Petaling Street (3♠)

Back in the olden days when Malaysia was still known as ‘Tanah Melayu’ or Malaya, the Chinese had come to this country to work at the tin mines. However, during the Selangor Civil War, the tin mines were temporarily abandoned. The Chinese returned after the war, only to find the mines flooded. Yap Ah Loy, an influential Chinese figure back then, had opened a tapioca mill on Petaling Street in his bid to persuade the Chinese to stay on. To this day, Petaling Street is sometimes called ‘Chee Cheong Kai’, meaning ‘Starch Factory Street’ in Cantonese, referring to its history as the centre for the production of tapioca flour back then.

Since then, Petaling Street has been given a facelift. Gone are the patchy roads, broken pavements and colourful umbrellas attached to wooden pushcarts lining the street on both sides. A green awning covers the length of the street, acting as a roof to shield vendors and shoppers from the heat and the rain. An Oriental-style archway with the words ‘Jalan Petaling/Petaling Street’ spelled out in gold letters greets visitors at its main entrance.

Petaling Street is chock-full of shops and stalls selling goods and food. A signboard warning against the sale of imitation goods provides an interesting – even ironic – contrast as the whole street is practically littered with fake branded items. Handbags, watches, trainers, clothing – you name it, they’ve got it. Louis Vuitton sits side-by-side with Rolex, and you can sometimes get the latest cinematic releases at less than RM 10 each. For shoppers on a tight budget or those looking for cheap and cheerful ‘branded’ goods, Petaling Street will be their first stop as it offers not just variety but also value for money as the prices can be further whittled down through hard bargaining.

Petaling Street is also filled with opportunities to sample a delightful array of local cuisine. Chinese and seafood restaurants can be found at every corner, and stalls selling all kinds of snacks are stretched along the street, resulting in an interesting mixture of aroma filling the air that is quite hard to resist. The best thing about them is that most of them are open until very late at night, with some even staying open until four to five in the morning. For a highly-recommended list of food to try in and around Petaling Street, take a look at our Chinatown Dining section.

茨厂街

茨厂街就是俗称的唐人街，或称中国城。如今在茨厂街叫卖做生意的多已是外劳，卖着各种名牌仿制品。在这里可以品尝到当地的地道小吃，也能讨价还价买到旅游纪念品。 出名的夜晚排挡多集中在Jalan Hang Lekir和苏丹街(Jalan Sultan)，越夜越热闹。茨厂街地区文化街的出现，为这里带来更多的艺术气息：利用战前建造的旧店屋，重新装修成咖啡店、酒吧、主题餐厅、民歌餐厅、书局、茶艺馆等，是茨厂街的新特色，当地新人也会以墙上的特色涂鸦为背景，作为结婚照的场景，另有一番味道。

茨厂街的第一间店为麦当劳。茨厂街里有很多商务类三星级的酒店，如：马来亚酒店和瑞士宾馆酒店。除此之外，茨厂街也有很多书店和食物小贩，售卖海南鸡饭和面汤。茨厂街附近有一些旅游景点，比如嘉美回教堂（Masjid Jamek），一座摩尔式的百年清真寺。此外，还有步行也能到达的中央艺术坊。公共交通方面，茨厂街靠近隶属格兰那再也线的中央艺术坊轻快铁站和马哈拉惹雷拉单轨铁路站。 茨厂街附近有一个标志性的建筑，著名的马里安曼兴都庙，位于敦李孝式路。这是吉隆坡其中一座最古老和最富有的印度教寺庙，每天都有很多信徒和游客到访。