These days, the areas surrounding Petaling Street are thriving with fancy eateries and bars that open till late.
According to statistics portal Statista, there are 6.88 million Chinese living in Malaysia as of 2022. This places Malaysia third in the world as the country with the largest number of overseas Chinese, behind Thailand (7.01 million) and Indonesia (10.94 million).
Historically, Chinese presence in South-East Asia emerged in the 19th century when, starting from the 1850s (and until the 1950s), Chinese workers ventured to the region to seek employment opportunities, as per the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy’s research.
The same article states that the Chinese migration shifted to more industrialised areas such as Europe, the Americas, Australia and Japan during the 1950s to 1980s.
Dispersed across 130 countries, the Chinese diaspora is statistically the largest in the world, amounting to 39.5 million migrants. This led to the global emergence of Chinatowns – Chinese settlements that have evolved over the centuries from simply living quarters into vibrant tourist attractions.
It’s no different in Malaysia, where Chinatowns can be found in several states. The most popular is Petaling Street, often cited as one of the must-visits in Kuala Lumpur.
Many of these Chinatowns bear a different official name and are usually referred to by locals with other names, but for the sake of simplicity, “Chinatown” remains an oft-used umbrella term for Chinese settlements that have become highly popular for tourism.
To tourists, they are typically marketed as the place to visit to experience Chinese culture. In melting pot cities, they also showcase how the said culture has assimilated to its host country’s multicultural tapestry.
In Melaka, for example, tourists can experience the Chinese Peranakan or Baba Nyonya heritage that resulted from the assimilation with Malay culture. That said, Chinatowns vary between states in Malaysia, each one offering a novel experience.
These days, Melaka’s Jonker Walk is famous for its weekend night market.
Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur
Let’s begin with the most prominent one, KL’s Chinatown, centred on the bustling Petaling Street, and also called “Chee Cheong Gai” in Cantonese. Here, a market with stalls selling everything from local street food to souvenirs (and luxury brand dupes) is the main attraction.
Venturing away from the often-crowded street, heritage buildings lending an old-world charm – juxtaposed with modern hotels and cafés – line the roads. These are traversable by foot but with caution because heavy traffic plague the area, as is the case with most tourist spots in big cities.
Walking tours are available to those wanting to learn more of the area’s history that dates back to the 1870s, which includes its murky past, and how this Chinatown has evolved since then.
Jonker Walk, Melaka
Officially known as Lorong Hang Jebat, Melaka’s Chinatown is popularly known as Jonker Walk or Jonker Street – taking the surname of a prominent Dutchman that was stationed in the city during the Dutch Colonial occupation in the 17th century.
Interestingly, its Chinese name is “Ji Chang Jie”, which translates to “Chicken Farm Street”. This isn’t in reference to the chicken rice balls that the historic city is known for, but rather, it is said to mean “bustling street”.
That is an apt description, especially on weekend nights from Friday to Sunday when its famous Jonker Street Night Market is held, with mouth-watering street foods being the market’s biggest draw.
Concubine Lane in Ipoh is filled with little shops in pre-war buildings. — Photos: Filepic
Concubine Lane, Perak
Considered as the Chinatown of Ipoh, Concubine Lane is officially named Lorong Panglima, but in Cantonese it is also known as Yee Lai Hong or Mistress Lane.
The area generally referred to Concubine Lane is technically made up of two other lanes as well, which are Wife Lane (Lorong Hale) and Second Concubine Lane (Market Lane). The names themselves illustrate the kind of risqué past the area used to have since it was built in the late 19th century.
However, it has since evolved into a family-friendly and trendy place to visit, with cafés and souvenir stalls lining Concubine Lane’s narrow street that is best explored on foot.
Kampung Cina, Terengganu
Located in Kuala Terengganu, the royal capital of the Terengganu state, Kampung Cina is a Chinese settlement that has existed in the city since the 18th century.
Throughout its long history, there had been a few attempts to change its official name – from Kampung Cina to Jalan Bandar to Chinatown. These names may be interchangeable among non-locals but officially, it has been referred to for the past few decades as Kampung Cina.
News broke in October 2023 that it was going to be rebranded as Chinatown again. This move was contemplated as it is believed that the place has untapped tourism potential and “Chinatown”, being a term ingrained in most tourists’ mind as a must-visit area, might just entice them to come.
Foh Sang, Sabah
Chinese is the largest non-Indigenous ethnic group in Sabah (at 9.2% as of 2023) – a result of various Han Chinese subgroups immigrating to the Bornean state largely after 1881.
Intermarriage with the native Kadazandusun group led to mixed descendants known as Sino-Kadazan, who continue their ancestors’ celebration of significant Chinese holidays such as Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Foh Sang in Luyang, a locality in the capital city Kota Kinabalu, is a great place for locals and tourists alike to experience these celebrations.
Considered the Chinatown of Sabah, Chinese shops – including coffeeshops, grocery and general stores – can be found thriving here.
Recent efforts have been made to attract not just more tourists but also the younger generations to visit the area, like the initiation of the Foh Sang Street Art project in 2019.
Foh Sang is often festively decorated during Chinese holiday celebrations in Sabah. — JONATHAN EVAN BOBBY
Padungan Road, Sarawak
With 23.4% of the population in Sarawak being Chinese, as recorded in 2023, Malaysia’s largest state unsurprisingly has a thriving Chinese culture.
The state’s capital city Kuching is home to an unmissable Chinatown. Aside from its distinctive arch gateway, there is also a large cat statue right at the entrance, making the place essentially easy to locate.
What’s more, this white cat statue is often dressed up accordingly based on the festive season. For example, during Chinese New Year it will be decked in traditional clothes, while during Christmas it will spot a Santa hat.
Carpenter Street and Main Bazaar are the distinctive streets in this area, filled with Chinese shophouses. There are also two temples on Carpenter Street.
