For a long time, I knew of Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur for its knockoffs of luxury goods and haggling being the norm. The epicentre being a long undercover Petaling Street full of tourist stuff for sale such as fake designer watches, fake designer bags, jewellery, shoes, belts, hats, toys, mobile phone cases and anything else the locals think a visitor to Malaysia might want to buy.

However, Kooshal and I discovered that there is a proper authentic working class Chinatown. It has all the required features that make these towns tick. Colourful, vibrant, lively, busy, noisy, crowded, exotic smells, herbs and medicine shops, temples, dragons, sculptures, restaurants, bars, street food stalls and budget hotels.

On Saturday morning, Chetna being away in Ipoh with her friends for the weekend, Kooshal and I decided to join Jane Rai on a Chinatown Cultural Walk. Jane has always been drawn to the human aspect of heritage — how a space makes people feel and affects interaction.

The Chinatown walk is split into three parts, making it easy to navigate. First is the features section, which talks about places such as REXKL, as well as some cafes like Mingle Cafe.

The second part is the food highlights, all those old-timer food stalls and hawkers.
The third are the historical landmarks — from Victoria Institution, a school that dates back over 100 years to the many places of worship such as the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, which was built by the famous Kapitan Cina, Yap Ah Loy. The famed Gurdwara Sahib Polis, built in 1898 to cater for Sikh police officers, while the bungalow-like space housing Kafei Dian on Jalan Panggong was once a post office, built in 1911 and the oldest Hindu temples in the city, the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple. Founded in 1873, it was built as a private family shrine by K Thamboosamy Pillai, who is a major name in KL’s history. These landmarks are crucial in KL’s history.
Thanks to Jane Rai, amongst other things we discovered;
1. How Chinatown is referred to as ’Chee Cheong Kai’ (Starch Factory Street).
2. The difference between a shophouse and a townhouse.
3. How a younger generation of businesses began populating the shoplots again with hipster cafés and more approachable wares.
4. That Yap Ah Loy was instrumental in the growth of KL because he helped rebuild it after the fire to the point that it has become what it is today.
5. How Kampung Pandan got its name.
6. Which Chinese Tea suits Malaysian palette best.
7.The system the British used to police the people.
8.The system the British and the Dutch used to tax.
9. The story of the Madras Theatre and Muttiah Chetty Lane.
10. The chocolate story.

We ended our tour at the iconic Kean Guan Tea Merchant Shop with Kian Chuan aka KC who is the third-generation business owner looking after his family’s tea shop established in 1945. And we had lunch at the Hungry Tapir, a vegan restaurant with a full serviced bar! While Chinatown is still the go-to place for knock-off designer goods, it is also where one will find the best food stalls that have been run by generations of restaurateurs and cooks.
But the history behind the people and places and how they started is all very interesting — like how they moved from one place to another and how long ago they began.
We experienced the human element and saw Chinatown as a place of new beginnings. Nostalgic charm with all the modern amenities- that is what Chinatown has come to be. The charm will never fade.