Merdeka Square Commentary Conducted by Licensed Tourist Guide
Summary
TLDRJoying Han warmly welcomes viewers to a virtual tour of Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, highlighting its historical significance and architectural marvels. Located in the heart of the city, Merdeka Square is surrounded by iconic landmarks such as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, St. Mary's Church, and the Royal Selangor Club. The tour also explores the River of Life, the Victoria Fountain, and the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. Han provides interesting historical facts and architectural details, making this a highly recommended spot for visitors, especially in the evening for beautiful lighting and photography.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur is a famous tourist spot, symbolizing the country's independence.
- 📍 The square is located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, surrounded by significant buildings and landmarks.
- 🏙️ Kuala Lumpur is known as the 'City in the Clang Valley', and Merdeka Square is the lowest point in the valley.
- 🏛️ Notable buildings around the square include the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Saint Mary's Church, and the Royal Selangor Club.
- 🌊 The 'River of Life' nearby is the origin of Kuala Lumpur's name, marking the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers.
- 📸 The area in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building is a popular spot for photography, offering a spectacular view of Kuala Lumpur.
- 🚩 The Malaysian flag, known as the Jalur Gemilang, is flown on a 100-meter tall flagpole, a symbol of national pride.
- 🏰 The Sultan Abdul Samad Building is a unique architectural marvel, combining Indo-Saracenic, Moorish Islamic, and Northern Indian designs.
- ⏳ Clock towers in Malaysian cities, including Kuala Lumpur, serve as landmarks indicating the city center.
- 🌇 The best time to visit Merdeka Square is around 5 PM, as the lighting and sunset views create a beautiful atmosphere for photography.
Q & A
What is the meaning of 'Merdeka' in Malay language?
-Merdeka in Malay means 'independence', reflecting the historical significance of Merdeka Square as a symbol of Malaysia's independence.
Why is Merdeka Square considered the heart of Kuala Lumpur?
-Merdeka Square is located right in the city center of Kuala Lumpur, surrounded by significant buildings and landmarks, making it a central point of interest and activity.
What is the historical significance of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building?
-The Sultan Abdul Samad Building was designed by A.C. Norman and completed in 1897. It was used as the British government office during colonial times and is an architectural blend of Indo-Saracenic, Moorish, Islamic, and Mughal designs.
What is the origin of the name 'Kuala Lumpur'?
-The name Kuala Lumpur derives from the meeting point of two rivers, the Klang and Gombak rivers, and the muddy confluence known as Lumpur, hence meaning 'muddy river mouth'.
What is the significance of the flagpole at Merdeka Square?
-The flagpole at Merdeka Square is one of the tallest, symbolizing the confidence and aspirations of Malaysia during its independence era, as initiated by Tun Dr. Sri Mahathir.
What is the River of Life project and its connection to Kuala Lumpur's name?
-The River of Life project is a rejuvenation initiative for the historic convergence of the Klang and Gombak rivers, which is the origin of Kuala Lumpur's name.
What is the historical importance of the Victoria Fountain?
-The Victoria Fountain was initially planned for the Central Market but was relocated to Merdeka Square due to traffic concerns. It served as a resting place for horses and a remembrance of Queen Victoria.
What is the architectural style of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building?
-The architectural style of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building combines Indo-Saracenic, Moorish, Islamic, and Mughal elements, reflecting a fusion of Eastern and Western influences.
What is the significance of the clock tower in Kuala Lumpur?
-The clock tower in Kuala Lumpur is a prominent landmark that signifies the city center. It also served as a public timepiece during an era when personal watches were a luxury.
What are some of the buildings and landmarks surrounding Merdeka Square?
-Surrounding Merdeka Square are notable buildings such as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Saint Mary's Church, the Royal Selangor Club, the Textile Museum, and the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery.
What is the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery and what does it offer to visitors?
-The Kuala Lumpur City Gallery is a place that showcases miniature models of Kuala Lumpur's iconic buildings and offers insights into the city's history and architecture. It also features an 'I Love KL' sculpture for photography.
What is the best time to visit Merdeka Square according to the script?
