Kuala Lumpur — Malaysia's Diverse and Ambitious Capital
By any stretch of the imagination, Kuala Lumpur is a major world city. The Malaysian capital is one of the most visited destinations, with 9.2 million people bringing in an estimated US$7.8 billion in 2013.
Kuala Lumpur is far from the country's oldest city, having been a relatively insignificant tin-mining town just 150 years ago. It wasn't until 1972 that city status was conferred on KL, as it is known to locals. Two years later, the city was devolved from Selangor Province and declared a Federal Territory. This was partly in response to the call for increased economic opportunity following the race riots of 1969, which targeted ethnic Chinese.
These days, KL prides itself on its diversity, which can be seen in all facets of city life. Visitors can find hawkers' stalls and food courts where Malay favorites such as nasi lemak, fiery Indians curries, and Hokkien mee sit side by side.
The fusion of cultures is also apparent in the architecture. When the Union Jack was lowered and the flag of an independent Malaysia proudly hoisted in its place in 1957, the location couldn't have been more symbolic. The cricket green of the Royal Selangor Club is now Merdeka (Independence) Square and is overlooked by the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, a wonderful mishmash of Victorian and Mughal influences.
吉隆坡—— 馬來西亞的多元與野心之都
任憑你如何想像，吉隆坡已是世界主要大城。這座馬 來西亞首都是最多人造訪的觀光勝地之一，二○一三年就 有 920 萬人帶來約 78 億美元的收入。
吉隆坡絕非該國最老的城市，150 年前，這裡只是個 不起眼的錫礦城鎮。一直要到一九七二年，當地人口中的 KL 才正式被賦予城市的地位。兩年後，該城市脫離雪蘭莪 州並被列為聯邦直轄區，這是回應一九六九年針對華裔的 種族暴動後對於經濟機會增加的需求。
現在，吉隆坡以其多元性而自豪，這體現在都會生活 的各個面向。遊客可看到眾多小販攤子和美食街中，椰漿 飯這類馬來美食與火辣辣的印度咖哩和福建炒麵並陳的景象。
文化的融合在建築上也十分顯著。當一九五七年大英 國協的旗幟降下，獨立的馬來西亞國旗驕傲地升起時，沒 有別的地方比這裡更具象徵意義了。皇家雪蘭莪俱樂部的 板球場現在是莫德卡獨立廣場，而堪稱維多利亞時期與蒙 兀兒王國經典風格交融之作的阿都沙默大樓則一在旁俯瞰著。
資料來源：biz互動英語報
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