Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (or KL as it is commonly known) is the capital and largest city of Malaysia.
The city is an enclave within the state of Selangor on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Being the legislative capital of the country, KL also is the seat of the Malaysian Parliament.
KL has grown from a small village to a bustling metropolis in just 50 years, and is now the most modern and developed city in the country. The city is rooted in the 'Golden Triangle', bounded by Jalan Ampang, Jalan Tun Razak, and Jalan Imbi. This section is home to most of KL's hotels, office complexes, and '5-star' shopping malls.
History
Kuala Lumpur was founded in 1857. Chinese tin prospectors discovered tin at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers in 1857, and their settlement became KL. The settlement quickly became a noisy, busy town as tin was in huge demand throughout the British Empire and America. As a result, there were soon claim disputes over the tin mines and fights erupted between prospecting clans. To halt the fighting, the local Sultan elected a "Kapitan China," or leader of the Chinese community. The third Kapitan, Yap Ah Loy as, managed to establish order.
Kapitan Yap had barely established control, however, when the Malay Civil War broke out in. Local sultans were fighting for the throne of Perak, and KL, swept up in the conflict, burned to the ground. Kapitan Yah replaced traditional attap (thatch) houses with brick and tile as a safety precaution, and transformed Kuala Lumpur from a sleepy town into a prominent commercial hub in Selangor. Yap Ah Loy is often considered the unofficial founding father of the city. Today, there is a street named after him in the heart of Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur, known as 'Jalan Yap Ah Loy' (Yap Ah Loy Road).
After his death, Frank Swettenham the British Resident of Selangor, took over the helm of duties and chose Kuala Lumpur as his administrative centre. In 1896, Swettenham convinced the Sultans of four states to unite under the umbrella of the Federated Malay States (FMS), and Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital. From then on, the city continued to prosper until World War II. During the war, the Japanese occupied the city but they eventually surrendered in 1945 to the British after their loss in the War.
In 1957, Malaya gained independence from the British. The first Malayan flag was raised on the grounds of the Kuala Lumpur cricket field, Merdeka Square, to mark the country's independence from British rule.
One of the city's darkest days came in 1969, when civil unrest - spawned by racial tensions - swept through the city, sparking a state of emergency that would last for two years. Bolstered by a growing economy and a sincere desire for cooperation between Malaysia's ethnic groups, the tensions subsided, and in 1974 the city was formally removed from the jurisdiction of Selangor state and made into a unit of its own, called the Federal Territory (Wilayah Persekutuan).
Things to see
While rapid economic growth in recent years has transformed Kuala Lumpur into a skyscrapers–dominated city, it has managed to protect some of its vestiges and cultural monuments from the frenzy of construction sites. Here are some of the interesting activities that someone visiting KL should consider doing.
- Petronas Towers - the city's landmark, and one of the tallest buildings in the world. They are visable from just about everywhere in the city, and dominate the night sky.
- Merdeka Square - is the literal heart of downtown Kuala Lumpur as well as the figurative heart of Malaysian nationalism. The square is surrounded by impressive historical buildings, and easily accessible through public transport.
- Bird Park - one of the largest free flight aviary in the world. Especially interesting are the different varieties of hornbills and other indigenous bird species.
- Butterfly Park - located near the Bird Park, it contains more than 6,000 butterflies from 120 exotic species. The park also has an impressive display of forest bugs.
- Islamic Arts Museum - it covers a wide variety of topics such as Architecture, Manuscripts, Textiles and Jewelry, and is the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia,
- Street and night markets - also known as "Pasar Malam" in Bahasa Malaysia, they are open-air bazaar that take place among the streets of KL. They are a great place to sample local fruits, food, and products. As with most Bazaar, be prepared to bargain, it is a social experience.