Kuala Lumpur - Merdeka Square

Literally translated as “Independence Square“, Dataran Merdeka is an excellent locale to journey into KL’s past.

It was here that the Union Jack was lowered on 31st August 1957, signifying the end of British colonial rule. And at that moment, in front of thousands of thrilled Malaysians, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, led the famous chant: “Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!” (Independence!) proclaiming Malaysia’s independence as a nation.

A 100 metre-high flagpole rising from Merdeka Square is the tallest in the world, and marks the spot where the Malayan Flag was hoisted on August 31, 1957 signifying the independence of the country from British rule.

The Padang, or field, here was the focal point of Kuala Lumpur in the old days, serving as a police parade ground and venue for cricket and other sporting activities. The beautifully landscaped square provides impressive views of the city skyline.

Overlooking the square is the Selangor Club. Built around 1890, this charming mock-Tudor structure used to be a watering hole for Kuala Lumpur’s high society.

On the other side of the field is the Sultan Abdul Samad building. This Moorish beauty, completed in 1897, housed several important administrative departments during the British administration.

You may able to see the Malaysian Armed Forces and Royal Malaysian Police bands take turns to perform at the square every third Saturday of the month from 5pm to 6pm.

By Train
Dataran Merdeka is only about a five-minute walk from Central Market; just take the PUTRA LRT train to the Pasar Seni (Central Market) station, walk through Central Market and turn left, crossing the river. Merdeka Square is in front of the next traffic lights.

Kuala Lumpur - Lake Gardens

Taman Tasik Perdana, better known as the Lake Gardens, is the oldest and most popular park in Kuala Lumpur. It lies just on the edge of the city and used to be where the British elite built their fine homes in the colonial times.

Today, its landscaped hills and beautiful trails provide an escape for city dwellers out for a jog or some early morning t'ai chi. Its main attraction is the lake surrounded by lush greenery in a 92ha. (227 acres) parkland that provides a refreshing ambience.

Roam through the aviaries at the Bird Park and Butterfly Park. Or take a stroll through the beautiful Deer Park and Orchid Garden, which are all reachable either by foot or by regular shuttle buses. From the gardens, you can also visit other attractions such as the National Monument, the Planetarium and the Islamic Museum.

Kuala Lumpur - National Theatre

Among the top ten most sophisticated theatres in the world, Istana Budaya (meaning 'Palace of Culture') is proud to be the first theatre in Asia equipped with cutting-edge stage equipment that is on par with the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The main building takes the form of the 'sirih junjung' (a traditional arrangement of betel leaves used in Malay weddings and welcoming ceremonies), and is divided by function, based on a traditional Malay house.

The interior of the Istana Budaya is something you won't want to miss as it is built from Langkawi marble and decorated with tropical wooden doors which feature hand-carved flower and leaf motifs. In short, this place is a work of art in and of itself.

On its annual calendar are international cultural and musical performances as well as concerts and ballet performances. These performances are dependent on the promoter's annual schedule.

Kuala Lumpur - Islamic Arts Museum

Interest in Islamic art has grown enormously in recent years. Reflecting this awareness, in December 1998 Malaysia became home to Southeast Asia’s largest museum of Islamic art. The building occupies 30,000 sq.m., situated amid the leafy surroundings of Kuala Lumpur’s Lake Gardens.

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia houses more than seven thousand artefacts, as well as an exceptional library of Islamic-art books.

The art objects on display range from the tiniest pieces of jewellery to one of the world’s largest scale models of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. The aim is to create a collection that is truly representative of the Islamic world.

Instead of concentrating on works from the heartlands of Persia and the Middle East, IAMM also puts the emphasis on Asia. China and Southeast Asia are especially well represented. The third component of the Malaysian melting pot is India, which is also given special status. India, China and the Malay world are in an exclusive category.

Other parts of the collection are displayed according to type of artefact rather than geographical origins in the museum’s 12 galleries.

Kuala Lumpur - Petronas Twin Towers

The 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, otherwise known as KLCC the world's tallest twin structures.

