One of the main attractions in Kuala
Lumpur, Central Market, is a cultural shopping center for tourists and even
locals. This is the place people would go to if they are looking for certain
exotic items, traditional clothing or souvenirs. It is located along Jalan Hang
Kasturi, suitable for its purpose since Hang Kasturi is one of the five legendary
warriors of Malaysia from our Malay literature work, Hikayat Hang Tuah.
Therefore, a small street on the
right of Central Market is named Kasturi Walk. It can be seen from a distance,
either while walking down from the train station or getting out from the bus
that reaches there. Above this street, visitors can see ‘wau bulan’, a
traditional moon-kite that is flown by locals in the east coast of Malaysia,
carved with floral motifs. Along Kasturi
Walk, there are several stalls, most of them selling food and beverages. It is
also covered with transparent roof, so visitors don’t have to worry about
changes of weather much.
Right outside of the entrance of
Central Market, new decorations have been recently added. There are statues
resembling the people of Malaysia, of different races and cultural backgrounds,
with their traditional tools for hunting and gathering food in the past. These
decorations, however, might be replaced again in future. This is by far what
Central Market does to attract the tourists by giving them a good first
impression.
Navigating through Central Market is
also much easier now. When the building was first made in 1888 by British, its
purpose was simply to serve as a wet market for the people because of its
strategic location by the river bank. However, as the population increases,
Central Market gets renovated and expanded to serve more people, turning it
into a vibrant and unique shopping center of Kuala Lumpur as it is now.
Nowadays, instead of wandering in
Central Market, not knowing where to go or what to buy, visitors can simply
start by checking the names of the hallways. The three main hallways from the
entrance are Little India, Malay Street, and Straits Chinese. The names tell it
all. As an example, visitors will find souvenirs related to Indian traditional
culture along Little India hallway. Other than making it simpler for them to
search for certain items, they can also save time by following the signage
provided. The upper floor walls of Central Market are renovated to resemble a
wall of a traditional Malay house, which can be viewed easily from lower floor.
The Central Market upstairs serves
variety of local food in the food court, public washrooms, a praying room for
the Muslims, and more shops that sell handmade items, clothing, and art. The
space for walking upstairs might not be as comfortable as lower floor, because
the sides of the hallways are usually occupied by small stalls. One just have
to be careful when walking, not to hit other people or the things on display,
or try to avoid going there with a baby stroller or a luggage. Setting up
stalls in Central Market is one way to preserve its original purpose because
that is how the wet market looked like in the past; therefore having stalls
arranged all over is not uncommon even though they can look pretty
disorganized.
Going straight through Central
Market will lead the visitors to another exit on Kasturi Walk, which will also
take them to Annexe Gallery. They will know when they’re close to Annexe Gallery
when they see many art shops around. This 3-storey building, which originally
was a Cineplex, is now a place where people go for performing arts, art related
exhibitions, and art sale. The management office is also here, in case it’s
needed to report on any incidents happening in Central Market or Annexe Gallery,
including a café on the first floor. The gallery can be reached at the top
floor by taking the old elevator, or by climbing the stairs.
This is the place for young people
to show other people of their new styles of art. They don’t only craft, they
also sing and act. Annexe Gallery is suitable for them since it has spacious
halls with really high ceilings. When there’s no event going, they will just
arrange their vending tables and place their artworks for sale. The space will
never be empty, as it will be filled with art related displays, from paintings,
hand crafts, and photography. From this floor, visitors can get the nice view
of Kasturi Walk. They will be able to picture how everything was in the past,
with people queuing to enter the Cineplex, and people rushing in Central Market
from every corner to buy fresh food.
It is really inspiring, thinking of
all the improvements that Central Market has gone through. Yet, it is still a paradise
for all of us who are always curious about another culture and anxious to see
more of it. As a local, Central Market never stops to surprise anyone. This is
the place for tourists to seek pleasure and harmony in learning more of
Malaysian culture rather than just going to a museum.
-Edited and published on Tralleo - Central Market Kuala Lumpur: A Paradise for Tourists.
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