A feng shui tour of the Klang Valley #19

THE LEGACY OF CHINATOWN

Kuala Lumpur started as a mining town, set up to provide supplies to miners in the area and to facilitate trading. It was blessed with having a wide and deep river that stretched from Port Klang up to present-day Jalan Ampang, where the AIA Building is located.
The river was a major mode of transportation for goods back then. Warehouses, called godowns or “gudang”, were set up alongside the river, from the Masjid Jamek area up to AIA. Indeed, Kuala Lumpur looks very different today. As with most other mining towns, one would not be surprised if Kuala Lumpur faded into obscurity once the last of the tin ore was mined.

However, the landform of the Klang Valley proved otherwise. The mountainous Himalaya ranges stretch down into the Malay Peninsula (the Titiwangsa range). At Bukit Tinggi, there are two branches that form embracing arms to create the Klang Valley. This probably accounts for the prosperity and longevity of Kuala Lumpur long after tin mining ceased.

We discussed this at length in a previous article and it is good to recap once in awhile.

Anyway, a majority of miners in Malaya were Chinese migrant workers. Contrary to popular belief, the British did not ship them in by the boatloads. Even before the British “interfered” in the affairs of state, Chinese labourers were already a strong presence at the mines. Their willingness to work hard under back-breaking conditions made them an ideal choice.

GREENER PASTURES
Many of them left China because despite the hardship they endured, they could not get ahead financially. The allure of Southeast Asia and further was irresistible: there, a hardworking enterprising person can make fortunes. Or at least that was what they were told when they were indentured as labourers in foreign lands.

It was the Larut Wars, where two Chinese secret societies – the Ghee Hin and Hai San – fought incessantly, perhaps at the behest of the Malay aristocracy who fought each other for power, wealth and influence, which opened the door to British intervention and eventually, colonialism.

Again, we digress. The point is, as a majority of miners were Chinese in origin, a Chinese enclave was formed in Kuala Lumpur town to serve their needs. This enclave eventually became Chinatown, near Puduraya. Believe it or not, this was the centre of town as it was a hub for transportation.
Today, we are led to believe that Jalan Ampang area where the Kuala Lumpur City Centre and the iconic Petronas Twin Towers are found is the city centre. Actually, the site used to be “out of town”, and was a racecourse. It suited the compulsive gambling habits of the Chinese tremendously. While hardworking, they also relished a game of chance to get wealthy quicker and with less effort!

As the city grew, the Turf Club was eventually relocated to Serdang, again outside of the city. One wonders how long it will take before it is again considered “in town” and relocated elsewhere.

TRADING OUTPOSTS
In Chinatowns throughout the world, especially the historical ones that grew with the cities, there is an unmistakable trait. They began as trading outposts to provide goods and services to a large group of Chinese migrant workers. They are often located near ports, warehouses and piers. Since these locations were the centre of activity in nascent cities, they can be found in the inner city or “old town” as it grows. Kuala Lumpur’s is no different.
Chinatown is characterised by a few streets: Jalan Sultan, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (formerly Foch Avenue), Jalan Tun H.S. Lee (formerly High Street), Jalan Petaling, Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin and Jalan Yap Ah Loy.

Jalan Tun H.S. Lee was formerly known as Jalan Bandar or High Street. This alludes to the prominence of this area in the early days, the significance of which has been lost after it was renamed. High Street was named as such because it was the main road that stretched across old Kuala Lumpur. It was renamed in honour of Tun Henry H.S. Lee, Malaysia’s first finance minister in 1960.

Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin was named after yet another finance minister. Prior to 2003, it was known as Jalan Silang or Cross Street. While it is understandable for us Malaysians to exert our own identity and wipe out the vestiges of colonialism, we may want to do so with moderation.

There are always new roads that can be built and named after our post-independence heroes to honour them. Preserving some of the older British-era names have a few benefits, such as giving our city character and historical flavour; honouring benefactors of Kuala Lumpur and Malaya during colonial times (without whom we may be too backward to even survive after Merdeka); and teaching our children to appreciate those who came before us.

