Kuala lumpur malaysia

Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the largest city of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is one of the three Malaysian Federal Territories. It is an enclave within the state of Selangor, on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysians commonly refer to the city as KL.

Kuala Lumpur is the seat of the Parliament of Malaysia, making it the country's legislative capital. The city was once home to the executive and judicial branches of the federal government, but they have since moved to Putrajaya for the most part. Some sections of the judiciary remain in the capital.

Kuala Lumpur has its origins in the 1850s, when the Malay Chief of Klang sent some Chinese upriver to open new and larger tin mines. They landed at the confluence of Sungai Gombak (previously known as Sungai Lumpur, which means muddy river) and Sungai Klang (Klang river) to open mines at Ampang. Later, tin mines were opened at Pudu and Batu.

This trading post was a wild frontier town plagued by floods, fires, disease and the Selangor Civil War. During this time, Kapitan Cina Yap Ah Loy emerged as a leader, responsible for the survival and growth of the town. In 1880, the state capital of Selangor was moved from Klang to the more strategically advantageous Kuala Lumpur.

After the fire and subsequent flood of 1881 destroyed the town's structures of wood and atap (thatch), Frank Swettenham, the British Resident of Selangor, required that buildings be constructed of brick and tile. A railway increased accessibility. Development intensified in the 1890s, leading to the creation of a Sanitary Board. In 1896, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States.

A multiracial community settled in various sections of town. The Chinese congregated around the commercial centre of Market Square, east of Sungai Klang, and south into Chinatown. To the north, across Java Street (now Jalan Tun Perak) were the Malays. Nearby, a number of Indian Chettiars (money-lenders), and in later years Indian Muslim traders, set up business. West of the river, the Padang (now Merdeka Square) was the focal point of the British administration.

Kuala Lumpur grew through two world wars, the rubber and tin commodity crash and the State of Emergency, during which Malaya was preoccupied with the communist insurgency. In 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained its independence from British rule. Kuala Lumpur remained the capital through the formation of Malaysia, achieving city status in 1972, and was established as the Federal Territory in 1974.

Kuala Lumpur is a hub for cultural activities and events. Among the centres is the National Museum which is situated along the Mahameru Highway. It offers various types of collection such as artefacts and paintings collected throughout the country.

Another arts venue is the Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic Hall. It is headquartered to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), comprising a cast of international musicians and features regular concerts, chamber concerts and traditional cultural performances.

The National Art Gallery is located on Jalan Temerloh, off Jalan Tun Razak on a 5.67 hectare site neighboring the National Theater and National Library. The unique architecture of the gallery incorporates elements of traditional Malay architecture, which combined with contemporary lines has distinguished the complex as one of the most modern art venues in the region. A short distance from the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the Putra World Trade Centre (popularly known as PWTC) and the major hotels of Kuala Lumpur, the gallery is a popular venue for visitors to the city. The National Art Gallery serves as a centre of excellence and trustee of the national art heritage.

Additionally, The Petronas Art Gallery which is also a centre for fine art, is situated in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) in Sentul West is also a noted centre for the performing arts, notably theatre and music (it can also host film screening). It has housed many local productions and has been a supporter of local and regional independent performance artists. Amongst the highlights of the year so far was the KL Sing Song 2006 music fest which featured Malaysian singer-songwriters of various cultural backgrounds, from both West and East Malaysia, through two days of performances and workshops.

Kuala Lumpur holds an annual festival called Malaysia International Gourmet Festival. It is primarily held in the city center. Another event in Kuala Lumpur is Kuala Lumpur Fashion week, which includes international brands as well as local designers.

Kuala Lumpur is a hub for cultural activities and events. Among the centres is the National Museum which is situated along the Mahameru Highway. It offers various types of collection such as artefacts and paintings collected throughout the country.

Another arts venue is the Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic Hall. It is headquartered to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), comprising a cast of international musicians and features regular concerts, chamber concerts and traditional cultural performances.

The National Art Gallery is located on Jalan Temerloh, off Jalan Tun Razak on a 5.67 hectare site neighboring the National Theater and National Library. The unique architecture of the gallery incorporates elements of traditional Malay architecture, which combined with contemporary lines has distinguished the complex as one of the most modern art venues in the region. A short distance from the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the Putra World Trade Centre (popularly known as PWTC) and the major hotels of Kuala Lumpur, the gallery is a popular venue for visitors to the city. The National Art Gallery serves as a centre of excellence and trustee of the national art heritage.

Additionally, The Petronas Art Gallery which is also a centre for fine art, is situated in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) in Sentul West is also a noted centre for the performing arts, notably theatre and music (it can also host film screening). It has housed many local productions and has been a supporter of local and regional independent performance artists. Amongst the highlights of the year so far was the KL Sing Song 2006 music fest which featured Malaysian singer-songwriters of various cultural backgrounds, from both West and East Malaysia, through two days of performances and workshops.

Kuala Lumpur holds an annual festival called Malaysia International Gourmet Festival. It is primarily held in the city center. Another event in Kuala Lumpur is Kuala Lumpur Fashion week, which includes international brands as well as local designers.

