Amazing Central Market

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This iconic shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur is a centre for promoting arts and handicrafts that reflect the true Malaysian culture.

JONKER STREET: A replica of Jonker Street, a traditional sight in Melaka, can be found in the Central Market building.

WHAT do rice, paper and sand have in common apart from being food, writing implement and dirt in that order?

Why, they can be turned into amazing works of art, of course. And these amazing artistic creations can be found at the Central Market Kuala Lumpur.

Visitors can have customised names written on a tiny grain of rice which will then be put into a casing filled with colour oil. They can also pick both the casing they like and the colour of the oil used. As for sand – usually an eye irritant or construction material – it can be coloured and made layer by layer into delightful pictures in a bottle.

“This art is a folk art and many Syrians can do it – just that some can do it better than others,” Ahmad Anshoiae, 39, said.

“It’s Arabic art I learned from my father when I was nine. I have been making this sand art in a bottle for 30 years, and have been travelling around the world to promote our folk art,” he added.

Taking out a place at the Central Market for a year now, he produces art works showing camels with a desert scenery, dolphins frolicking in the sea and even words and geometric designs but the last two items take as long as 40 minutes compared to between seven and 15 minutes for the other two.

Ahmad has 24 containers for keeping different coloured sands which he mixes to make more colours. He scoops the fine sands into a funnel and works his way up layer by layer from the bottom of the bottle, filling it up to make a lovely art work for home decor or gift to family and friends.

For the paper art, Kashmirans are known to make beautifully-designed decorative items in the forms of elephants, cats, rabbits and fancy eggs with the papier mache technique, involving soaking waste paper in water and glue to form a pulp.

The mixture is then shaped into anything imaginable with the sky as the limit before drying in the sun. Once fully dried, it is painted with bright colours, usually depicting the beauty of Kashmir flowers. It can be found at C3 Craft Cottage Centre near the main entrance.

All these works of art are housed in the recently-renovated Central Market by Kha Seng Group under the new management of Central Market Sdn Bhd in 2004.

Positive changes

According to Central Market Sdn Bhd complex manager Cheong Wai Mun, many positive changes were introduced, including the initiation of zoned shopping areas and the upgrading of stalls and kiosks to better promote the Central Market’s unique selling point as an iconic Malaysian shopping complex.

Central Market began as a wet market in 1888, built by Yap Ah Loy, the city’s Chinese Kapitan. It served as a prominent landmark in colonial and modern-day Kuala Lumpur. When the wet market was relocated in the 1980’s, the Malaysian Heritage Society successfully petitioned against the demolition of the building, and it was subsequently declared as a centre of Malaysian culture, arts and handicrafts.

Cheong said it’s an excellent platform to showcase true Malaysian culture and heritage values by attracting both foreign tourists and local visitors to its Art-Deco structure.

“To reflect our colourful culture, Central Market Kuala Lumpur features zones with shops, stalls and kiosks that highlight the three main races found in Malaysia. These zones are Lorong Melayu, Lorong Cina and Lorong India which give visitors an insight into the cultural diversity in Malaysia.

“Another zone, known as Lorong Kelapa, is a charming lane where an amazing variety of traditional Malay snacks can be found – from all kinds of keropok (crackers) and kuih (cakes) to sweets and fried goodies like Kuih Bijan, Kuih Loyang, Epok-Epok (mini curry puffs) and many more,” she added.

The tiles on the different streets or lorong reflect the themes of the streets. Red and white for the Lorong Cina, yellow, green and white for Lorong Melayu and blue, brown and white for Lorong India.

To try a traditional temporary tattoo or henna drawing, drop by Unique Art of Henna at Little India and have your hands or feet covered in intricate filigree designs. These temporary tattoos last up to two weeks and result in a reddish stain. The colour’s intensity depends on how long the henna paste is left on. Usually henna is applied on the hands of the Malay bride and groom as per tradition – and even on Indians.

Henna artist Sameera explained: “Henna art or mehendi takes around half and hour to dry but if you leave it on longer, the colour will be darker. The henna paste we use is the original herbal one, with no side effects. Those with sensitive skin can also use it.”

