| Kuala Lumpur’s
Chinatown |
| In Malaysia |
| by David Lavoie |
| Nestled among
the newer buidings are many reminders of the ethnic distinctiveness of
this vibrant part of Kuala Lumpur. Buddhist temples resplendent
in the red and yellow so loved by Chinese people everywhere face trendy,
very up-scale stores like “Peter Hoe’s” where everything sold is subtle
and elegant, not a trace of red or yellow in sight. On the streets, traditional
stands sell fried seafood, spicy tofu, bean curd,fish garnished with chilis,
and, of course, noodles everywhere.
At one stall
Miriam, my wife, stopped to consider the purchase of a (genuine, I
swear) Rolex for only $20 US. At another I considered the bright red t-shirts
with a Canadian Tire logo reading "Cannabis Tire" and featuring the familiar
green five-leafed plant. |
|
|
|
|
|
| We had wondered
where the crafts were in Malaysia and found them in Chinatown. Dozens of
stores selling carvings, some of them quite naughty, wooden screens, bamboo
place mats, elaborate carved clocks and boxes, masks galore and
so on. There are many, many statues in various styles of “sawadi” women
dressed in the beautiful traditional costume and always with the palms
pressed together in greeting.
Unfortunately
little of this comes from Malaysia but rather is imported from Indonesia,
China and Thailand. Nevertheless, it is beautiful stuff. Among my favorites
are carved wooden statues of magical dragons, lacking only a St George
to be complete. These delicate works are fantastically detailed and
carved from a soft tan-coloured wood. Dominating the area is The Central
Market, a huge indoor market building not unlike the one in Ottawa but
at least twenty times the size and filled to the brim with vendors' stalls.
The whole area
seethes with both energy and people. The Chinese are truly the entrepreneurs
of Malaysia, followed closely by the Indians. |
|
|
| Only very
upper class Malays rank higher on the social ladder since they control
all the highest government positions, something against which the Chinese
seem to chafe.
The area can
be covered by several walking tours and looks to be a great destination
for many future visits.
The following
are the previous articles David wrote for the magazine:
To contact David
Click
Here |
|
|
Offshore
Resources Gallery
|
Article
Index ~ Malaysia
Index ~ |
