Central Market Kuala Lumpur

Pasar Seni began in 1888 as the city's wet market and the building that stands now went up in 1937, an art deco block in pale blue with a curved facade and a long barrel-vaulted hall. By the 1980s the wet market had moved out and the building was scheduled for demolition; a conservation campaign saved it, and it reopened in 1986 as a handicraft and cultural market, which is what it remains - two floors of stalls selling batik, songket, pewter, wood carving, kites, souvenirs and a fair amount of imported tat, arranged loosely by Malay, Chinese and Indian sections. There is a food court, a small theatre, and Kasturi Walk alongside, a covered lane of further stalls. Prices are higher than at a street market and bargaining is expected.

History

The market was built in 1888, under British rule, as a wet market for the people of Kuala Lumpur and the tin miners, and the present Art Deco building was completed in 1937 (Wikipedia, Central Market, Kuala Lumpur).

Highlights

• A 1937 art deco hall - the pale blue building saved from demolition in the 1980s.
• Two floors of craft stalls - batik, songket, pewter, carving and kites.
• Ethnic-themed sections - Malay, Chinese and Indian wings inside the hall.
• Kasturi Walk - the covered lane of stalls along the side.

When to go

All year; weekday mornings are quietest. Two hours.

Before you go

Much of the stock is mass-produced and prices are tourist-level - bargain hard. It is busy and can feel like a souvenir mall. Quality craft is there but takes looking for.

Nearby

Petaling Street, Merdeka Square and the river confluence are all a short walk.

Key facts