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Petaling Street (Malay language: Jalan Petaling, Simplified Chinese: 茨厂街, Traditional Chinese: 茨廠街, pinyin: Cíchǎng Jiē, Cantonese jyutping: ci4 cong2 gaai1) is a Chinatown located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The whole vicinity is also known as Chinatown KL. Haggling is a common sight here and the place is usually crowded with locals as well as tourists.
The area has dozens of restaurants and food stalls, serving local favourites such as Hokkien mee, Ikan Bakar (barbecued fish), laksa and Curry Mee. Reggae Bar Chinatown is located here. Traders here are mainly Han Chinese but there are also Indian, Malaysian Malays, and Bangladeshis traders. It is also known for street prostitution.
Kuala Lumpur was a typical "pioneer" town around the start of the 20th century. The population was predominantly male, and they were typical of the rough and tough pioneers of those times. The men were mainly Cantonese people and Hakka people who had come to the city because of the tin trade, working as coolies in the mines. They were governed by a Chinese Kapitan or headman. The most famous Chinese Kapitan Cina was Yap Ah Loy, a Hakka.
In the 1860s to 1870s, the Selangor Civil War erupted between rival Malay factions as well as within the Chinese community that were allied to them. The Chinese community split along partisan lines between the Hokkien Ghee Hin and the Hakka Hai San secret societies. When the British authorities realised that the war disrupted their economy and , they decided to enter the war. As a result, many buildings were destroyed or severely damaged.
During the civil war, the tin mines were abandoned. The neglect during this time caused them to become flooded. After the war, (and when the miners returned) they found that the mines were now unworkable due to flooding. Yap Ah Loy persuaded the miners and coolies to remain in KL and persuaded the Malays in the surrounding districts to grow rice and other garden products. He opened a Tapioca Mill in Petaling Street where the tubers from his farms were brought to be ground into flour. Petaling Street is fondly called 'Chee Cheong Kai' in Cantonese, meaning Starch Factory Street.
One of Kuala Lumpur's famous landmarks, the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur, is located along with Jalan Tun H.S. Lee. It is one of KL's oldest and richest Hindu temples, receiving many devotees and tourists daily.
Another notable landmark within the area is Kwai Chai Hong (Chinese language: 鬼仔巷) located along Lorong Panggung. It is a back alley behind the Shophouse with lots of mural arts managed by Bai Chuan Management Sdn Bhd to make use as a tourist attraction. The name translates literally as Little Ghost Lane or Little Demon Lane in English language. The alley features 6 artistic interactive murals with QR code placed on the walls of each mural about historic life of residents around the block back in the days.
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