The Malay Peninsula, a mid-way home between China and the Middle East, has been a crossroads of culture for centuries. Therefore, it is inevitable that some early traders choose to settle here, including Chinese businessmen. Although the trade with China reached its peak during the Dutch occupation of Malacca [1641-1795], followed by Chinese immigrants, it was the British who encouraged thousands of Chinese immigrants to work in tin mines. These early immigrants like to get together and create Chinatown. Strolling through these areas is an eye-opening experience.
Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown is a roughly delineated area of Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Jalan Sultan and Jalan Cheng Lock. Neoclassical shophouses, modern shopping centers, fan-and-fan coffee shops, and shops selling a variety of goods, including salted fish, herbs, Buddhist monks and funeral utensils, are all interesting to browse. The heartbeat of Chinatown is Jalan Petaling [Petaling Street], where temporary booths are sold every night for clothes, watches, CDs and purses. The ladle and spatula facing the frying pan, the steam of the Chinese steam soup floating in the air, and the taste of the fried vegetables and meat stimulated the appetite of passers-by.
Here, people can also observe some dying trades during the day. At Jalan Petaling [Petaling Street], a tinker uses a soldering iron heated on a charcoal stove to make buckets, cans, mailboxes and ladle. He uses only hand tools such as scissors, pliers and scissors to cut, shape and weld aluminum foil. At the doorstep of the store, there is a clean shoemaker hand-stitched PU and PVC shoes. Nearby, Uda Ocean Mall and Plaza Warisan greet their products in modern factories. Obviously, tinkers and scammers will never be seen again in the future because they are fighting the power of modernization.
If you can tolerate the smell of fish and poultry, take a dip in the wet market at Jalan Petaling. The gasping fish squirmed on the concrete slab, the chicken was squeezed into the cage, the pig's hoof was hung on the hook, and the piles of vegetables were seductively placed in the basket. The wet market entrance is located at Jalan Hang Lekir - a formerly delicious street as it had 39 registered brothels in 1890. For more delicious sights and smells, head to China Park. Located on the southern edge of Jalan Maharajalela Chinatown, next to the Monorail Station, it is a two-storey meteorite building filled with Chinese collectibles and trinkets.
There are many historical attractions. At Jalan Tun. H.S. The Lee [formerly known as High Street] of the Kwang Siew Association dates back to 1888. Its temple roof and eaves are decorated with stone dragons and mysterious creatures, while two stone lions look at its entrance. Heading south will take you to the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple and the High Street Police Station, built in 1895.
At the southern end of Jalan Tun H. S. Lee, the sloping roof of the old Victorian institution peeped through the leaves of the angsana tree. It is made up of British cottages made of wood and brick and designed by A. C. Norman. In 1911, the bungalows on the site were murder scenes. The English writer Somerset Maugham perpetuated this passionate crime in a short story and was later made into a movie called "Letter."
To the north of Georgetown, the capital of Penang, the soul of Chinatown has been around for more than 200 years since Sir Francis Wright established the island in 1786. Geographically, Chinatown is a maze of streets between Lebuh Chula and Jalan Dr. Lim Chwee Leong begins your journey in Lebuh Carnarvon early in the morning, where the street becomes an open and wet market with many temporary stalls. Slippers, pottery, cradle, a bunch of vegetables and fruit boxes compete for space between booths. When housewives compete for shopping, rickshaws gather at the booth to wait for customers, giving the scene a unique Eastern feel.
Head to Lebuh Cannon to Khoo Kongsi, a gorgeous tribe built in 1898. The dragons carved on top of its saddle-shaped roof, the phoenix and the Taoist gods enhance the interior's luxury with furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl. And other decorations, such as carved pillars. A 10-minute walk from Lebuh Acheh, Masjid Melayu has a long history. The Egyptian-style minaret, built in 1808, is a secret gathering of the Malay Red Flag Secret Society, a dispute with Minnan Crispy, and a combination of Fujian Tua Pek Kong. The controversial result led to the 1867 Penang riots.
Sir Harry Odd, the governor of the Straits Settlements, sent a camp from Singapore to quell the battle. It is rumored that bullet holes can still be seen in many old houses in the area, and the holes in the mosque minaret are caused by flying shells.
Another must-see attraction is Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, located in Lebuh Leith. It consists of 38 rooms and 220 windows, once the residence of Cheong Fatt Tze and his eight wives. Known as the "Oriental Rockefeller" by the New York Times, Cheong combines eclectic imported British floor tiles, Gothic shutters, Art Nouveau stained glass windows and Feng Shui symbols to create stunning exhibits. This mansion is also a film titled "Indochina" starring Catherine Deneuve.
More attractions are waiting in Lorong Cinta [Love Lane], Lorong Stewart and Lebuh Muntri. Here, townhouses showcase calligraphy signs and pastel colored stucco walls. Several have been converted into budget hotels. Love Lane's Carpenters Guild has been around for more than 150 years. In those days, all carpenters from China lived in the guild and then went to work elsewhere in the country.
Chinatown in Malacca - a historic city in Malaysia - the focus is Jalan Hang Jebat and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, formerly known as Hereen Street, is the best strait Chinese architecture show. The Straits Chinese, also known as Baba-Nyonya, are descendants of the marriage between early Chinese immigrants and Malay women. Their palatial homes blend Chinese, Malay and European styles. To explore the interior of such a home, step into the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum and travel there.
Jalan Hang Jebat, formerly known as Jonker's Street, is known for its antique shops. The Malay daggers, Nyonya ceramics, Dutch candlesticks, Chinese poppy beds, charcoal burning irons and Victorian clocks sold in dozens of stores all reflect the rich history of Malacca. Even if you don't like antiques, Jalan Hang Hebat will appeal to you with its rustic charm.
Kuala Terenggnau's Chinatown is made up of a row of pre-war old buildings by Jalan Kampong Cina. These centuries-old buildings feature shops, cafes, tour operators, batik shops and souvenir shops and restaurants. Recently, some merchants have purchased these houses from their original owners and turned them into "Swiftlet Houses" for their nest business.
Orignal From: Chinatown in Malaysia
No comments:
Post a Comment