Located in the heart of the capital city, the crown of the Kuala Lumpur contains a complex of office buildings, conference halls, a sprawling park and an upmarket shopping complex.

Inspired by the geometric shape found in Islamic architecture, this gleaming mega-structure was designed by Argentinian-American architect Cesar Pelli.

Stretching out to one side of this architectural masterpiece is the spacious and beautifully landscaped KLCC Park.

Other attractions at KLCC are Suria Shopping Complex, Petronas Philharmonic Hall, Petrosains Science Centre, Petronas Art Gallery and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, where The Aquaria Oceanarium is situated.

Those interested in visiting the sky bridge where admission is free, have to queue up for tickets. Visiting hours are from 9 am to 5 pm daily except Mondays.

Kuala Lumpur - National Museum

Muzium Negara used to be the site of the Selangor Museum, established in 1898. After the country's independence in 1957, the new federal government built a newer, larger museum on the same spot.

Once completed, the reigning King at the time, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong III, Tuanku Syed Putra Al-Haj Ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail officially opened the museum on the 31st of August 1963.

Today, the museum houses various exhibits depicting the historical background of the country. The exhibits are on a rotation basis, so it is best to check out the museum on their exhibits at the time.

Other than that, one can find, in the museum grounds various national treasures including the istana (palace) of Sultan Zainal Abidin III, Sultan of Terengganu in 1884. The palace, the Istana Satu, is built entirely of hardwood, and built in the museum compounds in 1974.

Other attractions include the bust of Sir Francis Light, whom founded Penang, as well as the first cable car from Bukit Bendera, Penang.

Kuala Lumpur - National Mosque

The main dome of the national mosque is designed in the shape of an 18-point star to represent the 13 states of Malaysia and the five central Pillars of Islam, and has the appearance of a partly opened umbrella roof which symbolises the aspirations of an independent nation.

As one of Southeast Asia's largest mosques, its unique modern design embodies a contemporary expression of traditional Islamic art, calligraphy and ornamentation.

Have a quick look at your city map. You'll notice that the National Mosque is right next to the architecturally fabulous old railway station, and just a short walk to the sprawling Lake Gardens and National Monument. If you have the energy, make a walking tour of it by stringing these attractions together.

Kuala Lumpur - National Monument

It was built to recognise and honour those who gave up their lives in the cause for peace and freedom, particularly during the nation's struggle against the threat of Communism. Within the National Monument grounds is one of the world's largest free-standing bronze sculptures. It was sculpted in 1966 by Felix de Weldon, who was also the creator of the famous Iwo Jima monument in Washington DC.

The seven bronze human figures, atop an oblong base; each figure denoting one of seven qualities: courage, leadership, sacrifice, strength, suffering, unity and vigilance.

The topmost figure, at the centre, holds aloft the Malaysian flag. He is flanked on the left and right by two other soldiers, both armed; the figure on the left is armed with a machinegun, while the other carries a rifle and a bayonet.

Beside the National Monument are the ASEAN Gardens and the Memorial Tun Razak which, houses memorabilia of Malaysia's second Prime Minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.

Kuala Lumpur - KL Tower

Menara Kuala Lumpur stands majestically a top of Bukit Nanas at 421 meters and 94 meters above sea level, is considered a main feature of the city skylineone and perhaps most enduring images a visitor to KL will encounter.

The KL-Tower's architecture reflects the country's Islamic heritage with the construction detailing Arabic Scripts, Islamic tiles, classic Islamic floral and abstract motifs and soothing colour combinations.

Menara Kuala Lumpur ranks fourth amongst the tallest telecommunications towers in the world and was constructed over a period of four years and completed in May 1996.

Besides the panoramic view, Menara KL has something for the city-dwelling, nature enthusiast. The verdant green surrounding Menara KL is the Bukit Nanas Forest - the only oldest gazetted forest reserve in the country.

It covers an area of 10.05 hectares and is considered the 'Green Lung' of Kuala Lumpur. It is a sanctuary to a wonderful array of flora and fauna which is unique to our tropical nature.

