Asia
Malaysia
Wilayah Persekutuan
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur Attractions
Chinatown
See all things to do

Chinatown

See all things to do
See all things to do
Chinatown
3.5
About
Chinatown is a vibrant district in Kuala Lumpur where you can experience Chinese-Malaysian culture. Take a stroll along the pedestrian-friendly Kasturi Walk to discover colorful shops, temples, and markets selling everything from clothes to souvenirs. Be sure to visit the famous Petaling Street Market and Central Market, as well as the beautiful Buddhist and Hindu temples, too. And don't forget to sample some of the mouthwatering street food like nasi lemak (a coconut rice dish) and pisang goreng (banana fritters), and teh tarik ("pulled" tea). Join a walking or food tour to learn more about the area's history and culture. – Tripadvisor
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience Chinatown
See all
The area
How to get there
  • Pasar Seni • 6 min walk
  • Masjid Jamek • 6 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
3,345 within 5 kms
LOKL Coffee Co.
689
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • Cafe • Healthy • Vegetarian Friendly
Betel Leaf
590
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • Indian • Asian • Vegetarian Friendly
Lucy In The Sky Cafe
260
0.3 km$$ - $$$ • Cafe • European • Vegetarian Friendly
Restoran Yusoof dan Zakhir
463
0.2 km$ • Indian • Asian • Malaysian
Shin Kee Beef Noodle Specialist
182
71 m$ • Chinese • Asian • Soups
Leaf & Co Cafe
201
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • Cafe • Asian • Vegetarian Friendly
Sangeetha
343
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • Indian • Asian • Vegetarian Friendly
Cafe etc.
99
0.3 km$ • Cafe • European • Vegetarian Friendly
Kedai Kopi Lai Foong
171
79 m$ • Chinese • Asian • Malaysian
FS Nasi Kandar Corner
187
0.5 km$ • Indian • Asian • Malaysian
See all
Attractions
326 within 10 kms
Sin Sze Si Ya Temple
182
0.1 kmReligious Sites
Central Market Kuala Lumpur
4,953
0.2 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Shopping Malls
Guan Di Temple Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
235
0.2 kmReligious Sites
Petaling Street Market
100
0.1 kmFlea & Street Markets
Illusion 3D Art Museum
52
0.1 kmArt Galleries • Speciality Museums
Lost In China Town
21
0.1 kmArt Galleries • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Kasturi Walk
158
0.2 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Art House Gallery Museum of Ethnic Arts
14
0.1 kmArt Museums
ArtFordable
3
0.1 kmArt Galleries
Si Yuang Gallery
4
0.2 kmArt Galleries
See all
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
11,657 reviews
Excellent
2,382
Very good
3,959
Average
3,643
Poor
1,118
Terrible
555
Steph m
5 contributions
Don’t come her with your children, save yourself the heartache
May 2023 • Family
Please watch your children here. We have just had the most horrific experience during our stay in KL. We were at the china town market, and as we were walking along I noticed my eldest daughter wander out in front of me, I looked down and noticed some random man had her hand and was leading her away!!! She had no idea, and thought it was my husband or myself who had grabbed her hand. I screamed and pulled her away from the man who then ran off. The whole experience was sickening, we left Chinatown immediately with one very traumatised little girl.
Written 12 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Harry Li
Guilin, China15 contributions
Not big and not appealing, but it’s ok to walk around. Try some new coffee shops here!
Feb 2023 • Friends
This Jalan Petaling Chinatown is not appealing, stalls are selling fake goods, but you can get some football jerseys of the local football clubs, fake but it actually the same fabric as the real ones. You can try some Chinese food here but it’s better to try them in Pudu.
Written 16 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
weeezoo
Woking, UK529 contributions
Large site with plenty of Chinese people
Feb 2023 • Couples
It's a big site for all the Chinese people as KL is a multi national country. Chinese people is one of the main nationalities in Malaysia. Chinatown has it all from food to wear. Take a look for yourself.....
Written 22 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leonhkny
Hong Kong, China12,725 contributions
Open market
Feb 2023
Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, an expansive area around Jalan Petaling, is a vibrant place to explore. Full of busy stalls and unpretentious eateries, it is a somehow touristy attraction. While visitors may want to spend elsewhere, this is still an interesting option in the Malaysian capital.
Written 19 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HungryForMoreMum
Melbourne, Australia185 contributions
Fun
Jan 2023
Way more fun than I remembered. I last come here on a rainy day in 2010 and wondered what the fuss was about - it was grotty and not appealing. But coming again on a lovely sunny Sunday morning, I finally understood. There was lots of street life, food and general 'good cheer' . I will return in less than 12 years next time :-)
Written 2 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith
49 contributions
Prepare to be disappointed
Jan 2023 • Couples
Shocking, prepare to be disappointed, been visiting KL for 20 years, this place has not moved on, stall holders are rude and the fake goods are poor quality. Don’t waste your time
Written 19 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TherryMy
Munich, Germany202 contributions
Love it
Jan 2023 • Couples
I mean i was twice there. It’s more for shopping and the Food Centre is great. If u don’t like malls but love markets it’s perfect
Written 15 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MalaysiaMinky
Malaysia564 contributions
One of the worse chinatown in the world
Jan 2023 • Friends
Quite awful
Difficult to park
Hot and when it rains the part that has covering just leak water everywhere
Sold fake counterfeit goods
Lack of variety n mostly stalls are mended by foreign laborers . Lack authenticity of true China town. Even local street food is so so n not cheap at all.
Written 14 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yours_vikram
Ahmedabad, India508 contributions
Pls avoid
Dec 2022 • Couples
It’s quite a sad place. Same stuff in almost every stall. Nothing really that is attractive. And it’s all fake products of bad quality. A time waste
Written 13 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
donavan94563
Orinda, CA186 contributions
A Chinatown Under Transition
Dec 2022
Being from California, I always like to see other Chinese Immigration Settlements (Chinatowns) around the world.

