Confluence of cultures

BY PETRA O’NEILL

For centuries, Malaysia was at the crossroads of trade between China and India, strategically positioned between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.

53% of Malaysia’s population of 28 million are Malay, 26% Chinese, 12% indigenous mainly from Sabah and Sarawak, and 7.7% are Indian. This cultural heritage is reflected in the architecture of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, with Moorish and north Indian Mughal influences, Hindu temples, Buddhist pagodas, mosques and elegant British colonial buildings. Lying at the juncture of two rivers, Kuala Lumpur means “muddy confluence” and was founded in 1857 by 87 Chinese miners who set up camp here. Within a month, all but 17 had perished from tropical diseases. That proved an insufficient deterrent once tin was discovered, and Kuala Lumpur became a boomtown. With its modern skyscrapers, diversity of its cuisine and luxurious shopping malls, Kuala Lumpur has emerged as one of Asia’s best stopover destinations well deserving of several days stay.

To appreciate the city’s historic architecture, it is worth spending time walking around Merdeka Square where independence from Britain was declared in 1957. Here you can view the Royal Selangor Club and the Moorish style Sultan Abdul Samad Building built in 1897, Kuala Lumpur’s oldest landmark. Formerly the Selangor State Secretariat, it now houses the Federal and High Courts.

Opposite, the National Textile Museum built in 1896 demonstrates the success of an adaptive reuse of a historic colonial building. The displays of jewellery, songket woven with gold and silver thread, and the ceremonial cloth worn by the Iban and Orang Ulu tribes of Sarawak are stunning. Then follow the riverside promenade to Masjid Jamek, built in 1909, the oldest mosque in the city.

Nearby, Kuala Lumpur Railway Station built in 1911 by the same British architect who designed Masjid Jamek, is built in the same north Indian Mughal style. Fuel up with a glass of teh tarik, a frothy brew of black tea and condensed milk at Restoran Teratai on the ground level of the Dayabumi building.

The architecture alone is reason enough to visit the turquoisedomed Islamic Arts Museum. Built in 1998, the white interiors are spacious and filled with natural light, perfect for viewing the exquisite collection of decorative art from Asia, India and the Middle East.

Kuala Lumpur also has several parks, and close to the Islamic Arts Museum is my favourite park – the 92-hectare Lake Gardens built around an artificial lake with beautifully landscaped gardens. It also has an Aviary, Butterfly Park and Orchid Garden with over 800 orchid species from Malaysia alone. Weekends, afternoons and evenings are the best times to explore Little India, just off Jalan Sultan Abdul Rahman, where bustling narrow streets have remained largely unchanged. Offering tee shirts, jeans, fabrics, saris and all manner of hair decorations, food and snacks for sale, this is the heart of the mostly Tamil Indian community. Here you will find numerous restaurants with great food at bargain prices.

Another bustling neighbourhood is Chinatown where you can see many examples of the south Chinese shop house, elongated and with louvered windows and verandas borrowed from Malay architecture, often with ornamental facades. Here I enjoy visiting Peter Hoe for quirky gifts. Tucked away in a narrow street is the Sri Mahamariamman Temple founded by the Pillai family in 1873, initially as a private shrine and currently the oldest functioning Hindu temple in Malaysia. Built in the south Indian style, the temple has a tower that is 22.9 metres high decorated with depictions of Hindu deities.

When the day becomes too hot, do what the locals do and head for one of many luxurious shopping malls including the Suria KLCC and the Pavilion, that offer every conceivable designer label to gaze at, including my favourite, the bold and colourful clothing available at Shanghai Tang. On level 3 of the Suria KLCC you will also find Galeri Petronas that displays contemporary Malaysian art.

Malaysia is one of Asia’s best