Churches, Temples & Mosques, Kuala Lumpur

Located on the western side of Chinatown, this small Taoist temple is also known as the Kwong Siew Free School and features Guandi - the Taoist God of War. Built in 1886, it's full of atmosphere where the main hall is hung with fragrant coils of spiral incense, paper clothes and money that are burned to bring good fortune to the ancestors.

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Located in the Brickfields area of the city near KL Sentral station, this Chinese temple is also known as "Sam Gao Tong" in Cantonese or "Three Teachings Temple" in English. It was built & established by the Heng Hua clan more than 50 years ago.

Located just up the road from the Telekom Museum, this church was the original Scottish planter’s church. It was built between 1917 and 1918 and opened for worship amid much colonial fanfare. This church was the other colonial church besides St Mary's (today a cathedral). The building of this church was originally opposed by Loke Chow Kit who wanted the land for a Chinese language school.

The church has the best church pipe organ in working condition in the whole of Kuala Lumpur. The Riddel-Eminent organ is a hybrid made up of components of the original 1939 Riddell organ married to the 1998 Eminent console by organ builder Mr Robert Navaratnam of Singapore. The church was also famous for the role it played in 1941 in getting recruits for the war effort. The padre at the time, Rev. Alfred Webb, joined the 2nd (Selangor) Battalion of the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force (FMSVF) and he was commissioned as a captain and chaplain to the 2FMSVF. Many of the congregation served in 2FMSVF and the survivors were taken prisoner by the Japanese. After the war, the stained glass windows were installed to commemorate the war dead.

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This Roman Catholic Cathedral is one of the oldest buildings in Kuala Lumpur as it was built in 1883. The cathedral is located next to St. John's Institution, which is known for its Grecian-Spanish architecture. The school derives its name from the cathedral and was set up by the Lasallian Brothers. The interior isn't all that special, in fact, it's rather plain and featureless.

The Masjid India, or simply Indian Mosque, is an Indian Muslim mosque in the Little India district of Kuala Lumpur. It was officiated by the Sultan of Selangor in 1966, although the site was originally founded in 1863.

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Located at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang Rivers, this delightful mosque, known in English as the Friday Mosque, is the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur when the Sultan of Selangor officially opened it on 23rd December 1909. Another AB Hubbock architectural wonder it features cupolas and minarets that top the brick walls. The prayer hall is surmounted by three domes. The central dome is 21m (70 ft) high. The prayer hall opens out into a walled sahn or courtyard which is now covered over. At the corners are two red-and-white striped minarets which are 26.8m (88 ft) high.

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Located at the northern end of Merdeka Square, this lovely little Anglican church was consecrated in February 1895. It was designed by AC Norman, who is also credited with the design of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building nearby. St Mary's was constructed in early English gothic architectural style which is apparent by the buttresses on the outside of the building. The pipe organ installed in the church was built in 1895 by Henry Willis, the famous English organ maker who also made the organ for St Paul's Cathedral in London and the original Grand Organ of the Royal Albert Hall. During World War II, when bombs were being dropped all over Kuala Lumpur, the caretakers of the church removed the windows to protect them. However, they could not be found after the war, and had to be replaced.

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Located just over the busy main road from the main Chinatown area, this temple was first built by Yap Ah Loy in the 1864 in honour of the famous Kapitan Shin Kap of Sungei Ujong (present day Seremban). The temple was relocated to its present site, determined by feng shui (hence it's odd position and angle) in 1885. It's a great little temple to go and witness everyday Chinese worshippers.