Kuala Lumpur - Central Market

Located along Jalan Hang Kasturi, a few minutes away from Petaling Street, Central Market which was built in 1888 was originally a wet market. It has since been classified as a Heritage Site by the Malaysian Heritage Society and it is now a landmark for Malaysian culture and heritage. Central Market is in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and strategically located with public transportation links to all major destinations and hotels while the KL Sentral railway station is only 1 ½ km away. The KL Sentral railway station provides fast and convenient connections to most parts of Kuala Lumpur as well as to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Malaysia is well known for her multi-racial culture where people of different races live in peace and perfect harmony. Central Market has created a corner to display multi ethnicity and zoned the stalls based on the features of each race. The new zone therefore would consist of 3 lanes: namely the Lorong Melayu, Straits Chinese and Lorong India. The purpose of this new zone is to let the visitors have an insight of the cultural difference of the various races in Malaysia.

There’s also a Malacca Jonker street –a street featuring double storey and single storey Baba-Nyonya styled architectural buildings, a Batik Emporium which houses well known designer labels with the best Malaysian made batik items ranging from clothes, shoes, bags to home finishing.

Central Market is a one stop shopping centre for Malaysian products such as handicrafts, art, kebaya, songket, batik and the wide variety of Malaysian cuisine. Efforts to improvise and upgrade facilities in Central Market also include having a wider variety of F & B outlets such as Secret Recipe, Old Town Kopitiam, Kings Confectionary, Famous Amos, Precious Restaurant (Traditional Baba Nyonya Cuisine) , Ginger Restaurant (Traditional Malaysian Thai Cuisine) and many more.

Not to forget, the colorful Malaysian Traditional Cultural and Arts events are now held at the Central Market Outdoor Stage. Central Market celebrates all the Traditional Festival of each race in Malaysia such as Hari Raya Festival, Chinese New Year Festival, Deepavali Festival, Punjabi Festival and lots more. Other than the traditional cultural events, Central Market supports the local contemporary arts such as Art Exhibition, Video Screening, Independent Music Concert and lots more in The Annexe Gallery.

The proposed exercise is to give Central Market, a building with a 120 years history a new identity to attract younger generations to appreciate the need for racial tolerance and the need for racial integration. As we all know, Central Market is a historic landmark of Kuala Lumpur and there can be no other better place to remind the younger generations of the Malaysian Culture that has been so entrenched that people of all races can come together to live in peace and harmony.

Kuala Lumpur - Petaling Street

Petaling Street, the centre of Kuala Lumpur's original Chinatown, maintains much of its traditional atmosphere, particularly at night when vendors fan out their merchandise along the street.

While you can shop for anything from gems and incense to toys and t-shirts, the true allure of this night market is in wandering about and enjoying its sights, sounds and energy. Food is plentiful here with many scrumptious varieties to choose from; some of the restaurants here have been in business for generations. Locals flock to Petaling Street primarily for bargain accessories and great Chinese food. So, go on, be brave - head down to Petaling Street with an empty stomach and an adventurous spirit. Even if you don't spend a penny, (which will be hard!), you are guaranteed to have an amazing experience here.

At the end of Petaling Street, you can further explore the Chan See Shu Yuen Temple which dates back to 1906. The interior of this building features open courtyard pavilions, intricate carvings and paintings. On the exterior, the temple depicts elaborate glazed ceramic sculptures which grace the facade and roof ridges.

For more adventurous tourists, further down from Petaling Street is the South Indian Sri Maha Mariamman Temple. This temple is situated at Jalan Tun H.S.Lee which is within walking distance from Chinatown. Built in 1873, the temple is said to be the most ornate and elaborate Hindu temple in the country. The design and decorative features include intricate carvings of Hindu deities, gold embellishments, precious stones and hand-painted motifs. Exquisite Italian and Spanish tiles provide further ornamentation. A silver chariot housed within the premises features prominently in religious processions, transporting the statue of the deity through the city streets.

Outside the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple are stalls selling garlands and strings of sweet smelling jasmine. Additionally, the strong aroma of Chinese traditional herbs and that of freshly brewed coffee waft through the air from across the street.