October 10, 2011 at 2:00 pm
When the topic of heritage cities crop up regarding Malaysia, there is a tendency for most people to name Georgetown and Malacca as shining examples. Having being conferred the joint status of world heritage cities by UNESCO in 2008, they are, of course, associated with heritage. But lost in that recognition is another city that is comparable to both Georgetown and Malacca as a heritage city. The name of that city? Kuala Lumpur.
The capital of Malaysia is better known for modernity, with the Petronas Twin Towers and other skyscrapers. Yet many of its inhabitants value the city’s rich past and its cultural fabric. The awareness and appreciation of this heritage is timely, as some older areas of the city were earmarked for development. In recent years, there has been rethinking about the direction that Kuala Lumpur will take, how much of the city will change, and how that change will take place.
A recent article by The Star discusses a heritage issue about Jalan Sultan, a part of Kuala Lumpur filled with century old buildings. We feel that this is an article worth sharing with our readers.
Read the full article below:
THE heated debate on the acquisition of pre-war buildings in Jalan Sultan in Kuala Lumpur for the construction of the underground MRT is a good lesson for the public on preserving our heritage.
While there is no solution in sight yet, the on-going issue is itself a wake-up call to the different categories of the society.
To the public, there is a sudden realisation in the value of the century-old buildings.
This has certainly steered them to look differently at the other historical structures — some are rightfully preserved but others in a derelict state.
To the young, it has dawned on them that this area where they go for authentic Chinese food was transformed from a malaria-infested swamp through intensive labour.
Some shop owners have realised the extent of damage, negligence and renovations they have done on the heritage buildings over the past decades.
Following the development closely, StarMetro has been running a series of articles to create better awareness under its “Preserve Our Heritage” effort.
To send the message loud and clear, a weathered wall near the demolished Chik Sin Thong in Jalan Sultan will be transformed into a mural. Forty artists have volunteered for the cause.
Today, we will look at it from the perspectives of legislation and documentation while the second part next week will comprise history, potential and appreciation of Jalan Sultan.
There are always the less conventional but effective ways to document heritage to capture its social, cultural and historical values.
This can be done through performances as shown by the 18 art groups who put up a show themed “Safeguarding Jalan Petaling” in Jalan Sultan on Malaysia Day.
Tinged with the Mid Autumn Festival’s homecoming mood, the performance set against Jalan Sultan’s old windows, weathered walls and a stage built in the 1930s took the 500-strong crowd on a nostalgic walk down history.
Acclaimed singers, avant-garde art troupes and students immortalised the area’s rich history through creativity in their respective fortes.
Dialect experts merged the various dialects spoken by the locals into a puppet show and excerpts of opera made famous by the Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association were incorporated into modern sketches, old folks’ conversations were recorded and injected into the performance while the Chinatown’s history was told by Malay students from the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (Aswara) through a Minangkabau tribal dance.
“We are documenting the Jalan Sultan heritage through various forms of art — from music, theatre, painting to photography.
Art is the softer approach to preserve something precious and perhaps makes it easier to achieve resonance with the public as compared with always hammering them with historical details,” said organiser Chong Keat Aun.
He said a community art project which they had held in Pudu, Penang and Malacca was to create better awareness on heritage in those areas.
“We will first try to ‘enter’ a community by mingling with the residents and make them open their hearts.
“Through the process, we learn about the culture of an area, document it, interpret its soul through our artworks and let art do its magic after that,” he said.
Artist and photographer Victor Chin took 15 years to create 64 watercolour paintings depicting the original facades of the shophouses in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca and Singapore, complete with the old trades and activities.
Feeling strongly about demolishing historical buildings for development, Chin also championed the cause through his then Rupa Gallery in Bukit Nanas that used to sell prints, postcards, T-shirts and other souvenirs decorated with sketches of the city’s built heritage.
He also designed a walking tour for Chinatown and printed an informative map for the purpose.
“As an artist, what do you do when you see the many demolition exercises carried out in the name of development? How can you be a true son of the city?
“I asked myself a very difficult question, and I thought I’d do a historical documentation of the environment of our town through art,” he was quoted as saying.
