Pedestrianised Medan Pasar was once the heart of Chinatown. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, often cited as one of KL's founders, lived here, and in addition to holding the city's wet market, it was home to brothels and illegal gambling dens (now long gone). In the centre stands an art deco clock tower built in 1937 to commemorate the coronation of King George VI.

Transportation

  • LRT: Masjid Jamek

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. RUANG by Think City

0.03 MILES

The urban rejuvenation outfit Think City has taken over the elegant art deco OCBC building, originally designed in 1938 by British architect Arthur Oakley…

2. Kuen Stephanie Sculptures

0.1 MILES

The red-painted metal sculptures located on this pedestrianised square are based on artworks by Kuen Stephanie and depict scenes from Malaysian life in…

3. Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad

0.11 MILES

This graceful, onion-domed mosque, designed by British architect AB Hubback, borrows Mogul and Moorish styles with its brick-and-plaster banded minarets…

4. Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

0.12 MILES

Kuala Lumpur's oldest Chinese temple (1864) was built on the instructions of Kapitan Yap Ah Loy and is dedicated to Sin Sze Ya and Si Sze Ya, two Chinese…

5. Sultan Abdul Samad Building

0.13 MILES

Seizing attention with its 41m clock tower, coppery domes and lacy arches, this was the first public building in Malaysia designed in the Mogul (or Indo…

6. National Textiles Museum

0.13 MILES

This excellent themed museum occupies an elegant Mogul-style building originally constructed for the railway works department. The lower floors cover the…

7. Former Standard Charter Bank

0.15 MILES

One of the most handsome pieces of architecture around Merdeka Sq, this was the Standard Charter Bank when first built in 1891. It's currently closed.

8. Victorian Fountain

0.16 MILES

This fountain dating from 1904 is said to have been built in memory of an inspector of the Selangor Military; at one time horses would have lapped water…

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