HISTORICAL VALUE
We cannot erase the past or the fact that Malaysia was once colonised by Britain. There is nothing to be ashamed of. There is much that can be learned and many positives that can be used. Whitewashing the past only suggests an innate sense of insecurity, not superiority. History is a key factor in successful branding and can be used to further Malaysia as a tourist destination. Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong – well, practically every successful tourist haven – capitalise on their history, not rewrite them!

We better get off our soapbox and continue with the tour. In case you are wondering, this is just to give a historical backdrop to Chinatown so that you, dear readers, can get a broader perspective of this area and then see how landform feng shui has impacted it over the decades.

Our goal, if you remember, is to observe the effects of geomantic forces on businesses and residences to see if ancient feng shui principles as written by the sages of old are still applicable in the modern world.

Chinatown is located within the embracing concave of the Klang River to the west. To the east and north lies the mountain range. There are also small hills dotting the landscape to the east (the Methodist school, Merdeka Stadium, the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent).

The river flows in a southerly direction. This means, buildings that face West and South are the most conducive for business and residences. Conversely, those that face the opposite direction are not very good.

SULTAN STREET
Jalan Sultan begins at the junction of Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock where the old train terminal used to be. This was the heart of old Kuala Lumpur.
The terminal was next to the largest newspaper distribution centre in the country. Every morning before dawn, this area would be abuzz with activity. In the building upstairs was the Siew Mei Tailoring School, one of the oldest of its kind, now defunct.

Jalan Sultan was named after Sultan Abdul Samad, the first Sultan of Selangor to accept a British Resident. The British built a small palace for him here, at the present location of the Confucian secondary school, and the street was aptly named Sultan Street. However, the Sultan never moved from his residence in Ulu Langat and thus, there was never a sultan living at Sultan Street but the name remained to this day.

Jalan Sultan initially runs southwards with a hill on its left (where the Methodist and Confucian secondary schools are) and the river on its right.

This is a very busy part of Chinatown, with plenty of shops selling food, curios, toys and provisions. Going by the landform, West-facing properties on the left should do roaring business. They have a hilly high land at the back and their fronts face lower ground and the river, to boot. Small wonder that Chinatown prospered so well since the early days!
On the opposite side of the road, however, the landform works against businesses and residences. Despite being in a so-called red-hot commercial district, businesses located here tend to struggle and change hands many times.
The older generation would remember the Rex cinema. Given its prime location, one would think that this cinema would last forever! It was even renovated extensively at one point to create a modern comfortable viewing experience for moviegoers, way before cineplexes thought of doing the same.

However, the cinema is no more. Could it be the home video revolution that destroyed its business? Was it the severely limited parking that deterred cinemagoers? Even fast-food restaurants did not last long on this side of the road, an anomaly to business analysts, no doubt.

CINEMAS NO MORE
Incidentally, there were another cinema here – the Madras – which like all its contemporaries, is now extinct.
That does not make sense, does it? After all, this area is bustling with people. Practically every minibus (remember those terrors of the road?) stopped nearby. Remember, this was the centre of Kuala Lumpur.

Could the shifting of the centre towards KLCC and Jalan Bukit Bintang have contributed to this state of affairs? If that were true, it ought to affect other shopping establishments in the vicinity. Clearly it did not.
We’re inclined to think it is geomantic forces at work. Properties on this side of the road have their backs to the river and face a hill. Success will be patchy and difficult, and if attained, last only a generation.

Jalan Sultan makes a right-angled turn westward at the junction with Jalan Hang Jebat. From this point, the road slopes downwards to the Klang River. This is a very peculiar and difficult segment of the road: properties on either side cannot benefit from a river-facing frontage. As such, they can either face north (against the river flow) or south (following the flow).

Fortunately, there are few properties with this orientation. This segment of Jalan Sultan is criss-crossed by many roads that run parallel to the Klang River. The few businesses here that face north are likely to struggle.
Imagine such properties, if you will, as fishing traps set in a river facing upstream. They are more likely to trap detritus flowing downstream. According to feng shui, and even the old Malay practice of tajul muluk, properties that go against the river flow have a tendency to attract mental disturbances, such as irrational behaviour and stupidity!
More on Chinatown next week.