Kuala Lumpur is home to some of the world's most spectacular
buildings, a modern metropolis in transition with a dynamic skyline. In
an effort to document and draw attention to the distinct pre-war architecture
of this constantly changing city, the Badan Warisan Malaysia produced
the Kuala Lumpur Heritage Trails. There are four trails covering Merdeka
Square, Market Square, Chinatown and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. Each of
these areas contributed to the early development of the city.
The booklets are designed to be compact and easy to carry. They start
with a fold out map and an introduction to the history of Kuala Lumpur.
Information about the Badan and contact information for Tourist Information
Centres is included on the back cover. Each building or area of interest
is illustrated with a photograph and historical, architectural and other
information of note.
The launch took place at No 2 Jalan Stonor on 20 May 1999. As part of
the ceremony, a brief video produced by Novista Sdn Bhd and sponsored
by Tourism Malaysia entitled Heritage Trails of Kuala Lumpur was shown.
The video provides viewers with a brief account of the city's history
and introduces each of the walks through an interesting narrative and
attractive visuals. The backdrop for the launch was an exhibition of some
of the photos from the Trails.
Badan Warisan Malaysia is grateful for the financial support of Tourism
Malaysia which made this project possible. It is notable that the very
first donation to the Badan when it was formed in 1983 came from this
agency. Our appreciation goes to Arkib Negara, the repository of primary
research material used in the Trails. A special acknowledgement to the
owners, tenants and representatives of associations, institutions and
religious organisations, for giving so freely of their time and allowing
us to record their oral history.
We are indebted to the many individuals who helped in the creation of
the Trails. Their development, research and design were only possible
because of the hard work and selfless dedication of the volunteers.
Ribuan terima kasih goes especially to Jennifer Harvey, who was the primary
researcher and photographer for the project. She worked tirelessly on
a voluntary basis for the better part of a year. Our deepest appreciation
to Linda Yip for the oral history recordation and additional research.
Many thanks to John Gullick and Prof Dato' Khoo Kay Kim for valuable historical
insight, Chen Voon Fee and Lim Take Bane for verifying architectural terms,
Diana Cooper for collating the numerous photographs and Gerald Lopez who
helped with photography. Other contributors include Dilys Yap, Desmond
Tate, Jimmy Lim, Susan Lau, Ng Kim Guan, Pam Lassers, Susan Bleackley
and Dan Villiers. Last but not least, we are very grateful to Graeme Harvey
for always being ready to help in any way necessary.
An outcome of the many hours spent researching at, and understanding
the cataloguing system of, the national archives, is a valuable resource
written by Jennifer Harvey entitled How to Date Buildings: Using resources
in the Arkib Negara Malaysia. Copies of this very useful two-volume
reference are available for purchase directly from Jennifer Harvey or
from the Badan. |
Buildings / Areas Covered in the Trails
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Merdeka Square
Jamek Mosque, The Old Survey Department, The Old City Hall, The Old High
Court, Sultan Abdul Samad Building, The Old Post Office, Industrial Court,
Textile Museum, National History Museum, Kuala Lumpur Memorial Library,
Merdeka Square, Royal Selangor Club, Cathedral of St Mary the Virgin,
PAM Building, EKRAN House
|
Market Square
Introduction to Shophouse Architecture, Central Market, Jalan Hang Kasturi,
OCBC Building, Market Square, Sin Seng Nam Restaurant, The Old Gian Singh
Building, Bank Bumiputra Building, Lebuh Ampang, Jalan Tun HS Lee, The
Old Federal Stores Building, MS Ally Company, Bank Simpanan Building,
The Sze Ya Temple and Environs
|
Chinatown
History of Chinatown, Lee Rubber Building, Kwong Siew Association, Sri
Maha Mariamman Temple, Old High Street Police Station, Old Victoria Institution,
Old Post Office, Old China Café, Police Sikh Temple, Chan See Shu
Yuen Association, Chinese Ritual Objects and Funerary Supplies, Colonial
Hotel, Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association, Selangor and Federal
Territory Grocers Guild, Hawker Stalls and Street Life
|
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
Introduction to Jalan TAR, Masjid India, Jalan Melayu, No 1-19 Jalan TAR,
PH Hendry, No 8, 32, 42 and 106 Jalan TAR, Coliseum Cinema, Coliseum Café,
Rex and Tivoli Hotels, No 150-164 Jalan TAR, Odeon Cinema, Lee Wong Kee,
Services and Retailers, Globe, P Lal and Chotirmall, Around Jalan Masjid
India
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EXTENDED "Khazanah Brickfields" - Heritage Education Programme
art in clay - a pottery exhibition by Touch of Clay
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