums and firecrackers to frighten away bad luck.
Lion Dancing.
Lion Dancing.
We sometimes use the KLIA express to get from KL Sentral to the airport. It cost 35 RM one way and took around 25 minutes. It was comfortable and did not stop anywhere on route. It is an easy and quick way to travel. We would happily use it again.
On one trip we arrived at Kuala Lumpur Airport early in the morning and wanted to take a bus to Melaka as soon as possible. We went to the bus station to get one. To get there we took the train to Bandar Tasik Selatan Bus Station. The ticket cost 26.5RM. The KLIA transit goes all the way to Kuala Lumpur Sentral, but stops at several places on route such as the south bound bus station.
On one trip we took the monorail from KL Sentral to Raja Chulan. We realised that the monorail passed several interesting buildings so we used it for our next day's sightseeing. It is very easy to use. Buy your ticket from a machine. You can set it to telling you what to do in English. You will receive a token. Touch the token to the reader at the monorail entry barrier. Put it in the slot to be swallowed up and reused at the end of your trip. The monorail was fine but can be crowded.
The Monorail.
The Old China Cafe - On one of our visits to KL we came here for a snack and a drink and loved the decor. This time we returned for dinner. Service was very friendly and the decor as charming as ever. We shared a starter of top hats which you assemble yourself. This was very good and I would recommend it. We then had a chicken dish and a pork dish. They both tasted delicious though the pork dish contained a lot of fat which I did not like. As always the beer was top notch and ice cold. Address: 11, Jalan Petaling,
The Old China Cafe.
A popular day trip from Kuala Lumpur is a trip to the Batu Caves. We've only been there once and that was on our first ever trip to KL. The Batu Caves are located in a limestone hill approximately 11km north of KL. There are three main caves. The caves are home to Hindu temples filled with statues and paintings. To access the caves you have to climb over two hundred steps. There are lots of monkeys wandering around this area.
Climbing up to the caves.
Climbing up to the caves.
The Batu Caves.
The Batu Caves.
The Batu Caves.
The Batu Caves.
This featured blog entry was written by irenevt from the blog Irene's Old Travel Pages - Asia..
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