Asia

[Visited: November 2023]

When I read about the murals at the south side of Petaling street, I knew I had to go there. I decide to take my favourite means of transportation: my legs. It has been a long time since my last visit to the city, and the best way to discover unexpected little things is to walk. Construction and development are never far away in this rapidly changing city, and I cannot walk where my phone tells me I should. I have to take some detours, and when I finally arrive at the south side of Petaling street, I spot my first mural. A girl looking down over a real window above a bar: I know I am close. Then, the first rain drops start to fall. Within minutes, heavy tropical rain is coming down. At first, I think that I can wait it out, but after half an hour, rain is still coming down hard. Fortunately, many streets in the old part of Kuala Lumpur have covered sidewalks, so I don't get wet. I know that the murals I came to see are just around the corner, but I also know that I will be drenched if I go see them. Then, the moment comes I need to leave, and I run to the Maharajalela monorail station. I will need to come back.
When I am back, on an early Saturday morning, there is no chance of rain. I look forward to finally seeing what I was so close to. I walk straight to the Lorong Panggung, the parallel street of Petaling. Red lanterns are hanging across the street: this is part of Chinatown. To my surprise, the street is packed. For a short moment, I hope people are out for shopping or off to one of the many restaurants, but when I turn into the side alley where the murals are, I see that they have actually come to see those murals just like me. The area was once the hangout place for criminals and drunkards, was decaying - but it has been revamped recently. The murals are a vital contribution to the neighbourhood. The most amazing ones can be found in Kwai Chai Hong, which can be translated to Little Demon Alley or Little Ghost Lane. The first one I see, depicts a couple sitting on an arched, red bridge, with their backs to the passerby. On the other side, I am in Kwai Chai Hong proper, where I find several more murals.
The amazing thing is that while they are all different, they invite the visitor to interact with the art. I see a man sitting on a bench, under a beer publicity, with a tree in the wall next to him. A real tree, that is. And: a small stool, so you can actually sit down with the guy. Another one depicts two kids playing in the street, watched by a third kid from a window. There is a calligrapher, writing at a table, under a real lantern that seems part of the art. There is a woman, some say a prostitute, hanging out of a window and holding a scarf in her hand that seems to be sticking out of the wall. I walk up stairs, and come to the biggest mural of them all. Street life of the 1960s is depicted here, with a woman hanging the laundry, a woman at a balcony, kids playing, and a barber with scissors in his hand. If you sit down in the barber chair next to him, it looks like you are in for a haircut. It is all masterfully carried out. This feels like an open-air museum. When I walk around the other streets and alleys, the crowds are gone, and I see other murals. Especially the ones depicting street scenes and markets are realistic. However, they lack the element of interactivity. Back to Petaling street, I am also back to the crowds who move towards the shopping area that Petaling also is. Time to leave.

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Petaling street art (Malaysia)

Petaling street art > Malaysia > Asia

[Visited: November 2023]

Around the World in 80 Clicks