KUALA LUMPUR: The Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, a 164-year-old temple in Lebuh Pudu, here, which has witnessed the development of Kuala Lumpur, is one of several places which are the focus of the Chinese community, as well as local and foreign tourists visiting the capital, during the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Founded in 1864 by Yap Ah Loy, the temple is one of the earliest temples established in the capital.
An Australian tourist, Steven Smith, 38, who is in Malaysia for the second time, said that he and his wife stopped by at the temple to experience the celebration of the festival, which is celebrated in a big way in the country.
“We are here for seven days and yesterday, my wife and I went to the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple to see the Chinese community celebrating the festival. You can see the red decorations along the street and they are beautiful,“ he said.
He said that he decided to visit the temple as he often heard about its history, and he was thrilled to watch for the first time the dragon dance performed at the temple.
A Bernama survey around the capital also found that other focal points, such as Bukit Bintang, the Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC) and Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, were full of city residents and visitors taking advantage of the long public and school holidays.
Fatimah Abd Manap, 48, from Sungai Petani, Kedah, said that she and her family visited Kuala Lumpur to enjoy the atmosphere while visiting Chinese friends here.
“My family and I are walking around this area now, before going to a colleague’s open house since we haven’t seen each other for a long time,” she said when met at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, here.
For Daniel Lew, 38, from Melaka, Kuala Lumpur is his ‘kampung’ (hometown), and he took the opportunity in conjunction with the Chinese New Year holiday to visit his parents and other family members in the capital.
“At the same time, I am taking my children, who are on school holidays, for a visit around Kuala Lumpur,“ said Liew when met in Bukit Bintang.
Yesterday, the Chinese community nationwide ushered in the Year of the Dragon, a symbol of strength, honour, success and good fortune. – Bernama