-The best time to visit Merdeka Square is around 5 PM, as it is not too hot, and visitors can enjoy the sunset and the lit-up cityscape by 7:30 PM.
Outlines
🏙️ Introduction to Merdeka Square
Joying Han introduces Merdeka Square, a famous tourist spot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The square symbolizes independence ('Merdeka' means 'independence' in Malay) and is located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur at Jalan Raja. The area is surrounded by numerous beautiful buildings due to its central location, making it a prominent spot in the Klang Valley, which occasionally experiences flooding. Joying highlights key structures around the square, including the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, St. Mary's Church, the Royal Selangor Club, and the Textile Museum. He also mentions the River of Life, a significant site where Kuala Lumpur gets its name from the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers.
🏛️ Historical Significance and Victoria Fountain
This paragraph focuses on the historical elements around Merdeka Square, specifically the Victoria Fountain, erected in remembrance of Queen Victoria. Initially intended for the central market, it was relocated to Merdeka Square to avoid traffic congestion. The fountain also served as a watering spot for horses in the past. Joying mentions the display of photographs of Malaysia's former prime ministers at the square and provides historical details about the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. The building, designed by A.C. Norman and completed in 1897, was constructed by Chinese contractors using four million bricks, leading to the creation of Brickfields, an area in Kuala Lumpur dedicated to brick production.
🕌 Architectural Marvels and Design Influences
Joying describes the architectural styles of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which blends Indo-Saracenic, Moorish, Islamic, and Mughal influences. He explains how the building's design facilitates ventilation and lighting, featuring numerous arches such as horseshoe and ogee arches. The structure signifies unity, repetition, and rhythm through its symmetrical design. The clock tower is highlighted as a prominent landmark in Kuala Lumpur, used historically to help people keep track of time when personal timepieces were rare.
⛪ St. Mary's Church and the Royal Selangor Club
Opposite the Sultan Abdul Samad Building is St. Mary's Church, built by the British as a religious center. Joying compares it to the Pink Mosque in Putrajaya, indicating the British influence on religious structures in Malaysia. The Royal Selangor Club, also known as the Spotted Dog, is described with its history tied to British social activities and its unique long bar. The club's name is linked to either the ladies waiting outside with their spotted dogs or the club's leopard logo. The Kuala Lumpur Hash House Harriers club, founded here, is noted for its role in social networking.
🏛️ Kuala Lumpur City Gallery and Textile Museum
Joying recommends visiting the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery, which features the 'I Love KL' sign and exhibits miniatures of iconic Kuala Lumpur buildings. The old Chartered Bank building, once a museum and restaurant, is noted for its history of being flooded and drying money on the Merdeka Square field, nicknamed the 'Million Field.' The Textile Museum is another highlight, showcasing famous Malaysian textiles like batik, songket, and pua kumbu. Joying explains that Merdeka Square is also a key location for national celebrations, such as the National Day Parade and the Colors of Malaysia Parade, which showcase Malaysia's diverse cultures.
🎉 Best Time to Visit Merdeka Square
Joying advises that the best time to visit Merdeka Square is around 5 PM when the weather is cooler. Visitors can enjoy photography, visit the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery and Textile Museum, and then proceed to the River of Life for a beautiful evening view. The area lights up, including the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, creating a superb photography opportunity. Joying concludes by inviting viewers to reach out for inquiries and to like, subscribe, and share his channel.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Merdeka Square
💡Kuala Lumpur
💡Sultan Abdul Samad Building
💡River of Life
💡Victoria Fountain
💡Clock Tower
💡Indo-Saracenic
💡National Day Parade
💡Kuala Lumpur City Gallery
💡Textile Museum
💡Brickfields
Highlights
Introduction to Merdeka Square, the heart of Kuala Lumpur, and its significance as a symbol of Independence.
Merdeka Square's geographical location in the city center and its relation to the Klang Valley.
The historical importance of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and its architectural features.
The origin of the name 'Kuala Lumpur' and the significance of the 'River of Life'.
The renovated 'River of Life' and its evening beauty with fountains and lighting.
The tallest flagpole in Malaysia and its historical significance during the era of Tun Dr. Sri Mahathir.
The unique design elements of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, blending Indo-Saracenic, Moorish Islamic, and Northern Indian designs.
