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Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown

Posted August 27, 2008 , trackback

In Nestled among the newer buidings are many reminders of the ethnic distinctiveness of this vibrant part of Kuala Lumpur. Buddhist temples resplendent in the red and yellow so loved by Chinese people everywhere face trendy, very up-scale stores like “Peter Hoe’s” where everything sold is subtle and elegant, not a trace of red or yellow in sight. On the streets, traditional stands sell fried seafood, spicy tofu, bean curd,fish garnished with chilis, and, of course, noodles everywhere. At one stall Miriam, my wife, stopped to consider the purchase of a (genuine, I swear) Rolex for only $20 US. At another I considered the bright red t-shirts with a Canadian Tire logo reading “Cannabis Tire” and featuring the familiar green five-leafed plant.

We had wondered where the crafts were in Malaysia and found them in Chinatown. Dozens of stores selling carvings, some of them quite naughty, wooden screens, bamboo place mats, elaborate carved clocks and boxes, masks galore and so on. There are many, many statues in various styles of “sawadi” women dressed in the beautiful traditional costume and always with the palms pressed together in greeting.
Unfortunately little of this comes from Malaysia but rather is imported from Indonesia, China and Thailand. Nevertheless, it is beautiful stuff. Among my favorites are carved wooden statues of magical dragons, lacking only a St George to be complete. These delicate works are fantastically detailed and carved from a soft tan-coloured wood. Dominating the area is The Central Market, a huge indoor market building not unlike the one in Ottawa but at least twenty times the size and filled to the brim with vendors’ stalls.
The whole area seethes with both energy and people. The Chinese are truly the entrepreneurs of Malaysia, followed closely by the Indians. Only very upper class Malays rank higher on the social ladder since they control all the highest government positions, something against which the Chinese seem to chafe.
The area can be covered by several walking tours and looks to be a great destination for many future visits.

@ by David Lavoie

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