Source: The Star
Heritage Cities of Malaysia
October 10, 2011 at 2:00 pm
When the topic of heritage cities crop up regarding Malaysia, there is a tendency for most people to name Georgetown and Malacca as shining examples. Having being conferred the joint status of world heritage cities by UNESCO in 2008, they are, of course, associated with heritage. But lost in that recognition is another city that is comparable to both Georgetown and Malacca as a heritage city. The name of that city? Kuala Lumpur.
The brightly lit Petronas Twin Towers adds to the panoramic view of Kuala Lumpur at night
The capital of Malaysia is better known for modernity, with the Petronas Twin Towers and other skyscrapers. Yet many of its inhabitants value the city’s rich past and its cultural fabric. The awareness and appreciation of this heritage is timely, as some older areas of the city were earmarked for development. In recent years, there has been rethinking about the direction that Kuala Lumpur will take, how much of the city will change, and how that change will take place.
A recent article by The Star discusses a heritage issue about Jalan Sultan, a part of Kuala Lumpur filled with century old buildings. We feel that this is an article worth sharing with our readers.
Read the full article below:
THE heated debate on the acquisition of pre-war buildings in Jalan Sultan in Kuala Lumpur for the construction of the underground MRT is a good lesson for the public on preserving our heritage.
While there is no solution in sight yet, the on-going issue is itself a wake-up call to the different categories of the society.
To the public, there is a sudden realisation in the value of the century-old buildings.
This has certainly steered them to look differently at the other historical structures — some are rightfully preserved but others in a derelict state.
To the young, it has dawned on them that this area where they go for authentic Chinese food was transformed from a malaria-infested swamp through intensive labour.
Some shop owners have realised the extent of damage, negligence and renovations they have done on the heritage buildings over the past decades.
Following the development closely, StarMetro has been running a series of articles to create better awareness under its “Preserve Our Heritage” effort.
To send the message loud and clear, a weathered wall near the demolished Chik Sin Thong in Jalan Sultan will be transformed into a mural. Forty artists have volunteered for the cause.
Today, we will look at it from the perspectives of legislation and documentation while the second part next week will comprise history, potential and appreciation of Jalan Sultan.
There are always the less conventional but effective ways to document heritage to capture its social, cultural and historical values.
This can be done through performances as shown by the 18 art groups who put up a show themed “Safeguarding Jalan Petaling” in Jalan Sultan on Malaysia Day.
Tinged with the Mid Autumn Festival’s homecoming mood, the performance set against Jalan Sultan’s old windows, weathered walls and a stage built in the 1930s took the 500-strong crowd on a nostalgic walk down history.
Acclaimed singers, avant-garde art troupes and students immortalised the area’s rich history through creativity in their respective fortes.
Dialect experts merged the various dialects spoken by the locals into a puppet show and excerpts of opera made famous by the Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association were incorporated into modern sketches, old folks’ conversations were recorded and injected into the performance while the Chinatown’s history was told by Malay students from the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (Aswara) through a Minangkabau tribal dance.
“We are documenting the Jalan Sultan heritage through various forms of art — from music, theatre, painting to photography.
Art is the softer approach to preserve something precious and perhaps makes it easier to achieve resonance with the public as compared with always hammering them with historical details,” said organiser Chong Keat Aun.
He said a community art project which they had held in Pudu, Penang and Malacca was to create better awareness on heritage in those areas.
“We will first try to ‘enter’ a community by mingling with the residents and make them open their hearts.
“Through the process, we learn about the culture of an area, document it, interpret its soul through our artworks and let art do its magic after that,” he said.
Artist and photographer Victor Chin took 15 years to create 64 watercolour paintings depicting the original facades of the shophouses in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca and Singapore, complete with the old trades and activities.
Feeling strongly about demolishing historical buildings for development, Chin also championed the cause through his then Rupa Gallery in Bukit Nanas that used to sell prints, postcards, T-shirts and other souvenirs decorated with sketches of the city’s built heritage.
He also designed a walking tour for Chinatown and printed an informative map for the purpose.
“As an artist, what do you do when you see the many demolition exercises carried out in the name of development? How can you be a true son of the city?
“I asked myself a very difficult question, and I thought I’d do a historical documentation of the environment of our town through art,” he was quoted as saying.
Source: The Star
Tags: Heritage City, Historical Structures, kuala lumpur, unesco, World Heritage Cities