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| Sultan Abdul Samad Building (1897) A Legacy Renewed Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Feb 2026) |
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| Ho Chih Minh City Hall (1902) Vietnam (Jan 2026) |
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| Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada (1867) (May 2019) |
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| The Bath House (1906), Rotorua, New Zealand (March 2016) |
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| National Gallery (2005), Singapore Former Supreme Court & City Hall (Feb 2016) |
A number of festive events / happenings in the 1st Quarter of 2026 (Jan > March) ie The New Year Day (Jan 1), Kuala Lumpur City Day & Thaipusam (Feb 1), Chinese Lunar New Year (Feb 17 > March 3), Malay New Year Hari Raya (March 20 > 23) & my 19 days free & easy visit to South Vietnam. I had enough of outdoor sightseeing visits on my plate from Jan > March 2026 ! Hence in any of the major festive seasons in my home country, Malaysia, I took the opportunity to undertake some sightseeing visits to the Kuala Lumpur city centre / suburban places together with my wife, family members, siblings, travel buddies (meet up to discuss travel opportunities) etc & last but not the least, a little eating to end the day in a joyful mood !
The highlight of of this post was my solo sightseeing visit to Malaysia's most recognisable building in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur ie the reopening of Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad located opposite the Dataran Merdeka Square ! This iconic Moorish colonial building with its copper dome & clock tower was recently opened to the public after years of massive restoration / renovation works (a legacy renewed), a must visit when you are in Kuala Lumpur. Built in 1897, once housed the administrative offices of the British Malaya & later the country courts. This visit to a magnificent building is more than the seeing of sights, be it exterior & interior, it is also about the history & Malaya then fighting for her independence & in 1957 became a sovereign nation (I was a 7 year old kid then) ! This particular visit also brought home my fond memory to a number of British & French heritage buildings I visited in recent years, once upon the time were the corridors of power in Vietnam, Canada & Singapore !
Another of my exciting sightseeing visit was a visit to Malaysia's tallest skyscraper, Mederka 118 (679m high) located adjacent to the Merdeka Stadium. This skyscraper is the world's 2nd tallest building, a symbol of Malaysia's independence, featuring a unique design & impressive engineering feats !
1) My first time visit
- Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, Kuala Lumpur
- Merdeka 118
- Sunway Leo, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
- Sunway Square, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
2) Malay New Year Mall Visit (March 20 > 23 2026)
- Garden Mall, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur
- Mid Valley Mega Mall, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur
- Sunway Velocity Mall, Taman Maluri
3) Chinese Lunar New Year Mall Visit (Feb 17 > March 3 2026)
- Sunway Pyramid, Bandar Sunway
- Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur
- Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre
- Garden Mall, Mid-Valley City Centre
Sau Seng Lum Chinese Buddhist Temple, Section 1, Petaling Jaya, Selangor (Friday March 27 2026) - a leading non-profit health organisation in Malaysia serving the health needs of the underprivileged & improving lives in Klang Valeey & beyond; Qingming prayer with my wife & family members.
Sunway Velocity Mall, Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur (Sunday March 22 2026) - Malay New Year (Hari Raya) Day 3 festive decor mall visit & a visit to the Nanking Street lined with Chinese F & B & grocery shopping; ended the visit with a noodle lunch in a China restaurant in Nanking Street.
Malay New Year (Hari Raya) festive decor in Mid Valley Mega Mall, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur (Monday March 23 2026)
Malay New Year (Hari Raya) decor, Garden Mall, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur (Monday, March 23 2026)
Bukit OUG, Kuala Lumpur (March 18 2026)
Hong Thai Travel & Tour, Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur (Tuesday March 10 2026) - visit with my wife to inquire about package tours to Shandong (China), South Korea & Japan followed by a brief visit to Pudu Plaza & a Hakka Tai Bu noodle lunch.
Fung Huang Biscuit Restoran, Jalan Sultan, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur (Saturday March 7 2026) - meet up with my travel buddy, Thompson Tham / wife & sister-in-law to discuss a free & easy visit to Shandong, China in mid-April.
Lee Lam Thye Wet Market, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur - tucked away from the bustling Chinatown, this market provides a glimpse into the city's past with its array of fresh vegetables, fish & meat; a few old established food stalls still operating offering visitors a taste of the famous curry noodle & yong tau fu !
Guan Di Temple (Emperor Guan Temple), Jalan Tun H S Lee, Kuala Lumpur (Sunday March 7 2026) - founded in 1887, one of the oldest temples in Malaysia
) (Friday March 6 2026) - Sunway Leo visit
My Little LIFE Pleasure - CNY Day 13 Sunday March 1 2026 - Kwan Inn Teng, Section 4 Petaling Jaya, Selangor - CNY visit with my Klang buddies, Huii & Boon after a lunch in PJ Old Town (my wife's birthplace)
Buddhistic Library, Kwan Inn Teng, Section 4, Petaling Jaya, Selangor (Sunday March 1 2026)
Chinese New Year lion dance in a Chinese temple in Section 4, Petaling Jaya Oldtown, Selangor (Sunday March 1 2026)
Sunway Pyramid, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor (Saturday Feb 21 2026) - Chinese Lunar New Year festive decor in Sunway Pyramid Mall.
Chinese New Year (CNY) Lantern & Floral Festival showcasing, illuminating (by night) the theme of "Harmony & Coexistence, Galloping Towards Success", Fo Guang Shan Dong Zhen Temple (Feb 20 2026) - CNY visit with my wife & 3 sisters followed by a CNY lunch in USJ, Subang Jaya, Selangor, enjoying the little LIFE Pleasure of 2026 CNY festive season, mood & atmosphere !
