Pasar Payang

Pasar Payang stands on the riverbank in the middle of Kuala Terengganu and does the two jobs a Malaysian central market does: downstairs is the wet market, fish and vegetables and the dried and salted goods the east coast trades in, and upstairs are the textiles and crafts. Terengganu is a weaving state, and this is where songket - silk with supplementary gold or silver weft - is sold in quantity alongside batik, kain samping, prayer mats, brassware and silverwork. The other staple is keropok lekor, the fish sausage that Terengganu is known for, fried at stalls around the market and eaten with chilli sauce. The building was heavily rebuilt and reopened after several years of works, which changed the atmosphere and is regretted by some regulars, and bargaining is expected upstairs.

What you actually see

• Songket and batik upstairs - the textile floor in a weaving state.
• A working wet market below - fish, dried goods and vegetables.
• Keropok lekor - the Terengganu fish sausage fried at the stalls.
• A riverside setting - the market on the bank in the middle of town.

When to go

All year; early morning for the wet market. Two hours.

Honest expectations

Prices upstairs are quoted high for visitors - bargain. Genuine handwoven songket is expensive and much of what is sold is machine-made. The rebuilt building feels more like a mall than the old market.

Nearby

Chinatown, the drawbridge and Pulau Duyong are all close.