Walking Walking Kuala Lumpur - Central Market

I want to continue my Walking Walking Kuala Lumpur series. If you have been following As I Travel....... you might have read about my posting on Dataran Merdeka and its heritage buildings.

I end my last posting in this series at the bridge across the Sungai Klang.

In this posting I will write about my stop at Central Market.

The first thing that I can see before reaching the Central Market is this most important river confluence that gives birth to Kuala Lumpur. The muddy river confluence is literally translated as Kuala berLumpur.  On this confluence now stand the Mesjid Jamek of Kuala Lumpur, a symbol of Islamic development from the early days of this metropilitan city now. It is one of the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur and was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback. This mosque was officially opened in 1909 by the Sultan of Selangor.

Around this river confluence the communities of Kuala Lumpur rose and if we look into the distribution there is the Indian community at the Mesjid India area and the Chinese community synonym to Petaling Street and named China Town. Since the Mesjid Jamek was built on a burial ground, there must be the Malay Community too somewhere around the area. However the nearest Malay community in the city today is concentrated at Kampung Baru and is the oldest Malay community enclave within the city centre.

THIS PART ONWARD OF THE BLOG IS DRAFTED AND POSTED FROM BRIANI BISTRO ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF PERTAMA COMPLEX USING WIRELESS@KL SIGNAL. 

Central Market located at Jalan Hang Kasturi (Rodger Street) was built in 1888 is a new market to replace  the old market built by YapAh Loy, the first Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur. The name retain after being converted into an arts and handicraft centre. The Malaysian Heritage Soceity classify it as a Heritage site.  

Above: A postcard picture of Central Market taken from HERE.

Today visitors and KLites come to this place to seek for souvenirs of local handicraft. It is also a place where local artists paint their wares live. One can stop and ask them to sketch and paint their own portrait. One of the artist that I happen to see during my walk about is Abdul Ghani Ahmad who paint at his shop at the Central Market Annexe. He is a water colour artist.

Picture below is the Central Market Annexe, an arts centre

Below: Whats inside the Central Market on the ground floor

At the Ampitheatre outside to the building there are performances from time to time.

Below is part of Jalan Hang Kasturi that has been closed down and turn into pedestrian mall. You can laze around under this shady areas and if luck ison your side can get to be entertained by street musicians or buskers.

This row of shophouse at Medan Pasar. Medan Pasar is quite significant to the birth of Kuala Lumpur. Before  I proceed, I would like to ask, "Where is Kuala Lumpur?" I am sure most people will not know where is Kuala Lumpur. When I first migrated to the city, my only means of transportation was the pink 'notorious' (so they nickmaned it) Mini Buses. I could still remember when the Mini Bus reached Medan Pasar, the conductor will shout, "Kuala Lumpur! Kuala Lumpur! Kuala Lumpur turun sini." That was the station for mini buses besides the Bangkok Bank that can be considered as one of the main stops.

So Medan Pasar is the actual spot for Kuala Lumpur? I do not have any argument about it. There is a clock tower at Medan Pasar. Usually when clock towers are constructed, there must be some significant to it. The site of the clock tower (marked X on the route map above) is just less than 50 metres from the river banks of Sungai Gombak and the confluence where it joins Sungai Klang. There is no signboard whatsoever to give information or details of the clock tower. Maybe the Kuala Lumpur City Hall can trace and mark the history of this clock tower. Scroll down to see the picture of the mentioned structure.

The picture below is of Medan Pasar and compare it with the screen capture I took from the Central Market website. The buildings still exists. Now this Medan Pasar is one of the bus stops within Kuala Lumpur city.

Below: A screen capture of Medan Pasar taken from Central Market website

Not far from Medan Pasar is a lane named after the first Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur, Yap Ah Loy.

This segment of Walking Walking Kuala Lumpur ends here. My next segment will be Petaling Street or popularly called China Town.