The covered market
Stalls under a long green canopy, best at night.
Goosmurft — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Slleong — CC0 · ほっきー — CC0 · Wiki Asmah — CC BY 4.0
A street under a long green canopy, lined with stalls of bags, watches, clothes and lanterns and thick with the smell of Chinese food and fresh juice: this has been the heart of Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown since the nineteenth century, and it is the city's best-known street market. Be honest with yourself before you go: much of the stock is imitation brands, quality varies, and bargaining is essential because the first price is usually high. The pleasure is in the atmosphere and the bustle more than the shopping. It is best after dark, when the lanterns come on and the market fills up. A few minutes away is Kwai Chai Hong, a back lane restored with murals recreating neighbourhood life in the 1960s and one of the most photographed spots in the area. Around the street are the Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu temple, the Sin Sze Si Ya Chinese temple and Central Market, so the whole area is a two-hour walk. Food on the street is mostly Chinese and much of it is not halal, so check before you buy. The nearby alternative is Kasturi Walk beside Central Market with its halal stalls. Pasar Seni and Masjid Jamek light-rail stations are minutes away.
Stalls under a long green canopy, best at night.
A lane of murals recreating 1960s neighbourhood life.
Temples and Central Market minutes away, in one walk.
Jalan Petaling, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur
Guan Di TempleOne of the oldest Chinese temples in Kuala Lumpur, founded by the Cantonese Kwon1 minute walk
Sin Sze Si Ya TempleThe oldest Taoist temple in Kuala Lumpur, built in the 1860s by Yap Ah Loy, the 2 minutes walk
Sri Maha Mariamman TempleA twenty-two-metre gateway tower covered in hundreds of painted carved figures r3 minutes walk4.5
Central Market (Pasar Seni)A pale-blue Art Deco building from 1937 that was once the city's fish and vegeta3 minutes walk4.5
Kwai Chai HongA small back lane behind the shophouses of Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, neglected f4 minutes walkFor the atmosphere and photographs, yes; for buying, be careful, as many brands are copies. For genuine Malaysian gifts, go to Central Market next door.