Walking Tour Kuala Lumpur (2nd Edition)

Gregory Southgate Audrey & Byrne Bracken

Description

Although a bustling city, Kuala Lumpur still contains pockets of old-world charm that have remained almost untouched since the city was first founded back in the nineteenth century. One of the best ways of exploring these different areas and really getting a flavour of their culture is on foot. This series of walking routes lets readers explore the city's rich and multi-faceted architectural heritage-from stately colonial-era bungalows to modern skyscrapers, accompanied by charming architectural sketches.

Sujets

• Malasia
• Malaysia
• Malaisie

Informations

• Publié par: Marshall Cavendish International
• Date de parution: 15 janvier 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814516945
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Text by Audrey Southgate and Gregory Byrne Bracken Illustrations by Gregory Byrne Bracken
Copyright 2014 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd
First published in 2008 This second edition published by Marshall Cavendish Editions An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International 1 New Industrial Road Singapore 536196 [e-mail] www.marshallcavendish.com/genref
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National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Southgate, Audrey, 1976- Kuala Lumpur : a walking tour / Audrey Southgate and Gregory Byrne Bracken-Second edition. - Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2014.
pages cm. - (A walking tour) First published in 2008 eISBN : 978 981 4516 94 5
1. Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)-Tours. 2. Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)-Guidebooks. 3. Walking-Malaysia-Kuala Lumpur-Guidebooks. I. Byrne Bracken, G. (Gregory), author. II. Title. II. Series: A walking tour.
DS599.K8
915.951 - dc23 OCN866592791
Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd
For Daniel. With love and gratitude.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Notes
Maps
Suggested Itineraries
WALKS Lake Gardens
Chinatown
Merdeka Square
Little India
Bukit Bintang
Golden Triangle
Kampung Baru
Further Afield
Architectural Styles
Glossary
Guide to the Malay Language
Listings
List of Illustrations
List of Maps
List of Icons
Index
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank everyone who has helped us with this book, particularly Stephanie Yeo who has done such a wonderful job editing it, Benson Tan for their beautiful work on the art direction, Melvin Neo and Violet Phoon for their support in the whole Walking Tour project, and finally, Robert Cortlever and Daniel Southgate for being there for us in everything else.
Introduction
Kuala Lumpur, although very much considered a bustling twenty-first century city, still contains pockets of old-world charm that have remained almost untouched since the city was founded in the nineteenth century. One of the best ways of exploring these different locales and really getting a flavour of them is by foot.
Each chapter in this guide offers a suggested walking route of a particular district, and the finishing point of one walk (and chapter) is also the starting point of the next walk/chapter. In the interest of clarity, the individual walks are divided into discreet areas, unified by a particular theme, such as shopping, culture or nightlife, although some of the areas sometimes segue into one another to keep each of the walks around the same length and distance. The buildings and sites listed are only suggestions for visiting and don t have to be followed rigorously, and apart from the usual mosques, temples, churches and museums, we have also included other places of interest, such as restaurants, bars or galleries with good views of the city, or those that have a particularly interesting atmosphere. The terminology used throughout the book, architectural and otherwise, is explained in a short glossary at the end of the book, which also contains a short guide to the Malay language with some useful words and phrases to help you get around, although English is understood almost everywhere.
Be careful when following some of the routes as pavements in certain parts of Kuala Lumpur can be uneven. Beware also of grilles and manhole covers as some of these are less sturdy than they look; it s probably best to do as the locals do and avoid stepping on them altogether if possible. Make sure you stop often and drink plenty of liquids; do not overdo it in the tropical weather. There are numerous shops, caf s and restaurants en route to stop in and take a rest. And remember to dress appropriately when entering mosques, temples or churches (i.e. you can t wear shorts, tee shirts or sandals), you may be required to remove your shoes and women may also have to cover their heads.
Notes
A Note on History
