Pasar Seni — the pulse of the city

There is a 50 per cent fare discount on LRT, MRT, Monorail and Sunway BRT

 until Aug 31, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak

during the Sungai Buloh Kajang MRT full launch. — Malay Mail pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — Pasar Seni is undoubtedly one of the busiest LRT stations in Kuala Lumpur. 

Apart from being within walking distance to places of interest such as Central Market (Pasar Seni), Petaling Street (popularly known as Chinatown) and the Pos Malaysia headquarters, below the elevated station is a bustling bus terminal with services to many areas in the Klang Valley.

You can catch buses to areas as distant as Klang, Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Subang Mewah, Taman Medan, PJ Old Town and more from the terminal.

In the Kuala Lumpur area, the buses offer rides to Sentul, Jalan Raja Laut, Medan Mara, Jalan Duta, Kompleks Mahkamah, Publika, among others. 

Buses are available at 15-minute intervals at their designated platforms and tickets are priced according to the destination.

For a free ride in the city, hop on the Go KL City Bus which starts from the Pasar Seni hub with stops at Bangkok Bank, Muzium Telekom, Menara Olympia, KL Tower, The Weld, Wisma Lim Foo Yong, Wisma Cosway, Pavilion, Bukit Bintang, Wisma Boustead, Wisma MPL, Wisma Budiman, Menara Olympia and Kota Raya. The frequency of the Go KL City bus is between five and 10 minutes.

The concession card counter is located at the Pasar Seni Bus Hub just below the Pasar Seni LRT Station. The concession cards are for senior citizens, the disabled and students, each with a fare discount of 50 per cent.

The MyRapid Touch ‘n Go (TnG) cards, which can be used for LRT, MRT, Monorail, Sunway BRT and RapidKL bus services, can be purchased here as well.

Packages include the MyRapid Smart 7 Weekly and MyRapid Smart 30 Monthly, which sees a savings of between 18 per cent and 35 per cent respectively on cash fares when you travel by rail and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

A nominal subscription fee of RM2.50 is charged for the former and RM10 for the latter. 

You may reload your TnG card with no reload fee charge at Touch N Go, MPH, Giant, and Watsons, among other merchants.

Additionally, there is a 50 per cent fare discount on LRT, MRT, Monorail and Sunway BRT until Aug 31, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during the Sungai Buloh Kajang MRT full launch. 

About 400m from the station is the Kuala Lumpur KTM Komuter station which is accessible via a pedestrian bridge over the Klang River. This is where you can hop on trains to Sungai Buloh, Kuala Kubu Baru, Rawang, Nilai, Seremban and Senawang, among others.

The most notable spot close to the LRT station is the historical Central Market. Constructed between 1888 and 1889, it was once a wet market which served the tin mining community in the area.

Currently a tourist hotspot, the building is home to stores selling arts and crafts as well as restaurants and cafes serving local and international delights.

Batik sarongs, wau (moon-kite) wooden flatware, bamboo mats, folding hand fans and wooden clogs are among the unique items you will find at Central Market. Prices start from as low as RM5.

For more bargains, head to Petaling Street. The shopping haven has been around since 1914 and is a great place to pick up quirky and colourful luggage tags at RM10 each, slogan T-shirts (also at RM10 each), coin purses (RM5 each), shoes (RM20 a pair) and more. Do remember that haggling is highly recommended.

Close by at 14A, Leboh Pudu is Sin Sze Si Ya, said to be the oldest Taoist temple in Kuala Lumpur. Founded in 1864 by Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, an important figure in the history of early Kuala Lumpur (he played a crucial role in developing the city as a business and mining hub in the 19th century), the temple is dedicated to the patron deities of Sin Sze Ya and Si Sze Ya. 

An inscription found on a golden plaque at the temple states that “the deities guided Kapitan Yap Ah Loy in defeating the enemies and defending Kuala Lumpur during the civil war (1870-1873)”.

Another important house of worship in the area is the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur. 

Founded in 1873 by K. Thamboosamy Pillai, it was originally used as a private shrine by the Pillai family. It opened its doors to the public in the late 1920s. 

With a South Indian design, the temple has a distinctive five-tiered gopuram, a pyramid-shaped gate tower that stands at a soaring 22.9m high. The tower features depictions of Hindu gods painstakingly sculpted and carved by artisans from 
southern India.

-malaymail online.