Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FESTIVALS
hree religions - Islam, Buddhism and
Hinduism - are represented in Malaysia,
and they play a vital role in the everyday
lives of the population. Some religious
festivals are celebrated at home or in the
mosque or temple. During Ramadan,
Muslims fast during the daytime for a
whole month, while other festivals are
marked with great spectacle. Most of the
festivals change annually according to
the lunar calendar.
Chinese
New Year
Jan-Feb. Chinese operas and lion
and dragon dance troupes perform in the streets. The
festival is actually fifteen days long, but in general only
the first two and the last are observed with actual events
- throughout the rest of the time, a general holiday
atmosphere abounds but life continues as normal (though
in places with a large Chinese population, many services
may shut down).
Thaipusam
Jan/Feb. Entranced Hindu penitents carry
elaborate steel arches, attached to their skin by hooks
and skewers (especially at KL's Batu Caves) in honour of
Muruga, the god of war.
Gawai
Dayak
June. Sarawak's Iban and Bidayuk people
hold extravagant feasts to mark the end of the rice harvest,
best experienced at the Iban longhouses on the Ai, Skrang
and Lemanak rivers near Kuching (June) and in Bidayuh
communities around Bau.
Dragon
Boat
Festival
June/July in Penang, Malacca and
Kota Kinabalu, where the traditional dragon boats race.
Rainforest Music Festival
July/Aug at the Cultural
Village near Kuching, Sarawak. Three-day music and art
extravaganza with artists from around the world and an
emphasis on the indigenous music of Borneo.
Festival
of
the
Hungry
Ghosts
Late Aug. Known
locally as Yue Lan, this is a festival for appeasing both
ancestors and homeless spirits, by providing them with
essentials such as food and drink. The best festivities are
held in Penang.
Navarathiri
Sept-Oct. Hindu temples devote nine nights
to classical dance and music in honour of the deities, and
young girls dress as the goddess Kali.
the most iconic structures being the
twin Petronas Towers, which dwarf most
other gleaming skyscrapers. As a mix of
cultures, KL manages to combine the
best of all worlds, being less frenetic than
most Indian cities and friendlier and
more laidback than a lot of Chinese ones.
With a population of nearly two million,
it has undeniable energy, but still
manages to retain a relaxed old-world
charm - and the inhabitants' warmth is
hard to beat. here are certainly enough
interesting monuments, galleries, markets
and museums to keep visitors busy for a
while, and its shopping and dining scenes
are second to none.
6
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
he city centre is quite compact, with the
Colonial District
centred on Merdeka
Square; close by, across the river and to
the north,
Chinatown
and
Little India
are
the two main traditional commercial
districts. One of the most prominent
(and busiest) of KL's central streets, Jalan
Tuanku Abdul Rahman, or
Jalan TAR
as
it's often known, runs due north from
Merdeka Square for 2km to Chow Kit
Market; west of the square are the
Lake Gardens
, while to the south lie
the
Masjid Negara
(National Mosque),
the
Islamic Arts Museum
, the landmark
Old KL train station
and the
Muzium
Negara
(National Museum).
Merdeka Square and the National
Textiles Museum
he small
Colonial District
is centred on the
beautifully tended
Merdeka Square
on the
west bank of the Klang River: Malaysian
Independence (
merdeka
, or freedom) from
the British was proclaimed here on August
31, 1957. On the same square is the
National Textiles Museum
(daily 9am-6pm;
free;
W
jmm.gov.my/en/museum/national
-textiles-museum) showcasing the origins
of textiles from prehistoric times. Also
exhibited are the traditional techniques of
textile making, with a focus on Malaysia's
most common textiles.
Kuala Lumpur
and around
Founded in the mid-nineteenth century,
KUALA LUMPUR
, or KL, is a vast modern
metropolis, a fast-changing super-city, an
impressive mix of architectural styles,
Masjid Negara
South, down Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin,
is the impressive 70m-high minaret and
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