The Christmas Eve festival, among other things, featured creative handicraft workshops.
THE quaint, unassuming neighbourhood of Jalan Berangan in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur came alive after four local businesses there joined hands to throw a Christmas Eve festival, the first of its kind in the area.
The event was led by MOV Hotel, a community-focused boutique hotel, together with non-profit organisation Kuala Lumpur Society for International Affairs.
The “Christmas at Changkat” festival featured a full swing of curated experiences across three pit stops in the area, including Kuala Lumpur’s one-and-only urban museum UR-MU and the historical Majie Cafe.
“Statistics have shown that visitors stay an average of only one night in Kuala Lumpur.
“Yet, it was reported that the tourism expenditure was RM10.35bil in 2022, projected to reach RM11.1bil in 2023.
We are collaborating with stakeholders in Bukit Bintang to encourage tourists to extend their stay just one more night, with MOV Hotel taking the initiative in the area of hospitality,” said Kuala Lumpur Society founding president Jack Lim.
The event featured creative handicraft workshops by Taman Hati and Twist by Balqis, as well as a live band performance by local artist Johnson Chai.
“Most people think of drinking and partying hard when you mention Christmas parties in Changkat, but we want to take this opportunity to showcase a different side and personality of Changkat.
“It is to shift the focus towards the curious community who pays attention to art, history, conversations, and the little things, and will eventually highlight the rich history of Bukit Bintang, which is slowly being forgotten by the locals and new generations,” said Mel Chai from MOV Hotel.
