Heritage Buildings, Seafood Among Klang's Attarctions

By Siti Aisyah Harun KLANG (Selangor), Dec 21 (Bernama) -- Most Malaysians are familiar with the royal town of Klang due to its proximity to Port Klang, where one of Malaysia's busiest ports is situated. Located in the district of Klang, the royal town – which had served as Selangor's capital way before the emergence of Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam – is steeped in history and has its own share of attractions to lure domestic and foreign visitors. Divided by Sungai Klang, the town consists of North Klang and South Klang. Although the town may have been named after the Klang river, there exists a popular theory that its name was derived from the Mon-Khmer (a family of languages spoken in southern and southeastern Asia) word "klong", which meant warehouse. In the 1800s, Klang indeed had many warehouses due to the nearby port activities. HERITAGE BUILDINGS Although Klang is a popular shopping and food destination for many in Malaysia's central state of Selangor, not many know that it is one of this nation's oldest towns having been founded in early 1800. Hence, it is a treasure trove of old buildings that have immense historical value. History buffs can have a field day visiting the Sultan Suleiman Royal Mosque, Alam Shah Palace, Raja Mahadi Fort, Klang Royal Gallery, Raja Abdullah Warehouse, Kota Bridge and others. According to the Tourism and Culture Ministry's Selangor office director Arshad Mustapa, the state government's tourism arm Tourism Selangor and Klang Municipal Council were involved in various efforts to preserve the historic buildings so that the town's heritage could be appreciated by future generations. "Taking the Kota Bridge as an example, to many people it may sound like an ordinary bridge that links North Klang to South Klang. If you were to look at the facts, it was actually the first double-decked bridge to be built in this country by the British in 1957," he said, pointing to the bridge's strong historical value. He said the architecture of the Sultan Suleiman Royal Mosque, built in 1932, reflected a mix of Islamic, Moorish and English designs. "Not only does the mosque looks fascinating, the role it played in the development of Islam is no less interesting," he told Bernama, recently. SEAFOOD HAVEN Arshad also said that not many people knew that Klang was the best seafood haunt located closest to Kuala Lumpur. "While Klang is generally well known as the royal town of Selangor, not many people know it has many eateries that offer all kinds of seafood at competitive prices. More importantly, Klang is the nearest (seafood haven) to the capital city," he said. He said surrounding areas like Port Klang and Pulau Ketam also have many seafood restaurants and city folks need not travel far in search of delicious seafood. "A wide variety of reasonably priced seafood dishes are available right here (in Klang district and surrounding areas)." Arshad added that it was convenient for local visitors or tourists to visit Klang as it was well connected by roads. Several bus companies ply on the Klang-Kuala Lumpur route, as well as on the routes leading to other major towns and cities in the country. The KTM Bhd Komuter train also provides services to Klang and Port Klang. -- BERNAMA