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Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia and is rapidly growing. The city got its name from the muddy Klang river and in Malay the name means muddy estuary. Kuala Lumpur or KL as the locals call it, started out as a mining town in the 1850s. Yap Ah Loy is credited for singled handedly transforming the mining town, getting rid of rival secret societies, opium dens, brothels and gambling dens into a strong commercial center. In 1888, the British government moved their government headquarters from Port Klang to Kuala Lumpur.
A fire in the late 18th century consumed many of the attap houses and wooden structures. So in 1894, colonial British engineers started on designing and building the City Hall, the State Secretariat building and Victoria (train) station. Their design combined the use of several architectural styles, English Tudor, Persian Arabesque and Indian Saracenic.
Malaysia is made up of many ethnic groups, the predominant being Malays, followed by Chinese, Indian and Eurasians. There are many mosques and temples that are interesting to see but please make sure that you are attired conservatively when visiting a place of worship. Those who wear shorts, especially women, will not be allowed to enter mosques. Noe let’s take a look at other places of interest in Kuala Lumpur.
Lake Gardens
Lake Gardens is situated close to the Parliament. Tuguh Peringatan, the National Monument is here. It is a monument sculpted in memory of soldiers who have served the country. The artist who sculpted this monument is also th one who sculpted the Iwo Jima Memorial. Lake Garden comprises of many small gardens like the butterfly park, the orchid garden, and deer park.
Petronas Twin Towers
This Tower currently holds the Guinness Book of Record’s title as the world’s tallest building. It measures 1,483 feet tall but this measurement includes its spires. Without the spires, the building measures 1,224 feet. In comparison, Sear towers in Chicago measures 1,454 feet not including its transmission towers. Petronas Twin Towers has 88 floors and Sear Towers has 110, and so the debate goes on.
Petaling Street
China town is where the bargains are at. Pre world war two buildings dominate this area. The roadsides are lined with stalls that sell everything from pirated videotapes to herbal remedies. Just about everything under the sun can be found here (well, that is stretching it a bit but you get the idea). The night market here will make your visit even more memorable.
Kuala Lumpur Tower
This tower is the highest tower in Asia standing at 421 meters high. The top of the tower is modeled after Malaysia’s gasing, a spinning top, and has eleven levels. It houses a spinning restaurant which takes one hour to complete a cycle. There is also an observation deck serviced by four elevators that travel at a speed of twenty two kilometers per hour.
Getting around Kuala Lumpur is very easy now that the Light Rail Transit (LRT) train is open for business. LRT is a system of three lines that are independantly operated by three separate companies.
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