Chinatown is centered on Petaling Street and originally occupied by "pioneers" around the start of the 20th century. The men were mainly Cantonese and Hakkas who had come to the city because of the tin trade, working as coolies in the mines. They were governed by a Chinese Kapitan or headman.

Chinatown is currently known for its numerous shops and stalls offering local food, cheap imitation of brand products, clothing, watches, bags, shoes, and more. For buyers, it is often possible to haggle on the price of watches, clothing and all counterfeit items.

Typical Chinatowns share their culture and traditions through their local groceries, restaurants, community centers and local events. Although now a popular tourist attraction, Chinatown’s oriental heritage can still be found in places like the historic Chan See Shu Yuen Temple.

Lined with decaying 1920’s shophouses crying for restoration and knock-off tourist-centric merchantry along Petaling Street Market, I imagine it has seen better days.

Behind these stalls is a “second layer” of shops and hotels. Many interesting and authentic businesses can be found in this second layer shop. An example is the dim sum restaurant where waitresses push carts of dim sum for guests to choose and where small tea cups in a round steel bowl can be found on each table.

A notable landmark within this area is Kwai Chai Hong (Chinese: 鬼仔巷) located through a black gate and wooden bridge leading to Lorong Panggung. It is a back alley behind the shophouses with lots of mural arts managed by Bai Chuan Management Sdn Bhd to make use as a tourist attraction. The name translates literally as Little Ghost Lane or Little Demon Lane in English. The alley features 6 artistic interactive murals with QR codes placed on the walls of each mural illustrating the lives of local Chinese settlers from the 60’s. Notorious vices were prominent in the area, such as opium dens, gambling joints, brothels and gang-related activities.

In 2003, Petaling Street underwent a major RM11 million facelift when two large Chinese arches to welcome visitors were placed at either end of the street. A green roof cover was constructed, covering the whole road, dubbed the "Green Dragon". The street is now totally pedestrianised and transformed into a pedestrian shopping mall. The Street is regarded as a heritage site.

In 2015, Petaling Street started evolving into a new hipster destination, with design-savvy entrepreneurs transforming dilapidated properties into Instagrammable cafes, restaurants, speakeasies, boutique hotels and most recently with REXKL, an arts and culture hub.
Written 2 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 7,850
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing

CHINATOWN (Kuala Lumpur) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Chinatown
We recommend booking Chinatown tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 103 Chinatown tours on Tripadvisor