National Monument and ASEAN Sculpture Garden in Kuala Lumpur

The National Monument of Malaysia is a short walk from Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, about 1.6 km (1 mile) to the east, across from the Botanical Gardens.  The monument is dedicated to warriors who died defending Malaysian sovereignty.

The ASEAN Sculpture Garden, established in 1987 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is located at the entrance to the National Monument.  The sculptures in the garden are from artists in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, India, and Brunei.  I wander through the tranquil grounds of the Sculpture Garden as I approach the National Monument, following the winding paths past the lakes, and streams.

 ASEAN Sculpture Garden grounds

Scattered throughout the garden are great works of public art constructed from many materials, including wood, glass, steel, marble, iron, and bamboo.

 Sculptures in the garden

At the back of the Sculpture Garden, steps lead up to the National Monument, which consists of five main components occupying 48,562 square meters (12 acres, 4.8 hectares):  the National Monument, fountains, a pavilion, a war memorial, and surrounding gardens.  In the monument, unveiled in 1966, seven bronze statues represent the triumph of the forces of democracy over the forces of evil. 

Nataional Monument

Pavilion

War memorial

The site of the National Monument has great views back toward the city and, along with the ASEAN Sculpture Garden, provides a quiet oasis for reflection.

 Views of the city

Quiet gardens

I enjoy the break from the busy city, but soon head back toward the Merdeka Square to continue my exploration.

Chow Kit Market in Kuala Lumpur

Chow Kit Market is the most popular local market in Kuala Lumpur.  Off the normal tourist path, it is only a few blocks from the Kampung Baru Malay community and I walk over to find a large part of the city shopping, bargaining, and loading up on great produce, meat, fish, and anything else one might want to eat.

As I get close to the market, the street is lined with small shops selling plants, vegetables, and other daily necessities.

Approaching the market

At the edge of the market, I peer in past the scooters and see aisles of food, each aisle focusing on one topic:  poultry, beef/pork/mutton, fish, vegetables.

Peering into Chow Kit Market

I enter and wander the aisles.

 Beef, mutton, pork

 Poultry

Near the poultry stands, a person with a blowtorch is cooking the chickens and the stands are selling both raw and cooked chickens.

 Cooking chicken

The next aisles have fish of all sorts.

 Fish

 And, finally, the rows and rows of vegetable stands.

 Vegetables

Along the edge of the market are small restaurants, serving food prepared from the fresh ingredients a few feet away.

 Dining in

Wow, what a great place!  It makes me want to stay somewhere that I can cook in order to take advantage of all the fabulous foods available here.

Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kampung Baru is the oldest Malay settlement in Kuala Lumpur.  Located just across the Klang River from the Petronas Twin Towers and modern Kuala Lumpur, the community protects and preserves an ethnic Malay lifestyle.

The entrance to Kampung Baru is grand and as soon as I pass through, I enter the shops, markets and restaurants of the district.

Entrance to Kampung Baru

 Shops and restaurants

In 1900 the Colonial British Administrators designated Kampung Baru as a Malay agricultural settlement, to allow the residents to maintain their rural lifestyle inside the city.  I stroll down streets full of traditional Malay houses, generally built of wood and each with its own distinct personality.

 Traditional Malay houses

The tall modern buildings around the Petronas Twin Towers are visible from all over the district, a reminder of modern Kuala Lumpur across the river.

 Modern Kuala Lumpur across the river

I pass the school and observe the sign on proper dress for attendance.

Schoolhouse

Proper dress

And, I spot a few things that are the same world wide, a car wash and a modern restaurant sticker on a car.

Car wash

I wonder how you become a VIP at McD?

I wander most of the streets of the district, watching the morning life start up in this Malay district and leave through the entrance at which I started.

 Heading back out past the shops and restaurants

Walking through and observing this traditional Malay community go about its daily business has been a great introduction to the Malay culture of Kuala Lumpur there is definitely something appealing about preserving a rural-lifestyle community in the middle of the bustling city.