The clock tower's prominence as a city center landmark in Malaysia.
The story behind the Victoria Fountain and its original intended location.
The historical significance of the Royal Selangor Club and its 'Spotted Dog' bar.
The Kuala Lumpur City Gallery showcasing miniature parts of the city and its iconic 'I Love KL' photo spot.
The history of the Old Chartered Bank building and its role in a flood incident.
The Textile Museum and the significance of Malaysian textiles like Batik, Songkate, and Pokok Malaysia.
Merdeka Square as a venue for the National Day Parade and the Colors of Malaysia Parade.
Recommendation for the best time to visit Merdeka Square for photography and experiencing the sunset.
Contact information provided for those interested in visiting Malaysia or seeking more information.
Transcripts
hi
salam's chatra
my name is joying han
welcome ladies and gentlemen to virtual
venture vocation today i'm going to
share with you one of the very very
famous tourist sport in malaysia or
kuala lumpur known as the badeika square
merdeka
that is actually
in malay which means
independence so basically
we say that the merdeka or it is
independent square so ladies and
gentlemen
this merdeka square is actually located
right in the heart of kuala lumpur which
is located at jalan
raja
surrounding the vicinity of this
uh madhyaka square actually there are so
many beautiful
yeah
so many
because it is right in the city center
and you can say that this place because
of it is located right in the city
center so that's the reason why
it is also known as the lowest
spot in the clan valley because kuala
lumpur is also known as a clang valley
but due to its lowest
spot that's the reason why it has
happened a few times flat around this
area
so ladies and gentlemen as mentioned
yeah around this area there are so many
spectacular
buildings so i'm going to share with you
all these buildings around this area
so you can see that the
ground area or the field is basically
known as the independence square and
then we have this sultan abdul sama
building we have this saint mary's
church
we have a royals lego club cal gallery
and the textile museum not only this
within a walking distance
from the
field you can see that behind the
sultan abdul summer building actually
there is this spot known as the river of
life
river of life is actually where kuala
lumpur's names derive from
basically that is where from the meeting
point of two rivers known as the clang
valle clang river and also the gomba
river the meeting point and then the
river mouth itself is known as koala and
due to
a lot of
muddy area that's true line so that is
known as lumpur so kuala lumpur
basically it means the river mouth which
has
marked and
in front here you can see that the river
of life
where it has been renovated and in the
evening it is tremendously beautiful
with the fountains
and the lighting around this area is
really really superb
right
so you can see that in the evening
the sultan of the summer building is
also lit up so it is very very beautiful
right so ladies and gentlemen right in
front of this sultan abdul salman that
is the america square where you can see
the flag pole
at this platform that is the best
place for you to have a photography all
right highly recommended area for you to
have the photography area so from there
itself you can see that it is a
spectacular view of the whole
kuala lumpur with the tall buildings
around
and ladies and gentlemen you can see
that uh our malaysian flag known as the
jallo gamilan yeah is flying very
properly on a 100 meter tall flag pole
now
why that this
flagpole is one of the tallest it is
because during the era of tone doctor
sri mahadev he has introduced malaysia
bole so he wanted to give confidence to
malaysia that's the reason why
whatever that he built he wanted it to
be one of the biggest one of the tallest
in the world
now ladies and gentlemen right in front
of the clock tower at the uh
field or the padang over there you can
see there are actually three flag poles
even though there are one whole row of
flagpoles or malaysian flags or
basically flying some other
local flags but these three flag poles
which is slightly further in
and one of it is stated there
that is malaysian flag was first raised
for the very first time that was during
our independence day that is 31st august
1957.
