Kuala Lumpur is situated midway along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, at the confluence of the Klang and Gombek rivers. It is approximately 35 km from the coast and sits at the centre of the Peninsula's extensive and modern transportation network. Kuala Lumpur is easily the largest city in Malaysia, possessing a population of over one and a half million people drawn from all of Malaysia's many ethnic group.

While the city's past is still present in the evocative British colonial buildings of the Dataran Merdeka and the midnight lamps of the Petaling Street nightmarket, that past is everywhere met with insistent reminders of Kuala Lumpur's present and future. The city's bustling streets, its shining, modern office towers, and its cosmopolitan air project an unbounded spirit of progress and symbolize Malaysia's unhesitating leap into the future.

History
1857 is the year where it all began. A group of 87 miners, all of them Chinese, poled their way up the Klang in search of tin. At that time, tin was in huge demand, especially by America and the British Empire. In Ampang, few miles to the east, there were huge reserves of it, and they named it “muddy confluence”. There a ramshackle was built, thatched-roof village, and within a month all but 17 of them had died of malaria.

More tin prospectors soon followed, and within a few years the village thrived. Like all mining boomtowns, it was raucous place, populated almost exclusively by men, who spent their days in gruelling labour. Few got rich, but throughout the peninsula the mania for tin inspired fierce rivalries and claim disputes.

The Chinese miners organized themselves into clans and warring factions called “secret societies.” Without a centralized Chinese authority keeping peace, order in the mining areas was nearly impossible. In 1868, needing a solution to the chaos, the headmen of the local clans elected a man named Yap ah Loy as “Kapitan China,” or leader of the Chinese community. Yap ah Loy became known as the founding father of Kuala Lumpur.

The Malay Civil War broke out a few years later, where the local sultans were fighting for the throne of Perak, and Kuala Lumpur, swept up in the conflict, burned to the ground. The merchants of the Straits Settlements, concerned that the war would ruin their prosperity, asked Britain to intervene.

Fearing the loss of its tin interests, the British sent Governor Andrew Clarke to appraise the situation. Clarke gathered the feuding princes and convinced them to sign the Pangkor Agreement in 1874. The Agreement ended the war, established a new Sultan of Perak, and - most significantly - called for the presence of a British Resident “who must be asked and acted upon on all questions other than those touching Malay religion and custom.” This was the beginning of a dramatically increased British involvement in Malaya, one that would eventually place Kuala Lumpur at the center of history

The British residential system quickly spread. Frank Swettenham, the Resident of Selangor, chose Kuala Lumpur as his administrative center and oversaw the rebirth of the city, ordering the construction of new buildings using brick. In 1896, Swettenham convinced the Sultans of four states to unite under the umbrella of the Federated Malay States (FMS), and Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital.

The city became a classic center of British colonialism. Sharply uniformed officers and bureaucrats administered the FMS from beneath the distinctive copper domes of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. In the off-hours, they played cricket on the field of the Padang and sought liquid comfort in the Selangor Club, where only whites were allowed. Unsurprisingly, the club became a symbol of British imperialism and oppression and fueled the ever-growing dreams of independence.

Kuala Lumpur’s population greatly increased after World War II; under a resettlement program new villages were established on the city’s outskirts during a long (1948-60), Communist-led guerrilla insurgency. At midnight on August 30, 1957, amidst a crowd of tens of thousands, British soldiers finally lowered the Union Jack for the last time in front of the Selangor Club. Kuala Lumpur became the capital of the independent Federation of Malaya in 1957 and of Malaysia in 1963.

Although Malaysia was by the mid-60s a politically united country, internal political and social problems continued. Despite the luxury of legal privileges, Malays had a very weak hold on Malaysia’s economy. In 1969 only 1.5% of company assets in Malaysia were held by Malays, and they had a per-capita income that was less than 50% of non-Malays.

Despite this, there was still much resentment directed towards the Malays, spilling over into bloody riots following the 1969 election. From then until now, successive governments have attempted to gradually legislate away inequities between races in Malaysia. Running alongside this push for equality is a strengthening Islamic resurgence. Many fear that a growing religious divide might reverse the trend towards peace and economic stability in Malaysia. A full-blown Islamic revival threatens to adversely affect Malaysia’s economy, and widen the rift between Malays and ethnic Chinese.

The last 10 years have seen Kuala Lumpur undergo phenomenal growth, with a population explosion of almost 50 percent, not to mention development on a monumental scale. The world’s tallest buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers, now rise above the city of 2 million. With a height of 1,453 feet, were the world’s tallest buildings, as by the year 2001, Shanghai’s World Financial Center is record-breaking 1,508 feet building. Petronas Towers have become the symbols for the astounding growth that has taken place in Malaysia over the last two decades.

Today Kuala Lumpur continues to develop on a monumental scale, however neglected infrastructure is catching up and pollution, traffic congestion and water supplies are a growing problem.

Attractions
Merdeka Square is the site of the proclamation of independence in 1957. Surrounding the square are many buildings of historical interest, including the Royal Selangor Club where Kuala Lumpur’s elite meet, the Sultan Abdul Samad building, which is a great example of the Victorian-Moorish architecture common to Malaysian cities, the National History Museum and library and the impressive, modern Dayabumi Complex. The square is in the heart of downtown KL, near the convergence of the Kelang and Gombak rivers.

Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown is a crowded colourful melange of signs, shops, activity and noise. The central section, Jalan Petaling, is a frantically busy market that is closed to traffic. It is most spectacular at night, when the combination of street stalls, food, haggling and bright lights makes impressions on all five senses.

Tasik Perdana - the Premier Lake is the main focus of Kuala Lumpur’s Park, less than 1 km west of the central city. Attractions in the park can be reached either on-foot, or by regular shuttle buses. If you’re into the birds, Bird Park is an enormous walk-in aviary boasting about 160 species from throughout South-East Asia. If the bees are more your thing, you might get lucky at the nearby Orchid Garden, where 800 species of flower vie for your attention. There are also sections of the gardens dedicated to tame deer and butterflies. From the gardens, you can also see the massive bronze National Monument, Parliament House and the Planetarium.

Thirteen kilometers north-east of Kuala Lumpur is the National Zoo. It contains hundreds of different species of animals, birds, and reptiles. The aquarium has an extensive collection of marine and freshwater species.

Kuala Lumpur’s Railway Station, built in 1910, it underwent extensive renovations in 1986. It is equipped with air-conditioned waiting halls, snack kiosks, money changing booths, souvenir shops, restaurants and a tourist information counter. Located at Jalan Hishamuddin, this Moorish-style terminal was designed by architect A.B. Hubbock.

Across the street is the Malayan Railway Administration Building, another fine example of the British colonial adaptation of Moorish architecture. It is linked to the station by an underground thoroughfare.
Fifty years ago, Central Market was occupied by a wet market. Today, the art-deco structure of the Central Market is a centre for the display and development of Malaysian culture, arts and crafts. There are many performances, demonstrations, and activities offered here, including batik painting, fortune telling, shadow puppet plays, glass blowing, dance classes, art classes, and many others. The building won the Coronation Architecture Design Award in 1953.

The National Library is a very recent addition to Kuala Lumpur, having opened only in 1992. The extensive holdings include a collection of publications on Malaysia by Malaysian authors as well as ancient Malay manuscripts. Located at Jalan Tun Razak, a blue-roofed building was inspired by a tengkolok, the traditional Malay headgear, and songtet, a richly designed brocade fabric.

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