Kuala Lumpur, where sleek skyscrapers like the Petronas Towers carve an iconic skyline, stands as a testament to Malaysia’s headfirst and headstrong charge into modernity. But it also retains its quieter, village-like soul. In the shadow of high-rises, the historic kampung (“village”) houses of Kampung Baru showed me a different side of the city, and let me glimpse the foundation of Malaysia’s capital.
As I toured Kuala Lumpur, I saw various houses of worship, a mosaic of ethnicities, a plethora of restaurants, a cross-section of Asia, an endless supply of shops, and a doozie of a traffic jam. But this photo of Kampung Baru — walking distance from the Petronas Towers, which rise in the background — for me symbolizes what really makes Kuala Kumpur unique.
Here’s a cat prowling the same village:
