The brief story of Kuala Lumpur. Part 1

For everything, there is beginning... 

• It’s hard to believe Kuala Lumpur didn’t even exist 200 years ago. 

• What is the secret and origin of this big city?

Kuala Lumpur's history is surprisingly short – it only came into existence in the late 1850s, when a group of Chinese tin prospectors settled where the Klang and Gombak rivers meet in what was then deep mosquito-ridden jungle. The mines developed into a trading post which evolved into a frontier town.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building located at Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur during the 1900's

Merdeka Square, present day. 

To be more precise, let us go back in time for a bit... Time chronology of our beloved Kuala Lumpur :

•1857: 87 tin miners find rich sources of tin around the area. 

•1862: Kuala Lumpur grows rapidly. New miners from over the world settle here, with many conflicts and gang wars as a result. 

•1869: Yap Ah Loy becomes Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur and succeeds to establish law and order in Kuala Lumpur in just a few years.

•1880: Kuala Lumpur becomes a modern town when the British representative Frank Swettenham develops the first city plan.

 •1887: Kuala Lumpur becomes the capital of the state of Selangor. 

•1896: The Federated Malay States is formed by uniting the Sultans of four states. Kuala Lumpur becomes capital of the Federated Malay States.

 •1946: Kuala Lumpur becomes capital in the Federation of Malaya. 

•1957: Malaysia celebrates its independence on August 31 after 151 years of British rule. Kuala Lumpur becomes capital of the Independent Federation of Malaya. 

•1963: Kuala Lumpur becomes capital of Malaysia.

 •1974: Kuala Lumpur becomes a Federal Territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with its own administration.

 •1999: The federal administrative capital of Malaysia moves to Putrajaya.

 •2007: Kuala Lumpur celebrates its 50th year as capital of Malaysia and Malaysia its 50th year of independence.


That's it for now.. We will continue on part 2. Stay tuned ! xoxo