Chinatown Shopping

Where to Buy in Chinatown

Chinatown’s most well-known shopping area is undoubtedly located along the stretch of road called Petaling Street. But besides Petaling Street, there are also quite a number of shopping centres around Chinatown, with three malls and a touristy bazaar called ‘Central Market’ (Pasar Seni) serving the area, which, although not as grand and glamourous as their counterparts in the city’s more upmarket areas, offer plenty of good bargains within its walls, securing its popularity with the masses throughout the years.

Central Market (Pasar Seni)

Located along Jalan Hang Kasturi, just a few minutes’ walk from Petaling Street, what was originally a wet market is now known as a major tourist attraction and a crucial landmark. Central Market offers a wide selection of locally-produced cultural products such as handicrafts and antiques which make perfect take-home souvenirs for tourists. You can also get a portrait drawn of you on the spot, in full colour or pencil-sketched. A hip exhibition space, The Annexe, is located on the 2nd floor of the building, constantly hosting various cultural events and exhibitions such as art exhibitions, book fairs and book launches.
Highlights: Arch Collection, Actop Craft, Asli Craft, Borneo Pearls, Cute Fish Spa, Dodo Art & Craft, Fine Batik, House of Silver, Kheng's Antique and Collectible, Success Portrait, Suria Portrait Centre, Swartz Creation.
Address: No. 10, Jalan Hang Kasturi (just around the corner from Kota Raya Shopping Centre)
Tel: (603) 2031 0339/5399/7399/9399, 2274 6542/2757
Opening Hours: Daily, 10:00 – 22:00

Kota Raya Shopping Complex

Around the corner from Central Market, just opposite Petaling Street, is the Kota Raya shopping complex. It is perhaps one of the oldest shoppng centres in the city, and although its popularity has been lost to trendier, more contemporary counterparts, it is still visited by those in search of budget buys and bargain items. Having recently gone through a renovation and refurbishment exercise, Kota Raya’s old, run-down exterior has now been replaced by a brightly-coloured one, which can be seen clearly from Petaling Street’s main entrance across the street.
Highlights: Budget clothing and accessories, beauty saloons, hairdressers, games, electronics.
Location: At the junction of Jalan Silang and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock
Opening Hours: Daily, 10:00 – 22:00

S & M Warisan

Adjacent to the Kota Raya Shopping Complex, S & M Warisan Shopping Centre is also a popular city-centre budget departmental store, although a little smaller than Kota Raya. Like its next-door neighbour, it has also been given a new lease of life with some renovations and a fresh coat of paint. The shopping centre is most popular for its DVD and VCD outlets, selling the latest drama series and animes from overseas especially from Korea, Hong Kong and Japanese, as well as budget fashion and electronic games.
Highlights: Asian drama series/animes DVDs & VCDs, budget clothing and accessories, electronic games.
Location: Right next to Kota Raya Shopping Complex, at the intersection of Jalan Tun H. S. Lee & Jalan Cheng Lock.
Opening Hours: Daily, 10:00 – 22:00

UO Superstore

A huge local chain specialising in household goods and general merchandise, UO Superstore offers a huge range of household items at extremely competitive prices. Known for its value-for-money factor, the UO Superstore’s flagship outlet also has a sizeable collection of house brands.
Address: Lot PT1, Section 24, Jalan Sultan (right across the street from S & M Warisan)
Tel: (603) 2032 1201
Opening Hours: 10:00am - 9:30pm, 11:00am - 9:30pm : Mon - Thu (Departmental)

Petaling Street Market

Marked by a huge, green awning sheltering shoppers from rain and daytime heat, Petaling Street is a well-known shopping district in Kuala Lumpur, most popular for budget buys. At night, the whole area transforms into a lively and vibrant night market. The street is practically stocked to the brim with shops and stalls along it offering all kinds of goods at dirt-cheap prices, from fake branded fashion items to delicious hawker food. The best thing is, the prices can be brought lower still as haggling is the way of life here.
Location: Along Petaling Street and the intersecting road, Jalan Hang Lekir
Tel: (603) 2693 6661
Operating Hours: Daily, 09:00 – 12:00 & 18:00 - Late

Others:

Aside from Petaling Street market and shopping malls, there are plenty of independent shops dotted all over Chinatown. There are quite a number of wholesalers here, particularly along Jalan Sultan and Jalan Hang Jebat, selling crystals, women’s accessories and even hair-perming tools. Bookstores can also be found here, specialising in Chinese reading materials, namely Shanghai Bookstore, Sin Ya Book Agency and Popular Bookstore, which also sells books in Malay and English. Sun Ya Book Agency also sells an interesting collection of Buddhist relics in all sizes, which can make for excellent souvenirs to take home.

Other noteworthy shops include Borneo Pearls in the Swiss-Inn Hotel, Weaver House Arts & Crafts and Kong Wooi Fong Tea Merchants. Borneo Pearls sells genuine cultured pearl jewellery and fashion accessories, while Weaver House Arts & Crafts is a superb gift shop selling handmade gift items and quality handicrafts at extremely affordable prices. Kong Wooi Fong Tea Merchants is a tea specialty shop selling fine tea leaves and tea-making paraphernalia. Customers can also sample the teas first to help them decide which one to purchase at the fully-furnished tea-tasting area at the back of the shop.