Dataran Merdeka (2♠)

Merdeka Square is undoubtedly KL’s best known landmark. Also called Dataran Merdeka, it is set in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building (the former State Secretariat). Directly in front is the Royal Selangor Club and to the north is St. Mary’s Church, one of Malaysia’s oldest Anglican churches.

Within the colonial core of Kuala Lumpur, where the remnants of the British empire are especially evident, Merdeka Square seems to be nothing more than a giant field with perfectly manicured green lawns and a centrepiece of the tallest flagpole in the world (95m) proudly displaying the Jalur Gemilang (Malaysian flag). At the corner of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Raja Laut, Merdeka Square is made up of a padang (field) that was once the Selangor Club cricket pitch.

The venue for Malaysia’s annual Merdeka Parade (Independence Day) celebration, Merdeka Square hosts rock concerts and underneath the pitch is the Plaza Putra shopping complex. Meanwhile, directly opposite is the very British Tudor-inspired Royal Selangor Club: built in 1884 it was the favourite watering hole of the British elite and the centre of colonial society in its heyday. The frequent backdrop in most sightseeing photos of Merdeka Square, much of it was destroyed in a fire in the 1960s. The rebuilt club is still a favourite haunt of KL VIPs. The low, black-and-white mock-Tudor building used to be called ‘the Spotted Dog’ in memory of its mascot – a Dalmatian belonging to a former member. Though membership is open to anyone who can afford it, RSC’s colonial saloon is still an exclusive haunt and remains an all-male preserve.

马来西亚独立广场

马来西亚独立广场坐落在首都吉隆坡苏丹阿都沙末大厦对面，是这里的标志性建筑，也是每年庆祝国庆的地点。广场面积约8公顷，绿草如茵。 1957年8月31日，马来西亚国旗在这里第一次升起，标志着国家脱离英国统治而独立。广场南端当年的升旗点现在矗立着全世界最高的旗杆，高达100米。

广场周围是许多历史价值的建筑物。苏丹阿卜杜勒·沙马德大厦俯瞰独立广场，是由英国建造的最显著的地标之一。设计灵感来自印度的莫卧儿建筑，完成于1897年，雪兰莪州秘书处设此，后来改为最高法院。荒废多年后，现在为遗产，文化和艺术部所在地。此外还有都铎式风格的雪兰莪皇家俱乐部、国立历史博物馆（原渣打银行大厦）和纪念图书馆，圣公会圣玛利亚座堂，一座一百多年历史的哥特式建筑，吉隆坡火车总站等。