Tagged: asia, hanoi, kuala lumpur, laos, malaysia, pattaya, phuket, thailand, travel, vietnam

Hanoi vietnam

Hanoi pronunciation estimated population 3,145,300 (2005), is the capital of Vietnam. From 1010 until 1802, it was the political center of an independent Vietnam with a few brief interruptions. It was eclipsed by Huế during the Nguyen Dynasty as the capital of Vietnam, but served as the capital of French Indochina from 1887 to 1945. From 1945 to 1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam.

The city is located on the right bank of the Red River. Hanoi is located at 21°2' North, 105°51' East, 1760 km (1094 mi) north of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).

The area around modern Hanoi has been inhabited since at least 3000 BC. One of the first known permanent settlements is the Co Loa citadel founded around 200 BC.

Hanoi has had many names throughout history, all of them of Chinese origin. During the Chinese domination of Vietnam, it was known as Tống Bình (宋平) and later Long Đỗ. In 866, it was turned into a citadel and was named Đại La (大羅).

In 1010, Lý Thái Tổ, the first ruler of the Lý Dynasty, moved the capital of Đại Việt (大越, the Great Viet, then the name of Vietnam) to the site of the Đại La Citadel. Claiming to have seen a dragon ascending the Red River, he renamed it Thăng Long (昇龍, Ascending dragon) - a name still used poetically to this day. It remained the capital of Vietnam until 1397, when the capital was moved to Thanh Hóa, also known as Tây Đô (西都, Western Capital). Thăng Long then became Đông Đô (東都, Eastern Capital).

In 1408, Vietnam was invaded by Chinese troops from the Ming Dynasty and Đông Đô was renamed Đông Quan (東關, Eastern Gateway) by the Chinese. In 1428, Vietnam was liberated from Chinese rule by Lê Lợi, the founder of the Le Dynasty and Đông Quan was renamed Đông Kinh (東京, Eastern Capital - the name known to Europeans as Tonkin; and evidently, the same characters used for Tokyo). During the Tây Sơn Dynasty, it was named Bắc Thành (北城, Northern Citadel). In 1802, when the Nguyễn Dynasty was established and then moved the capital down to present-day Huế, it was renamed Thăng Long (means "flying dragon").

However, the second syllable of the toponym is actually a homonym of the word long, and so, actually suggests “to flourish” as opposed to “dragon”. Therefore, the name would then have appeared as 昇隆, roughly to ascend and flourish. In 1831 the Nguyen Dynasty renamed it Hà Nội (河内, can be translated as Between Rivers or River Interior) . Hanoi was occupied by the French in 1873 and passed to them ten years later. It became the capital of French Indochina after 1887.

The city was occupied by the Japanese in 1940, and liberated in 1945, when it became the seat of Vietnam's government. From 1946 to 1954, it was the scene of heavy fighting between the French and Viet Minh forces. At that point, the city became the capital of an independent North Vietnam.

During the Vietnam War Hanoi's transportation facilities were disrupted by the bombing of bridges and railways, which were, however, promptly repaired. Following the end of the war, Hanoi became the capital of Vietnam when North and South Vietnam were reunited on July 2, 1976.

In 2004, a massive part of the 900 year old citadel was discovered in central Hanoi, near the site of Ba Dinh square.

As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered to be the cultural center of Vietnam, where every dynasty has left behind their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike.

Hanoi hosts more cultural sites than any city in Vietnam, including over 600 pagodas and temples.[4] Historians liken the life-giving Red River with its banks crowded with green rice paddies and farms to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; a cradle of civilization. Even when the nation's capital moved to Hue under the Nguyen dynasty in 1802, the city of Hanoi continued to flourish, especially after the French took control in 1888 and modeled the city's architecture to their tastes, lending an important aesthetic to the city's rich stylistic heritage. The city boasts more than 1,000 years of history, and that of the past few hundred years has been well preserved.

Under French rule, as an administrative center for the French colony of Indochina, the French colonial architecture style became donminant, many examples remain today: the tree-lined boulevards (e.g Phan Dinh Phung street), The Grand Opera House, The State Bank of Vietnam (formerly The Bank of Indochina), The Presidential Palace (formerly Place of The Governor-General of French Indochina), The cathédrale St-Joseph, Hanoi University (formerly University of Indochina), historic hotel Sofitel Metropole...

Some others prominent places are: The Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu), site of the oldest university in Vietnam; One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột); Flag Tower of Hanoi (Cột cờ Hà Nội); The Old Quarter and Hoàn Kiếm lake.

Hanoi is also home to a number of museums; including The Vietnamese National History Museum, The National Museum of Ethnology, The National Museum of Fine Arts and The Revolution Museum.

The Old Quarter, near Hoan Kiem lake, has the original street layout and architecture of old Hanoi. At the beginning of the 20th century the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter. Each street then comprised of merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewelery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The area is famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops. Local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found here also. A night market (near Đồng Xuân market) in the heart of the district opens for business every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs and food.

West Lake (Hồ Tây) is a popular place for people to spend time. It is the largest lake in Hanoi and there are many temples in the area. There are small boats for hire and a floating restaurant.

The spectacular Ban Gioc Waterfall is 272 km north of Hanoi and is popular for tourists.