Chinatowns of Malaysia

Functioning as a half-way house between China and Middle East, the Malay peninsula has been a cultural crossroad for centuries. Therefore, it was inevitable that some early traders choose to settle here, and among them were Chinese merchants. Though trade with China reached a peak during the Dutch occupation of Malacca (1641-1795) with consequential Chinese migration, it was the British who encouraged thousands of Chinese immigrants to come and work in the tin mines. These early migrants preferred to congregate together, thus giving rise to Chinatowns. A stroll through such quarters is an eye-opening experience.
Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown is the area roughly demarcated by Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Jalan Sultan and Jalan Cheng Lock. A hodge-potch of Neo-Classical shophouses, modern shopping complexes, fan-ventilated coffee shops and stores selling a myriad of wares ranging from salted fish, herbal medicine, Buddhist figurines and funeral paraphernalia make for interesting browsing. The heartbeat of Chinatown is Jalan Petaling (Petaling Street), where makeshift stalls sprout out every evening to sell clothes, watches, CDs and leather bags. The clang of ladles and spatulas against frying pans, the steam of Chinese steamboat soup wafting in the air, and the sizzle of vegetables and meat being stir-fried stimulate an appetite among the passers-by.
Here, one can also observe a few dying trades during the day. At Jalan Petaling (Petaling Street), a tinker makes buckets, pots, letter boxes and ladles using a soldering iron heated over a charcoal oven. He uses only manual tools such as shears, pliers and scissors to cut, shape and solder the aluminium foils. A few doors away in a shop, there is a wizened shoemaker who hand-stitches PU and PVC shoes. Nearby, Uda Ocean Shopping Complex and Plaza Warisan beckon with their products made in modern factories. Obviously, the tinker and clobber may never be seen again in future as they fight a losing battle against the forces of modernisation.
If you can stomach the smell of fish and poultry, pop inside the Wet Market at Jalan Petaling. Gasping fish wriggle on cement slabs, chickens are crammed in cages, hogs' trotters hang from hooks and piles of vegetables lie invitingly in baskets. The entrance to the wet market is at Jalan Hang Lekir -- a street with an savoury past, as it had 39 registered brothels in 1890. For more palatable sights and smells, head for China Park. Located at the southern fringe of Chinatown at Jalan Maharajalela, next to the Monorail Station, it is an ochre two-storey building housing stores overflowing with Chinese collectibles and trinkets.
Historical sights are aplenty. At Jalan Tun. H.S. Lee (formerly known as High Street), the Kwang Siew Association harks back to 1888. Its temple roofs and eaves are adorned with stone dragons and mythical creatures, while two stone lions watch over its entrance. Proceeding south will bring you to the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple and the High Street Police Station, which was built in 1895.
At the southern end of Jalan Tun H. S. Lee, the pitched roof of the Old Victoria Institution peeps through the foliage of angsana trees. Resembling an English cottage and made of timber and brick, it was designed by A. C. Norman. In 1911, the bungalow in its grounds was the scene of a murder. English writer Somerset Maugham immortalised this crime of passion in a short story which was later made into a film titled "The Letter."
Up north in Georgetown, the capital of Penang, the soul of a Chinatown still lingers after more than 200 years since the founding of the island by Sir Francis Light in 1786. Geographically, the Chinatown is the maze of streets between Lebuh Chula and Jalan Dr. Lim Chwee Leong. Start your tour in the early morning at Lebuh Carnarvon where the street is turned into an open-air wet market with scores of makeshift stalls. Slippers, crockery, baskets of squirming fishes, bunches of vegetables and boxes of fruits fight for space among the stalls. While housewives jostle against one another to shop, rickshaws gather at stands to await customers, giving the scene a distinct Oriental feel.
Proceed to Lebuh Cannon to reach the Khoo Kongsi, an opulent clanhouse built in 1898. Intricate carvings of dragons, phoenixes and Taoist deities atop its saddle-shaped roof enhance the lavishness of its interior, which is furnished with mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture and other embellishments such as carved pillars. Ten minutes' stroll away at Lebuh Acheh, Masjid Melayu has an interesting history. Built in 1808 with an Egyptian-styled minaret, it was the secret rendezvous of the Malay Red Flag Secret Society which sided with the Hokkien Tua Pek Kong triad in the latter's dispute with the Cantonese Ghee Hins. The upshot of the dispute resulted in the Penang Riots of 1867.
Sir Harry Ord, the Governor General of the Straits Settlements, dispatch a battalion of sepoys from Singapore to quell the fighting. It is rumoured that bullet holes can still be seen in many old houses in the area and that the hole in the minaret of the mosque was caused by a flying cannonball.
Another must-visit attraction is Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, which is located at Lebuh Leith. Comprising 38 rooms and 220 windows, it was once the residence of Cheong Fatt Tze and his eight wives. Nicknamed "Rockefeller of the East" by the New York Times, Cheong combined an eclectic mix of imported English floor tiles, Gothic louvered windows, art nouveau stained glass window and feng shui symbols to create a stunning showpiece. The mansion was also the set of the film titled "Indochine" starring Catherine Deneuve.
More sights wait at Lorong Cinta (Love Lane), Lorong Stewart and Lebuh Muntri, which are residential areas. Here, townhouses display calligraphic signboards and pastel-coloured stucco walls. Several have been converted into budget hotels. The Carpenters Guild on Love Lane has seen more than 150 years of history. During those days, all carpenters who came from China sojourned at the guild before proceeding to other parts of the country for work.
In the Chinatown of Malacca -- Malaysia's historical city -- the focal point is Jalan Hang Jebat and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. Formerly known as Hereen Street, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock is a showcase of Straits Chinese architecture at its best. Also referred to as Baba-Nyonya, Straits Chinese are the offsprings of intermarriage between early Chinese migrants and Malay woman. Their palatial homes are a beautiful blend of Chinese, Malay and European styles. To explore the interior of such a home, step into the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, where there are conducted tours.
Once known as Jonker's Street, Jalan Hang Jebat is famous for its antique stores. The Malay daggers, Nyonya ceramics, Dutch candle-holders, Chinese opium beds, charcoal-burning irons and Victorian clocks on sale in the dozens of stores mirror Malacca's rich history. Even if you are not into antiques, Jalan Hang Hebat will captivate you with its rustic charm.
Kuala Terenggnau's Chinatown consists of a row of prewar old building at Jalan Kampong Cina. These century-old buildings house shops, coffee shops, tour operators, batik and souvenir shops and restaurants. Recently, some businessmen have bought the houses from the original owners and turned them into 'swiftlet house' for their bird nest business.