From kampong to capital In the half-century since the Union Jack was lowered for the last time at Merdeka Square on 15 August 1957, Kuala Lumpur has grown into one of Asia’s major cities. Despite scattered pockets of gleaming high-rise towers, the Klang Valley conurbation remains a hotch-potch of towns and garden suburbs and even the occasional Malay kampung or village.

One of the city’s most endearing features is the legacy of Victorian architects entranced by the Islamic domes and spires of Mughal India. I never tire of admiring the onion domes and the candy-striped colonnades and minarets of the 1907 Masjid Jamek, rising from a coconut grove at the very heart of Kuala Lumpur.

On a more humble scale, the shophouse developed as the home and shopfront of Chinese or Indian merchants. A walk through Chinatown reveals a vibrant street life which continues today.

Most of these images were captured with Nikon D200 (10 mpx) using RAW format, some earlier ones were 35mm transparency.