Malaysia have many hidden gems, hence making a decision to choose a place is difficult. I did my research on several places in Malaysia, but in the end I feel like Klang could be one of my research zone. Here is what I have found out from my research!!
1. History
Based on what I read, Klang is very historical place with history dated back to 1874s. It is also said that Klang is the royal city and former capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the Klang District in Klang Valley. (Youtube.com, 2019). A few historical places around Klang are Klang Railway Station, Kota Bridge, Indian Muslim Mosque and many more. I have also found out there is a history walking tour that will bring you to all the historical side in Klang. (Chester, 2016)
2. Eatery
Many people first impression of Klang that it is famous for Bak Kut Teh, but there are more food other than Bak Kut Teh, such as eating banana leaf rice at Little India or having toast and coffee at a 76yrs old kopitiam. (Best things to do in Klang, 2016) . Personally, my favourite food in Klang is actually still Bak Kut Teh, but there are a lot more eatery that I could go discover. I also found out this video that shows a few of the best food destination in Klang. Take a look if you are interested!!!
("Adrian in "A Klang Food Tour"", 2013)
Why Bak Kut Teh is famous in Klang??
I did a brief research on why Bak Kut Teh is so famous in Klang and not in other places in Malaysia.
Turns out in the past most of the labourer needed a good strong breakfast to endure the back-breaking work of the day. With little money to spare, they chopped up pork and threw the meat, along with all its innards and bones, into a pot. Various herbs were added to give them energy to last the day. Every morning, the coolies would drink a bowl or two of the herbal soup and fill themselves up with meat and rice before setting off for work. Thus, the humble bak kut teh was created. (Chu, 2015)
3. Tourist spot (I am interested)
a) Little India, Klang- it is said that this little india is the biggest in Malaysia. This street is full of culture, a great place for me to do my research. A few of the activity I could do at there are trying out delicacies, window shopping and many more.
b) Pre-war building (Klang Railway Station)- Some of the buildings are built since the 1926. While some of them have been converted to modern shops, many of the traditional businesses (tinsmiths, framemakers, scalemakers). I feel like it could be a good place for me to get to know the history of Klang more through the shops. (Best things to do in Klang, 2016)
4. People
People who lives in Klang are usually called Klangites or PaSangLang 吧生人 (klang people in the hokkien dialect) . Based on my experience and research, I found out that most chinese in Klang speak Hokien, with a little research I found out that in the past the British brought Chinese coolies, mostly people from the Fujian province, here to work in the ports. (Chu, 2015)
Besides, many people tend to say that since we lived in a close-knit town, all Klang people know each other. However, I find this not really true since I don't know everyone that lived in Klang, but I do know a few people around my old house!!
Moreover, it is said that most Klang people are rich, once again I dont think this true. I believe the reason people think that Klang people are rich because most of Klangites tend to open their own business.
5. Stereotypes
From my experience, there are a lot of stereotypes that KL people gave Klang people here are some of the stereotypes I find funny!! ("13 Things People From Klang are Sick of Hearing", 2014)
a) Gangster- Most of people first impression of Klang is dangerous and gangster everywhere, but I personally think is not as scary as other people think. Besides, in comparison with Kuala Lumpur the crime rates are almost the same. Take a look at the statistic HERE!! (Crime Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Klang, 2019)
b) Dirty- It is true that Klang isn't one of the cleanest place in Malaysia, but MPK is currently improving the clealinest of the town. Don't believe me? Take a look at this article "Time to shed royal town’s dirty image" (The Star, 2019)
My observation: This is my primary research on the research zone. I have not yet visit the site I would like to visit, but since I spend most of time in Klang I did realised a few things that are different when compare to other locations in Malaysia. I found out that Klang have a lot of stray dogs when compare to other places, so I decided to go do some research and it turns out to be true!! According to Star online, Klang has the most number of stray dogs ( 9,310 dogs). Read the article HERE!! (The Star, 2019)
I used various of sources such as websites, article, newspaper, videos and many more for my research!!
-Youtube.com. (2019). YouTube. [online] Available at: https://youtube.com/watch?v=QYCLUJoSeNA [Accessed 27 Apr. 2019].
-Adrian in "A Klang Food Tour". (2013). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPyOH_zYQ3k
-Best things to do in Klang. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.timeout.com/kuala-lumpur/things-to-do/best-things-to-do-in-klang
-Chester, C. (2016). Learn the history of Klang on this delightful walk. [online] Star2.com. Available at: https://www.star2.com/travel/malaysia/2016/06/07/learn-the-history-of-klang-on-this-walk/ [Accessed 27 Apr. 2019].
-Chu, M. (2015). A CURIOUS SIDE OF KLANG TOWN THAT YOU NEVER KNEW [Blog]. Retrieved from https://meimeichu.com/asia/malaysia/a-curious-side-of-klang-town-that-you-never-knew/
-Star. (2019). Quirks of living in Klang. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/focus/2015/08/22/quirks-of-living-in-klang-royal-town-holds-many-delightful-secrets-for-foodies-and-history-buffs/
-13 Things People From Klang are Sick of Hearing. (2014). Retrieved from https://cilisos.my/13-things-people-from-klang-are-sick-of-hearing/
-Crime Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Klang. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.numbeo.com/crime/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Malaysia&country2=Malaysia&city1=Kuala+Lumpur&city2=Klang
-The Star. (2019). Time to shed royal town’s dirty image Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2019/03/11/time-to-shed-royal-towns-dirty-image/#GDj4vkvyRLZDGh1f.99. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2019/03/11/time-to-shed-royal-towns-dirty-image/
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