so not far from there
you can see a fountain actually this
fountain
was known as victoria fountain and this
victoria fountain was supposedly
to
have a remembrance of queen victoria
yeah but
i i researched in the wikipedia
initially that this
this fountain supposedly
they wanted to locate it in the central
market but the police yeah
didn't allow that this
fountain to be located there because of
afraid of this traffic jam so finally
they decided to relocate it at the
taran merdeka
i was told also that actually this
fountain served another purpose that was
very long time ago
when you know there were not so
many vehicles where basically people
still riding on horses this area is
where the horses will rest and also
drink the water from the fountain
and at this pardon madrid car itself you
can see there are actually six photos of
our former prime ministers starting from
the left our very first tunku
abdulrahman and until the previous prime
minister that was the dhatu sri najib
and ladies and gentlemen you can see
that the most spectacular
building
of all actually is the sultan abdul
samad building
yeah and this building itself uh this
area was actually
this land was actually owned by yap
alloy and in fact the whole area was
actually about one acre yeah about one
acre big and uh the british
bought from yuck aloy can you imagine
during the time that was basically
in 1895
[Music]
they bought this land for only 50
streets dollar that was as reported in
wikipedia too
yeah so this building was actually
designed by ac
norman
and it took three years to build and
completed in the year
1897. actually the whole construction
was actually
built by the chinese contractor
and
you can see that
they use about 150 2
000 stress dollars of course during
those days
one stress dollars could be equivalent
to 1 000 ringgit so in order to build
this building right now i believe it
could easily cause maybe
152 million
ringgit yeah and they used up
four million bricks
to build the whole building due to
due to using so many bricks that's
basically that's the reason why there is
one
place in kuala lumpur known as
brickfields
just because of wanted to build this
building they
make a factory to actually produce the
bricks so basically that is the place
known as the brickfields or the little
india of kuala lumpur
so this building was
built for the purpose of federated
malaysia's administration
center or basically the british use it
as a british
government office basically
and you can see that the design actually
uh comprised of the
indo-saracenic
moorish islamic new mughal what are they
actually so if you see at this photo
over here indo sarasota design is
actually meant for ventilation and
lighting purposes and you can see that
there are so many arches around
exactly it is the same
just like the suta abdul samad building
and the taj mahal was actually of the
new mughal design or basically known as
the north india design
so there are there is certain influence
of the northern indian
design
for the
sota of the summer building as well and
lastly of course the
maurice islamic design or also known as
the western islamic architecture so
ladies and gentlemen basically if you
look at this building it's actually
where the east mid west is a very very
unique building and
it has the islamic
islamic elements
so islamic element one of the very very
unique part of it is where it is
symmetry design so can you just imagine
right in front here such a huge building
and it is symmetry in design
and
basically you can see that
as mentioned earlier on there are so
many arches around in the building and
these archers also known as the horse
shoe archers or you can say that it is
also known as the keyhole archers
besides this all right so there are
actually many many types of archers
around one of it is also known as the og
archers
and then we have the four centered
archers
then we among all the uh
the whole building over here you can see
that it's actually
it signifies unity repetition and rhythm
and what are they actually unity is
because basically it stands
all on its own together
and then the
repeating yeah the repeating part of the
design and the flow of the design is
unifying so that's basically where you
can see that the whole concept of unity
repetition and rhythm
is there throughout the
building
and ladies and gentlemen
you can see that the
this one very unique part of this
uh
sultan abdul samad building is actually
the
clock tower
this clock tower is actually
one of a very very prominent one in
kuala lumpur and ladies and gentlemen
for your information basically whenever
you are in malaysia
to know whether you are right in the
city center
the moment you found that there is a
clock tower
that is the spot where
it is
the city center of that particular town
so like for example in malacca in penang
there is actually clock tower as well
right so you might ask why are there
clock towers in
every cities or basically in the towns
of malaysia
it was because during the olden days of
course
clocks or watches then
is very very expensive item not everyone
can afford to have watches so that's the
reason why this clock
is there to let people know the time
basically
so the building was actually designed as
an f-shape to stand which stands for
federation actually right in front of
the building which faced the merdeka
square is actually a symmetry as
mentioned and then on the left hand side
which face at the textile museum so
that's from if you look from the sky
it's actually an f-shaped building
so from here itself this building uh was
built very unique design it and it has a
very very wide veranda the veranda alone
is about two meter wide now ladies and
gentlemen why
why
this building has such
