Journey to the past at KL's Kwai Chai Hong

The entrance to Kwai Chai Hong heritage lane in Kuala Lumpur. At night the place is all lit up with beautiful lanterns. — MING TEOH/The Star

A walk through the streets of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown reveals a hidden alley that takes you back in time to the city’s bygone days.

This alley is known as Kwai Chai Hong, a restored heritage lane where the golden era converges with modern technology.

Here, you can check out the specially-curated wall art depicting scenes from the past. These murals are not just artistic and creative, they are also interactive. Next to each mural is a QR code which, when scanned, will show a clip featuring that particular scene from the mural.

There are also cafes offering a variety of local street food and popular kopitiam fare like egg tarts and nyonya desserts.

The name “Kwai Chai Hong” means “little ghost lane” or “little demon alley”, but don’t worry, there have been no known incidents of the place being haunted!

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It is believed that the name came from a colloquial Cantonese translation of “kwai chai” referring to the naughty kids that used to play in the back lanes a long time ago.

The place is open from 9am to 10pm, although the hours may be slightly different these days due to the recovery movement control order (MCO). It is best to visit the place during the day, and if you do, observe standard public health measures like keeping your distance from one another (at least 1m apart), wearing a face mask and practising good hygiene.

There are also special activities held here during certain festivals, the most recent ones being during Chap Goh Meh and Chinese New Year earlier this year.

Getting there

Kwai Chai Hong is easily accessible via the MRT or LRT. Head to the Pasar Seni Station and take the MRT Exit A, which leads to Jalan Panggung. The heritage lane is behind the shophouses on Jalan Panggung.

If you are driving there, the GPS coordinates are: 3.141500,101.697606. There is an open-air parking space on Jalan Panggung.

Kwai Chai Hong

Lorong Panggung

50000 Kuala Lumpur

Website: www.kwaichaihong.com