Petaling Street Heritage Landmarks

1 Central Market

The history of Central Market dates back to 1888 when it was an open-air wet market. A later wooden structure was rebuilt in 1937 but had inadequate space to house the vendors. After independence, there were plans to demolish the Central Market but it was saved by the Malaysian Heritage Society. Through an allocation of RM9mil granted by the Federal Government, the building underwent another facelift to transform into the centre for Malaysian culture, arts and handicrafts it is now. Since then the façade has remained unaltered to retain the charm of yesteryears.

2 Sin Tze Ya Temple

The Sin Tze Ya Temple was built by Kapitan Yap Ah Loy behind his residence in 1864. It is dedicated to patron deities of Sin Sze Ya and Si Sze Ya, which Yap prayed to help him defeat his enemies and defend Kuala Lumpur during the civil war (1870-1873). The temple’s layout, different from its neighbouring buildings, suggests that it was built before Kuala Lumpur had its street layout.

3 Fui Chiu Association

The Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Fui Chiu Association was founded in 1864 to extend help to fellow clansmen. The original building appealed with traditional southern Chinese architecture, but was renovated for commercial purpose to become the Sinma shopping centre that has been closed for quite some time now.

4 Grocery Shops Association

The former premises of the Grocery Shops Association located in Jalan Sultan was built in 1932. The colonial building appeals with its mix of classical and modern architectural features, it is deemed one of the most beautiful buildings in Jalan Sultan and one with high architectural value. The three Chinese words on its facade were written by Lin Sen, who was the Kuomintang chairman. The building, with the original facade preserved, has been converted into a budget hotel.

5 Kuala Lumpur Gospel Hall

Located at the foot of the Chin Woo Hill, the Kuala Lumpur Gospel Hall was founded by British preachers before World War II. The original structure was built with wood. It has a spacious compound, with a flight of stairs at the back leading to a hostel built on a slope.

6 Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association

Founded in 1920, the Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association, housed in a century-old building at the junction of Jalan Sultan and Jalan Hang Jebat, is known not only for its colourful stage performances but also benevolent acts that have seen the members raising millions of Ringgit for the society. “Knowing your gains and losses with men as the mirror” has been the association’s principle through the decades.

7 Kwong Fook Wing Tailor

The Kwong Fook Wing Tailor Shop was founded in 1915. Run by the third generation now, the business is a living heritage in itself. The tailors have dressed some of the country’s most prominent people for very important occasions, including the second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak, when he met China’s Chairman Mao Zedong during the first state visit, and the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, when he met Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London.

8 Petaling Street Gateway

The green-roofed red arches on both ends of Petaling Street, as well as a canopy in between to shield vendors and tourists from rain and shine, were built by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall in 2003.

9 Lok Ann Hotel

Lok Ann started in 1938 as a coffee shop while the family lived on the first floor of the two-storey building. It first operated as a hotel in 1955 after another level was added to the shophouse. In 1971, it was converted into a four-storey building and the name changed to Lok Ann Hotel. It had been a family-run business through the decades until recent years, but the new tenant who runs a guesthouse has made it a point to preserve the legacy.

10 China Town Liquor Shop

It’s happy hour all day long at the unassuming China Town Liquor Shop in Jalan Sultan. It was one of the first few outlets granted a liquor licence in Chinatown, and still enjoys a good following with beer buddies chatting the night away.

11 Bee Chow (Mei Zhou) Coffee Shop

The Bee Chow Coffee Shop founded in 1939 is one of the few remaining traditional coffeeshops in Chinatown. The operators are keeping it open despite a declining business and rising rental. The chairs, tables and racks are as much pieces of history as the old shop.

12 Lee Lam Thye Market

The wet market occupying the lanes between buildings was originally named Trury Lane. It was renamed Lee Lam Thye market in 1990s to commemorate the contribution of the then Member of Parliament to the development of petty traders in the area.

13 Guan Di Temple

This temple located in Jalan Tun H.S. Lee was built in 1887. It is one of the few remaining old buildings complete with a unique culture and typical architecture. The strategically sited temple is thronged by devotees year-round and also loved by tourists and shutterbugs.

14 Sri Mahamariamman Temple

Built in 1873, it is said to be the oldest and richest Indian temple in Kuala Lumpur. The most outstanding feature of this South Indian-styled building is the five-tiered gopuram (tower) decorated with intricate sculptures of Hindu gods. On Thaipusam, the devotees’ procession will begin from here all the way to Batu Caves.

15 Yong Bee Coffee Shop

Located at the junction of Jalan Sultan and Jalan H.S. Lee, near the Klang Bus Station, the shop appears much smaller than its neighbours as part of it had been acquired for road widening.

16 Chua Cheng Bok Building

The building, now occupied by Plaza Warisan, was the residence of the famous tin entrepreneur Chua Cheng Bok and was built in 1918. Chua was a bicycle seller who worked his way to becoming a distributor of motorcycles and European cars. The building was acquired by the Government in 1980 and turned into a shopping complex, but the facade and the embossed characters of CCB were retained.

17 UDA Ocean Shopping Centre

The Ocean Shopping Centre established in 1990 is an example of adaptive reuse of a row of pre-war shophouses. The facade was kept but the social and cultural elements were removed. The building is now being acquired for the MRT project.

18 Old Post Office

In 1886, a telegraph line was laid from Malacca to Klang, and extended to Kuala Lumpur. When the ship carrying letters docked at the Klang port, a red flag would be raised at the post office to announce to the public that the mail would be arriving soon. The current structure of the post office was built in 1911 in the Tudor style.

19 Old China Cafe

The Old China Cafe is a themed cafe widely recommended by tourist guide books. It is housed in an 80-year-old building that was the office of the Selangor Laundry Association, hence a plaque over the main door reads “The Laundry”. The restaurant that serves Nyonya cuisine is exquisitely decorated with antique sourced by the operators.

20 Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple

The Sikh Temple was situated next to the Central Police Station of Kuala Lumpur. When the British government first came to Malaya, the police force was made up of recruits from North India. The Sikh temple reflects this part of the history. The police station had been demolished but the temple is still painted in blue and white, the common colours of police stations nationwide.

21 Chan She Shu Yuen/ Chan’s Clans Association

The Chan’s Clans Association was founded in 1896 and the current structure was built in the following year. It was modelled after the Chan Family Ancestral Temple in Guangzhou with its ancient Canton-style art and South China architecture. The construction took 10 years to complete.

22 KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

The building was completed in 1934 and the then Sultan of Selangor opened it officially. The architecture is a marriage of east and west, the pillars are of western influence while the carvings are of Chinese origins. The building was listed in the National Heritage in 2007.