Traditionally, the Malay world revolved around the great trading centres of the Southeast Asian archipelago. Located at the midpoint of the monsoon winds, they became a crossroads of trade between East and West. Small, closely-knit coastal and riverside communities harnessed this valuable trade as well as that of the exotic local spices and jungle products that grew in abundance. Traditionally, these communities were small and isolated as the terrain was rugged and the jungle dense, but traders from across the world brought new ideas, technologies and much wealth, especially to the coastal cities, where life contrasted sharply with that of the more traditional Malay people, who depended on farming and fishing for their livelihood. This wealth also attracted the unwanted attention of pirates and foreign raiders, eventually leading to the domination of the region by the European colonial powers.
Today s Malaysia is a federation, formed in 1963 of 13 states and three designated federal territories-Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and most recently, Putrajaya, the country s administrative heart. The Malay Peninsula is considered the mainland, and is separated by 400 miles of the South China Sea from Sabah and Sarawak, formerly known as Borneo, the legendary domain of the original Wild Man and infamous for its headhunting tribes of Dyaks.
Kuala Lumpur, universally referred to as KL by locals and visitors alike, started out as a tin-mining village in the 1850s. Located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombok Rivers, which gave the settlement its name ( kuala lumpur means muddy confluence in Malay), it was surrounded by dense jungle and so it wasn t until the 1880s that the settlement really took off as a trading post. When the price of tin soared in the 1870s, it turned Kuala Lumpur into a boom town, by which time it had come under British colonial administration.
Its early population was primarily Chinese, consisting of miners-mostly Hakka-virtually all of whom were organised by Yap Ah Loy, who was known as the Capitan China . He ran the tin mines, as well as a series of brothels and gambling dens, ostensibly for his workers amusement, but it was through such nefarious entertainment activities that the cunning Chinese businessman was able to recoup the salaries he paid out. In the 1880s, Frank Swettenham, the British Resident of Selangor, moved the administrative centre of the Residency from Klang to Kuala Lumpur, which eventually became the capital of the Federated Malay States (FMS). Swettenham engaged in a radical replanning of the ramshackle town and is responsible for the city s layout today, in addition to many of its more notable architectural icons, including the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Royal Selangor Club on Merdeka Square, as well as the charming Carcosa Sri Negara at Lake Gardens, the hilly park overlooking the city centre.
World War II left the city relatively undamaged and Kuala Lumpur has gone from strength to strength since Malaysia s independence from Britain in 1957. Then in February 1996, something interesting happened: the Petronas Towers were completed. This marked an interesting shift in the global balance of cultural power because, for the first time since the Gothic cathedral, the world s tallest structure was no longer in the West. These 452-metre twin towers are the pride of Kuala Lumpur, and although they were surpassed as the world s tallest structure in 2003 (by Taipei 101, which is 56 metres higher), they are a much-loved symbol of the city and have remained an

Did You Know?
In excavating for the foundation of the houses which now form the town of Kuala Lumpur, it was usual to dig up a large number of skeletons, the bones of those who had fallen during the years of Selangor s internecine strife. As many as 16 skeletons would be discovered in digging out the foundations for a single house.
international icon.
A Note on Climate
Malaysia has an equatorial monsoon climate, with uniformly high temperatures throughout the year (22-32 C), but also with uniformly high humidity. Rain falls throughout the year, but mostly during the northeast monsoon period, which lasts from November to February, and most heavily during the frequent thunderstorms. There are pockets of micro-climates, such as the cooler Cameron Highlands on Peninsular Malaysia, which also has a broader range of temperatures, but in Kuala Lumpur the average minimum is around 22 C and the average maximum is around 32 C.
A Note on Dress
You should dress lightly and comfortably for a tropical city like Kuala Lumpur, but remember that in a Muslim society like Malaysia s, you should cover up your body as much as possible. You will not be allowed into places such as mosques wearing short trousers or short sleeves. Shoes must be removed before entering certain buildings, mosques mainly, but some homes and even offices will