Ten places to visit in Klang

Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery at Jalan Stesen in south Klang.

Skip your Saturday afternoon siesta and take a drive or hop onto the commuter train that brings you into south Klang via the Klang Commuter Station at Jalan Besar.

The royal town has much to offer and there is no better place to begin getting acquainted with it than by starting off in the south of Klang.

1 Coffee and toast

Coffee and toast, all of us love the pairing. Across the commuter station at Jalan Stesen is Chong Kok Kopitiam, a Hainanese coffeeshop famed for its coffee and traditional toast. The coffee beans used here are roasted with butter. Old timers and locals come together to enjoy the lovely, aromatic coffee in this well-known meeting place. Have that caffeine buzz before starting the walk.

2 Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery

Walk along the five-foot-way from Chong Kok Kopitiam and at the end of the shoplots is the Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery. The classic colonial building houses the perfect introduction to the Selangor Sultanate and Klang’s history. Visitors would be interested to know that a 6.7m-long crocodile was captured in Sungai Kelang in 1961 three months after the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj ascended the throne. The crocodile’s huge skull is kept on display here.

3 Kuan Yin or Goddess of Mercy Temple at Jalan Raya Barat

Built in 1892, one of the oldest Chinese temples in Selangor was saved from demolition when the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah declared it a state heritage building. The structure is to be kept for future generations to understand their culture and architecture.

4 Our Lady of Lourdes Church at Jalan Tengku Kelana

Fondly known as OLL among Roman Catholics, the Gothic-styled architecture of the church built in 1928 was inspired by the place of worship in Lourdes, France. Stained-glass windows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the image of Jesus Christ are kept in the former St. Bernards Primary School, a wooden building at the back of the church that has been converted into a chapel. Domestic and foreign tourists visit OLL to view the images.

5 Little India at Jalan Tengku Kelana

One of the longest Indian streets in Selangor, the fierce competition among shopowners here has resulted in products being sold at reasonable prices for tourists. You are spoilt for choice with a myriad of items being sold on sidewalks, including colourful sarees, textiles, flowers and Indian delicacies.

6 Masjid India Muslim Jalan Tengku Kelana

Built in 1910, the Indian Muslim Mosque was originally a community centre for Indian Muslims who lived in Klang and a place for migrants from India to get together. The wooden building was rebuilt in 1973 but several years ago, it was torn down and rebuilt into the modern structure it is today to accommodate more worshippers.

7 Sri Nagara Thendayutha­­­pani Temple at Jalan Bukit Jawa

Situated right behind the Indian Muslim Mosque, the Hindu temple is the oldest and richest Hindu temple in Klang. For early Indian immigrants, the temple provided shelter and a place to network for jobs. Most tourists throng the temple to get their palm read.

8 Raja Mahadi Fort

This earth fort was built by Raja Mahadi as a defensive barricade against Raja Abdullah in control of the Klang district and the tin trade. When you enter the grounds of the fort via the main gate, you will see a grave of a warrior who is said to have been killed with a silver bullet. It is believed that a tunnel that runs from the fort down the hillock and under the river bed to the other side of the river bank was used as an escape route but it has since been closed with earth.

9 Chop Lun Hoe tinsmith at No. 14, Jalan Besar

Watch the tinsmith at work as he demonstrates the art behind this dying trade, one that was very common in the mid to late 19th century. Here, the tinsmith crafts items such as baking trays, letter boxes, biscuit cutters, oil lamps, candle holders and lanterns.

10 Yap Kee Coffeeshop

After taking in the sights, stop at Yap Kee, which is a few doors from the tinsmith shop. A little Indian stall inside this Chinese coffeeshop serves good banana leaf meal. People enjoy the fried chicken and fish that is served hot from the wok. With the steaming hot rice, papadams and stir-fried cabbage mixed with tumeric and curries poured unto the rice, it is just heavenly. Before you leave, complete the experience with a nice glass of teh tarik.

-thestar online.