It’s also an inexpensive experience, costing only RM15 per hand of henna art.

Malacca Jonker Street is a lane featuring single and double-storey Baba-Nyonya-inspired architecture. Here, visitors will find The Blue Mansion filled with beautiful Malaysian antiques, a Batik Emporium which houses batik prints sewn into clothes, shoes, bags and various home finishing accessories.

Rumah Melayu also showcases the uniqueness of a Malay kampung (village) house.

“Central Market’s emphasis on arts is also evident with the transformation of Central Market Annexe to house a variety of eclectic art galleries. Located behind the main Central Market, Central Market Annexe is also home to the Annexe Gallery, a venue for self expression through its repertoire of exhibitions, talks and performances,” Cheong said.

She added that visitors could also opt for a free Malaysian Heritage walk at 10.30am daily with the starting point at Be Tourist Information and Service Centre located at the Lot 02-03, 1st floor of the Central Market Annexe. The route includes Masjid Jamek, Little India and Sin Sze Ya Temple and back to Central Market.

The Central Market Annexe is located behind the Central Market building and houses a collection of eclectic art galleries, including Annexe Gallery, launched in January 2007 as a centre for contemporary arts, complementing the more traditional offerings found in Central Market.

The Annexe Gallery is a space much-loved for its accessibility, artist-audience interactivity and alternative nature. It hosts all manner of art forms and expressions and has attracted projects that are experimental, multi-disciplinary and socially conscious. It also includes a Borneo Art Museum.

Alongside the Central Market is the newly-transformed walkway – Kasturi Walk.

Launched on Feb 9, this pedestrianised and covered walkway boasts an al fresco ambience with a tantalising variety of F&B kiosks of local snacks and bites as well as kiosks featuring souvenirs, accessories and handicrafts.

Among the yummy goodies visitors must try is the Turkish ice-cream with local flavours like durian and mango.

For a twist to the traditional putu mayam, try the putu bamboo, cooked in bamboo and has a different shape. Normally, putu mayam is flat while putu bamboo is cyclindrical as it is cooked in the hollow parts of the bamboo. The ingredients used are the same and the delicacies are served with grated coconut and palm sugar or gula Melaka.

Those who have only tasted sea coconuts in tin cans, can buy fresh sea coconuts at RM10 to RM20 per bunch, depending on size.

Today, a visit to Central Market is definitely a worthwhile and enriching experience as visitors and tourists get to immerse themselves in the rich Malaysian culture and buy unique arts and crafts.

“Central Market Kuala Lumpur (Pasar Seni) is a centre for promoting Malaysian arts and handicrafts that reflect the true Malaysian culture. It also showcases events of cultural and heritage values to attract both foreign tourists and local visitors,” Cheong said.

The Kha Seng Group have transformed the building and accompanying annexe into an award-winning tourist attraction and shopping destination without compromising their enduring significance as the centre of the nation’s culture, arts and heritage.

Cheong added that they invested RM10 million in extensive upgrading work while making a conscious decision to maintain the market’s unique charm and character.

Many positive changes were introduced, including the initiation of zoned shopping areas and the upgrading of stalls and kiosks, thereby creating a net lettable area of over 70,000 square feet of retail space.

Through the years, with the commitment and effort of its management, Central Market Kuala Lumpur has been accorded a series of accolades and recognition.

To have a complete dose of local culture, drop by the Central Market for regular Malaysian dance and martial arts performances held every day at 9pm. In addition, each cultural festival means a celebration at Central Market. Annual events are held during Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, the Lantern Festival, Deepavali and many more.

Central Market is strategically located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur near public transportation links to all major destinations and hotels. KL Sentral railway station, only 1 1/2 kms away, provides fast and convenient connections to most parts of Kuala Lumpur as well as to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Central Market is also located at close walking distance to both Pasar Seni and Masjid Jamek LRT Stations.

Over the last 20 years, the tenants have unreservedly contributed to the tourism industry by selling and promoting Malaysian arts and handicrafts and souvenirs to both the foreign tourists as well as local visitors. Hence, Central Market has not only been promoting the Malaysian culture but also creating business opportunities for many entrepreneurs.

The opening hours are from 10am to 10pm daily.