) Exhibition of Chinese Ink - Horse Paintings (Valiant Spirit) by Ker Won Hoo, Fo Guang Shan Dong Zhen Temple, Jenjarom, Selangor; it really lifted up my "Horse" spirit as I moved around the exhibition hall admiring the art display ! One up for me in my little LIFE Pleasure during this CNY festive season !
) The Brilliant Dunhuang Exhibition (Dunhuang-inspired Display), Fo Guang Shan Dong Zhen Temple, Jenjarom, Selangor - what a surprise & coincidence as I was in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China on an Ancient Silk Road, & South Xinjiang free & easy visit from Aug 27 > Sept 24 2025, my 2nd visit to Dunhuang & my 1st visit was in May 2006 (season's spinning again, the years keep rollin' by) ! LIFE is full of Little Pleasure so treasure it especially if you are a retiree in his / her 70's !
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| See You Again Dunhuang ! |
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| Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang, China |
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| Dunhuang, Gansu, China Sept 2025 |
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| Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring Dunhuang, Gansu, China |
My Little LIFE Pleasure - Chinese New Year mall visit to Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor following by a CNY lunch in Nanyang Cafe (Sunday Feb 21 2026 CNY Day 5)
Merdeka 118 (Feb 16 2026 Chinese New Year Eve)
Central Market (Pasar Seni) Feb 15 2026
Central Market, Kuala Lumpur City Centre (Sunday Feb 15 2026) - a centre for Malaysian culture, art & craft located in the heart of the city, built 1888, a building with significant historical value, used to be a wet market in the earlier years ! A shopper & tourist delight !
River of LIFE, the birthplace of Kuala Lumpur (Sunday Feb 15 2026) - a heritage area, it is at the confluence of the Gombak & Klang rivers in the original heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square), Kuala Lumpur City Centre (Sunday Feb 15 2026) - opposite the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad Building, formerly known as the Selangor Club Padang which was used as the cricket green of the Selangor Club
Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad (Sunday Feb 15 2026)
Eatery Stall, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, Kuala Lumpur - just enjoy the authentic Malaysian food & dining experience here !
Souvenir Showroom, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, Kuala Lumpur (Sunday Feb 15 2026) - a wide range of attractive souvenirs & T-shirts on sale !
Heritage Room, Bangunan Abdul Samad, Kuala Lumpur
KL City Gallery, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, Kuala Lumpur (Sunday Feb 15 2026) - displays, photographs, architectural models, artefacts, maps, videos, installations & British archive newstreets, offering visitors an informative & accessible survey of the British colonial era, Kuala Lumpur early muddy early days & the road to Merdeka (Independence).
Visionary Hall (A City of Dreams), Bagunan Sultan Abdul Samad, Kuala Lumpur
Harmony Hall, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, Kuala Lumpur
Collectors Chamber - Photographic Display, Sultan Abdul Samad Building (A Legacy Renewed), Kuala Lumpur - pictures said a thousand words about the past & the present of this magnificent colonial building !
Harmony Hall, Bangunan Abdul Samad, Kuala Lumpur
Hikayat Chamber, Bagunan Sultan Abdul Samad, Kuala Lumpur - audio-visual presentation of rainforest in the island of Borneo (Sabah & Sarawak, East Malaysia)
Cityscape of Kuala Lumpur city centre by Night (Saturday Feb 14 2026) - pre-CNY visit near the Central Marker area.
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur (Saturday Feb 14 2026) - pre-Chinese Lunar Chinese New Year mall visit, a premier shopping mall, a grandeur display of CNY festive decor !
Petaling Street (Chinatown), Kuala Lumpur (Saturday Feb 14 2026) - pre-CNY visit, enjoying the fun of haggling with vendors selling A to Z merchandise & souvenirs targeting mainly the overseas tourists !
Kwai Chai Hong, Jalan Panggung, City Centre, Kuala Lumpur (Saturday Feb 14 2026) - pre-CNY visit, a heritage back lane reliving a part of KL Chinatown in the 1960s with interactive murals, a favourite Instagram spot for tourists !
Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur & the surrounding (Saturday Feb 14 2026) - pre-Chinese Lunar New Year voisit to get a feel of the festive atmosphere in Bukit Bintang.
Sunway Square Mall, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor (Friday Feb 7 2026) - Chinese Lunar New Year mall visit (my 1st time) with my family members followed by a dinner meal in a newly opened fusion style food chain.
Sunway Library, Sunway Square Mall, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor - a big modern library, cafe style, enjoy a hot coffee in a sit-in dining environment to admire the surrounding lake !
Sunway South Quay Lake, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor - approx 5km from my home place, very scenic at night, nice to have an evening stroll after a dinner meal in Sunway Square mall.
Sunway South Quay Lake by Night, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
My Little LIFE Pleasure (sightseeing) - kick start my 1st overseas visit in 2026, my 19 days free & easy visit to southern Vietnam (Jan 18 > Feb 5 2026) together with a travel buddy (Thompson Tham), all the touristy places I sat foot were my first time visit except Ho Chi Minh City which I visited in Jan 2014 !
Phu Quoc, Vietnam
Rach Gia, Vietnam
Can Tho, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Cu Chi, Vietnam
Phan Thiet, Vietnam
Bao Loc, Vietnam
Dalat, Vietnam
Phan Rang, Vietnam
Nha Trang, Vietnam
