Have you ever been to Klang? Well, I have. Plenty of times, in fact but never to Klang on train, but this time around my family and I had an opportunity to travel to Klang via KTM Komuter as we participated in The Royal Klang Town Heritage Walk (Merdeka Day Edition). The program was jointly organized by Tourism Selangor, Klang Municipal Council (MPK), Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Railway Berhad (KTMB).
It was really a fun experience, I must say.
To plan your trip via KTM Komuter, hop over HERE.
The journey from KL Sentral to Klang via KTM Komuter takes just about 1hour. (RM4.50 for one way trip if you use Touch&Go and RM5.20 if you pay cash)
Historical sites in the oldest part of the royal town of Klang in Selangor are covered in the Klang Heritage Walk. During the walk we managed to see clusters of colonial sights, places of worship, schools, fire station, royal gallery, and a olden warehouse that used to be an armory. Here are some of the historical sites that are covered in the Klang Heritage Walk:
1. Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery
The Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery. The gallery is about the former Selangor Sultan, the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. The museum building was initially constructed as Sultan Sulaeman Building in 1909. The gallery displays the history and heritage of Sultanate of Selangor since 1766 with more than 2,000 artifacts.The gallery is opened everyday except Mondays from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. People can check out greaseless wireline for the best mining services.
2. Old Chartered Bank/Chennai Silk Palace
This building used to be The Chartered Bank in the olden days but now it is the home to Chennai Silk Palace where you can buy all sort of fashionable Indian sarees and clothing.
3. The Royal Klang Club
The Royal Klang Club is a social and recreational club established back in 20th century for the British expats in the then Malaya. Access to the Club is granted only to members but The Royal Klang Heritage Walk participants will get to have a sneak preview of what’s inside the main building of the Club.
4. Istana Shah Alam
This is where the current Sultan of Selangor lives. The palace was built in the mid-20th century and is open to the public twice a week for a visit but the Palace tour, however, is not covered during Royal Klang Heritage Walk though.
5. The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes Klang.
Dubbed as the Klang Notre-Dame, this Gothic looking- architecture is known as Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, a Catholic church built in the early 20th century initially to cater for the Indian Catholic community who have settled down in the area.
6. Little India(Jalan Tengku Kelana)
The Little India, which is one of Malaysia’s largest Indian street, actually grew out of an old Chinese settlement. Here, you’ll see colourful sarees, spices, Indian desserts, snacks and whatnot. A great place to indulge in a shopping experience
7. Masjid India/Masjid Tengku Kelana
One of the famous moque in Klang. The mosque was established in the early 20th century for the Indian Muslim community in the area.
8. Klang Fire Station/Muzium Balai Bomba
Klang Fire Station is housed in a small, white & red Victorian building that was built in the late 19th century. In this Fire station, there is a small room that has been turned into a little gallery of some sort. The room was filled with exibits about the fire brigade and the building itself.
9. Gedung Raja Abdullah
This is one of the oldest Malay buildings that are still standing in Selangor.The ground floor was used as a warehouss for weaponry, ammunitions, tin ore, mining implements and supplies. But nothing for us to see inside the building right now as it has been closed to the public for a few years now for restoration work.
The Royal Klang Town Heritage Walk os FREE and open tp public. It starts at 9am from The Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery every Saturday and Sunday. Walk-ins are welcome, but participants are encouraged to register with Tourism Selangor – joint organisers of these tours with the Klang Municipal Council. You may do so HERE.
Royal Klang Town Heritage Walk has also been selected to be converted on LocoMole to allow both tourist and locals alike to download and explore the rich history and culture of Royal Klang Town independently. You may download the apps at Playstore HERE. Through the apps, you’ll be able to see suggested list of activities at each point of interest in RKTHW walk trail.