© Lonely Planet 90 Kuala Lumpur KUALA LUMPUR Kuala Lumpur’s metamorphosis from the jungle hovel of tin prospectors to a gleaming 21st- century city of high-rises and highways seems like a triumph of man over nature. However, peer down on KL (as it’s commonly known) from the bird’s-eye height of Menara KL and it’s clear that nature continues to fight back: this remains one of the greenest cities in Southeast Asia and is all the better for it. The blueprint was set early by the British who, in their colonial wisdom, crafted the Lake Gardens. This lush lung remains intact, as does the hillock of rainforest on which Menara KL rests and the old cricket field (now Merdeka Square) on which independence was declared back in 1957. The iconic Petronas Towers were developed alongside a beautifully landscaped park and to the north of the city more greenery surrounds Lake Titiwangsa. In its built environment, few cities can compare to KL for diversity and daring. Imagine Fritz Lang’s Metropolis crossed with an Arabian Nights Moorish fantasy and you begin to grasp a place where Chinese, Indian, Malay and contemporary structures coalesce into a fascinating whole. The cream of Malaysian creativity can be experienced here also in the traditional crafts and cutting-edge art, design and fashion that can be found in KL’s abundant malls and markets. Each ethnic community brings something to the table – most importantly in a delicious array of cuisines that make dining out the stellar experience in this star Southeast Asian urban performer. HIGHLIGHTS Discovering vibrant Chinatown ( p105 ) on a walking tour Jln Tun Razak Marvelling at the steel-clad Petronas Tow- ers (p95 ) and the swank Suria KLCC mall Hwy Jln Elevated ddin u Ampang Breakfasting at Imbi Market ( p115 ) and h Kuching Sala enjoying supper at Jln Alor ( p114 ) Petronas Towers Sultan Jln Reviving in the greenery of the Lake Gar- Sult an Jln dens ( p102 ), with its showpiece KL Bird Ismail Lake Gardens & Park ( p101 ) KL Bird Park Chinatown Jln Alor Islamic Arts Admiring the beauty of Islamic art at the Museum Imbi Jln Market Islamic Arts Museum ( p102 ) Damansara Paying respects to the heavenly mother atὈὈ the Thean Hou Temple ( p104 ) Thean Hou Temple TELEPHONE CODE: 03 POPULATION: 1.38 MILLION AREA : 243 SQ KM lonelyplanet.com KUALA LUMPUR •• History 91 KUALA LUMPUR HISTORY ORIENTATION In 1857, 87 Chinese prospectors in search of tin Central KL is quite compact, even though its landed at the apex of the Klang and Gombak hilly terrain, multilane highways and paucity Rivers and imaginatively named the place of footpaths conspire against walkers. Kuala Lumpur, meaning ‘muddy confluence’. The city’s colonial heart is Merdeka Sq. Within a month all but 17 of the prospectors Southeast from here is bustling Chinatown, had died of malaria and other tropical diseases, while immediately south, across a band of high- but the tin they discovered in Ampang at- ways and train tracks, are the Masjid Negara tracted more miners and KL quickly became (National Mosque), historic KL Train Station a brawling, noisy, violent boomtown. and the peaceful Lake Gardens. South of the As in other parts of the Malay Peninsula, Lake Gardens is KL Sentral, a regional and the local sultan appointed a proxy (known as international train terminus with direct con- Kapitan China ) to bring the unruly Chinese nections to the airport. KL Sentral is part of the fortune-seekers and their secret societies into area known as Brickfields. On the other side of line. The successful candidate Yap Ah Loy the tracks further south is Bangsar Baru, a nu- (Kapitan China from 1868 to 1885) took on cleus of trendy shops, restaurants and bars. the task with such ruthless relish that he’s now Another major arrival and departure point is credited as the founder of KL. the Puduraya long-distance bus station. East of Loy had barely established control, however, Puduraya, the intersection of Jln Sultan Ismail when fighting broke out between local sultans and Jln Bukit Bintang marks the heart of the for the throne of Perak. KL was swept up in the Golden Triangle, KL’s premier business, shop- conflict and burnt to the ground in 1881. This ping and entertainment district. Stacked with allowed the British government representative hotels, the Golden Triangle encompasses an Frank Swettenham to push through a radical area that stretches north to the Kuala Lumpur new town plan that transferred the central City Centre (KLCC) development anchored government here, from Klang. By 1886 a rail- by the Petronas Towers. Back at Merdeka Sq, way line linked KL to Klang; by 1887 several if you head against the one-way traffic north- thousand brick buildings had been built; and east along Jln Tuanku A Rahman (commonly in 1896 the city became the capital of the newly called Jln TAR) you’ll soon hit Little India, formed Federated Malay States. and further north, Chow Kit, a red-light area After occupation by Japanese forces dur- famed for its lively market. Immediately west ing WWII (when many Chinese were tortured of Chow Kit is the old Malay area of Kampung and killed, and many Indians sent to work on Baru. Jln Raja Laut runs almost parallel to Jln Burma’s ‘Death Railway’), the British temporar- TAR and takes the northbound traffic towards ily returned, only to be ousted when Malaysia Jln Tun Razak marking the outer northern declared its independence here in 1957. boundary of the city centre; around here you’ll KL’s darkest hour came on 13 May 1969 find Lake Titiwangsa and the National Art when race riots mainly between the Malays Gallery, Library and Theatre. and Chinese communities claimed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives. A year later local INFORMATION government elections were suspended – ever Bookshops since KL’s mayor has been appointed by the Borders (Map p96 ; %2141 0288; Level 2, Berjaya Times Federal Territories Minister. In 1974 the sul- Sq, Jln Imbi; h10am-10pm) tan of Selangor ceded the city’s land to the Kinokuniya (Map p96 ; %2164 8133; Level 4, Suria state so it could officially become the Federal KLCC, Jln Ampang; h10am-10pm) Excellent range of Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The city has pros- English-language titles. pered ever since as Malaysia’s political and MPH Bookstores (www.mph.com.my) Bangsar (Map commercial capital. p118 ; %2287 3600; 2nd fl Bangsar Village II, 2 Jln Telawi 1; h10.30am-10.30pm); Golden Triangle (Map p96 ; CLIMATE %2142 8231; Ground fl, BB Plaza, Jln Bukit Bintang; Temperature ranges from 21°C to 33°C and h10.30am-9.30pm) the average humidity exceeds 82%. Although Silverfish Books (Map p118 ; %2284 4837; www there’s rain throughout the year, March to .silverfishbooks.com; 58-1 Jln Telawi, Bangsar; h10am- April and September to November are the 8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat) Publisher of contemporary wettest months. Malaysian literature. 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