white veranda basically it it is
for ventilation purposes during the
olden days of course they basically rely
on
air
flowing so that's the reason why without
using air condition or fan
when you are in the building you still
can feel it is really very very cooling
in fact in the building
now
from there uh over opposite right hand
side of this
sultan abdul sama building you can see
this saint mary's church
this church was actually built by the
british
of course basically
during the olden days you can see that
there is this center for religion uh
that is the church now just like in
malaysia putrajaya right so putrajaya
now is the administration center that's
reason why you find the
pink moss or basically the putra moss is
also right look located right at the
side of our prime minister's office
and
on the
opposite side you can find these two
doors tile building or basically very
very british type of building this is
known as the royal slango club
and in the royal slango club there is
this long bar
which where
it is also known as the spotted dog so
the spotted dog why is border dog it was
a long time ago during the british era
this is because ladies are not allowed
to go into the bar basically it's
because you know uh when you know
gentlemen were drinking of course you
know sometimes they joke around so they
didn't want the females to be there
that's the main reason all right now why
this place is known as the spotted dog
so the ladies waiting outside they used
to bring along the
spotted dog or basically the dimensions
so that's how the name derived from
another story states that it's because a
long long time ago this rose lengua club
the logo of this royal slang club
actually consists of a leopard and this
leopard the icon looks like a
spotted dog so that's the reason why
this area is known as the spotted dog
area and
due to uh it is a drinking place of
course the british also found uh founded
the house harris club from this area too
yeah so uh from history of course kuala
lumpur
house harriers is one of the earliest
association of clubs basically
for networking
it was set up so much
earlier
then one of a very iconic and a very
very
highly recommended place for you to
visit is actually the kuala lumpur city
gallery this kuala lumpur city gallery
is actually where
you'll find on the right hand side that
is the i love kl
where you have to queue up in order for
you to have a good photo of of this
iconic uh spot
and then
uh for the ticket
uh for the ticket price is actually
10 ringgit and then this place is
actually open right up to 6 30 in the
evening
all right so basically
this kuala lumpur city gallery
showcases or basically exhibits
miniature parts of the whole
kuala lumpur
city the main iconic buildings and
ladies and gentlemen
this is the old chartered bank building
this old chartered bank building is
was used once as a museum and also a
restaurant before due to it was a old
chartered bank can you imagine that
there was once
flooded happen flood happened in this
area and all the money
it was wet then so in order for them to
dry up the money they were actually yeah
drying the money at the field right in
front of this merdeka square so that's
the reason why this field is also known
as the million
field
and then opposite this
building there is this textile museum if
you have the time of course it is also
recommended for you to visit this
textile basically in malaysia there are
three
there are three very very well-known
textiles one of it is barte so you can
see the dress that i'm wearing is
actually a party all right and then we
have the songkate and also the point
the pokemon is actually
one of the very very famous textile in
sarawak
now this is also one of uh
medical square is also one of the very
very very
sport where we will celebrate our
national deep rate basically every year
but then of course since that the
putrajaya has been
built basically at times our national
day parade was celebrated there as well
and of course the colors of malaysia
parade which was usually
being celebrated in the month of may to
june so this is one of a very
highly recommended
malaysia parade where there are a lot of
various races of
malaysia
having a parade having their traditional
dance having their traditional
costumes where they are having parade
to welcome the tourists to malaysia
now
of course there are a lot of people also
ask me what is the best time to visit
this
i would highly recommend that you visit
this place at five
in the evening
so why five o'clock in the evening
basically of course uh
start from that time it's not that hot
anymore
and then of course after photography and
also after visiting the uh kale gallery
and also the textile museum that is
where you can move forward to the river
of life because in the evening uh
basically where you can see the sunset
uh starts usually at about 6 45 right up
to 7 15
and by 7 30 in the evening you can see
the whole
kuala lumpur is basically dark so that's
where the
the river of life is being lit up and
then you can see this sulta abdul samad
building is also lit up so that is a
very very good
photography place for you again all
right so ladies and gentlemen i hope
that you have enjoyed this virtual tour
of course uh as usual if you have
friends or relatives who will want to
visit malaysia or you have any inquiries
yeah please write to me at my email or
you can always whatsapp to me at this
number zero one two three seven three
three
and then of course i will appreciate
very much if you like click lick and
also subscribe to my channel and share
my this channel to your friends and
relatives thank you very much ladies and
gentlemen good bye
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