After an 8-hour ride from George Town to Kuala Lumpur, I arrived at the busiest and biggest bus terminal I’ve seen, and soon after hopped on a well-connected subway which would take me directly to the landmark of Malaysia: the Petronas Towers!
Proudly conquering the title of world’s tallest twin structures, the Petronas are the headquarters of the national Malaysian oil and gas company. My tiny figure, barely 1.60 meters against their 452 meters, looked up to these steel and glass giants in awe! It was raining and they resembled glossy diamonds brightly illuminated in the night. And I wasn’t the only one taking a good look – the surrounding gardens and fountains were crowded with tourists and youth being chased by amateur photographers promising a social-media worthy picture with this iconic background.
One late afternoon, I found myself marvelling at the sunset from the rooftop of my hotel, a “modest” 47 storey block (interestingly, it skipped floors 4, 14, 24, 34 and 44, as number 4 a synonym of bad luck for the Cantonese). I admired the human engineering behind the cityscape, but if one’s gaze moved slightly away from the skyscrapers, an unexpected view of the residential neighbourhoods would disrupt the mighty vision, with households that were anything but glamorous or modern… I wondered how the inhabitants of these urban conglomerates truly felt.
Perhaps, the young generations find fulfilment though being employed by the millionaire enterprises whose offices dominate the city – their hopes for a good life, and sense of belonging and significance, may flourish as capitalism does too. Maybe it’s the very opposite: while the buildings keep on getting taller, symbolizing the growing wealth of just a few, the average citizen might feel oppressed and lost amidst the flashy company logos. The ambience seems to bear the promise of a fast development meant to benefit all via a strong consumerist culture, but it leaves you wondering: what exactly can one do in the “free” time but to spend money? Or thinking about making money?
These thoughts continued to cloud my mind as I explored the city, which I don’t recall as being particularly walker-friendly, with many roads and intercepting bridges without nearly as many crossings. Eventually, I discovered one of the few non-metalized areas of Kuala Lumpur – Perdana Botanical Garden. Its dimension and dense tree layout created the feeling one was in a bubble, incapsulated and shielded from the hustle and bustle, even if it was possible to spot nearby highrisers peaking in behind the greenery.
Close-by was the Islamic Arts Museum, another pleasant getaway, in an edifice as delicate and worthy of contemplation as the artwork inside. From afar, its dome covered in blue mosaics could be mistaken by an important monument, like the National Mosque, also located in the neighbourhood (surprisingly, the latter doesn’t compare in beauty, with its geometrical shape resembling an umbrella, probably the work of an architect wanting to depart from the traditional design of these holy places). A temporary exhibition worth a mention showcased orientalist paintings by the brushstrokes of foreign artists who travelled to the Middle East and North Africa around the XIX century; it was adequately titled “Mirror or Mirage”, with a colour palette and level of detail able to captivate the viewer for hours.
Affirming the multicultural insignia of the country, Kuala Lumpur also comprises places of worship from all religions, and an imponent Hindu temple in the outskirts of town, known as Batu Caves, may surprise you with its numerous permanent residents – cheeky monkeys looking for an opportunity to steal anything from cameras to bags of chips. After all, there was more to the city than anticipated…
photo gallery
