Chinatown, Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur
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.
This quaint cluster of makeshift shops in the middle of town bustles with life and resounds of bargain from noon until night. It is a great place to stroll along as you will never know what kind of bargained goods can be founded along these crowded avenues.
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.
Along the way, you will find heritage buildings such as Lee Rubber building, Kwong Siew Association, Sri Maha Mariammam Temple, the Old High Street Police Station, the Old Victoria institution, the Old Post Office, the Old China Café, the Police Sikh Temple, Chan See Shu Yeun Association and ends with the hawker stalls on Petaling Street.
You’ll want to hone your bargaining skills before you plunge into the markets.
Beware of pickpockets and bag-slashers in the crowds.
By Foot or Taxi
Petaling Street is opposite the Kotaraya Shopping Complex and Central Market.
By Train
The Pasar Seni station on the PUTRA LRT down the street from the beginning of Petaling Street.
Kuala Lumpur:
Just a warning for all “European” tourists. My wife was mugged in Petaling Street by a gang of men in broad daylight (at 2 in the afternoon). It was a nasty experience, and it was just fortunate that my wife was not seriously injured. When we spoke to the Malaysian police, we were told that “white” tourists are especially targeted by these gangs, particularly people who are middle aged or older, and that our experience was reasonably common. I have subsequently advised all friends travelling to Malaysia to avoid the Chinatown end of Petaling Street – security appears to be very poor to non-existent.