Perdana Botanical Gardens

Last updated

Perdana Botanical Gardens
Taman Botani Perdana
湖滨公园
ஏரி பூங்கா
Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur 03.jpg
Perdana Botanical Gardens
Type Urban park
Location Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Area91.6 hectares (226 acres)
Created1888
Operated by Kuala Lumpur City Hall
StatusOpen all year

Perdana Botanical Gardens, formerly Perdana Lake Gardens, Lake Gardens and Public Gardens, is Kuala Lumpur's first large-scale recreational park. Measuring 91.6 hectares (226 acres), it is located in the heart of the city and established in 1888. [1] The park served as place of refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city during colonial times. It contains large sculpted and manicured gardens and a host of attractions.

Contents

History

Old view of Lake Gardens with the governor's residence Carcosa on a hill in the background, circa 1910 KITLV - 79951 - Kleingrothe, C.J. - Medan - Governor's Residence in Kuala Lumpur - circa 1910.tif
Old view of Lake Gardens with the governor's residence Carcosa on a hill in the background, circa 1910

The colonial-era park was the brainchild of Alfred Venning, the British State Treasurer of Selangor in the late 19th century. In 1888, Venning proposed that a botanical garden be built in the valley of Sungei Bras Bras, and the British Resident Frank Swettenham agreed to the scheme and authorised a small grant from the State funds for the garden. Venning laid out the plan for a park of 173 acres (700,000 m2) which included an "experimental economic garden" and a lake. [2]

Venning cleared the area of scrubs and lalang , and planted ornamental flowering trees and shrubs in the garden. The scheme attracted public support, and a leading figure of the Cantonese community, Towkay Chow Ah Yeok, contributed a hundred chempaka and orange trees to the initial planting programme in 1888. An ornamental lake was created by damming up Sungei Bras Bras, which was then named Sydney Lake after Swettenham's wife (the lake is now known as Perdana Lake). The project took nearly ten years to complete, but the garden was formally opened on 13 May 1889, just a year after work began, by the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir Cecil Clementi Smith. [2]

A fountain in Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur Fountain-Lake-Gardens-Kuala-Lumpur-20070216-005.jpg
A fountain in Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur
Canopy at the Main Square (Laman Perdana) of the garden. Canopy at the Main Square (Laman Perdana).jpg
Canopy at the Main Square (Laman Perdana) of the garden.
KL Sentral Station as seen from Perdana Botanical Gardens on a clear sunny evening. KL Sentral from Perdana Botanical Gardens..jpg
KL Sentral Station as seen from Perdana Botanical Gardens on a clear sunny evening.

The official residence of the then British government representative Frank Swettenham, now known as Carcosa Seri Negara, was located atop a hill here. Venning also created a social club by the lake, the Lake Club (now known as the Royal Lake Club), in 1890. The club, unlike the Selangor Club, was an exclusively European club, and it would dominate the social scene for Europeans in Kuala Lumpur for over half a century. [3] [4]

In 1963, the Malaysian Houses of Parliament was built on the northern fringes of the park. [5]

Naming

The park was initially called Public Gardens but later renamed Lake Gardens. In 1975, it was renamed Taman Tasik Perdana, or the Perdana Lake Gardens, by Tun Abdul Razak. On 28 June 2011, the gardens were renamed again to Perdana Botanical Gardens by Dato' Sri Najib Razak in the first phase of turning the park into a botanical garden. [6]

Location

The garden is located along Jalan Perdana or Venning Road. It is located near the National Museum of Malaysia. The nearest public transportation hub within walking distance is Muzium Negara MRT station.

Places of interest

Among the tourist attractions located here are deer park, Hibiscus garden, Orchid Garden, Kuala Lumpur Bird Park and Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park. [1] The Bird Park with a land area of over 20.9-acre (8.5 ha) was opened on 15 November 1991, features more than 3,000 birds from more than 200 species of bird and is billed as the world's largest covered bird park. [7] [8] [9] The butterfly park was opened in 1992, [10] spans over 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) of landscaped garden with over 5,000 butterflies, exotic plants, butterfly-host plants and ferns and is one of the largest houses in the world. [11] [12]

Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuala Lumpur</span> Federal territory and capital city of Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and colloquially referred to as KL, is a federal territory and the capital city of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi) with a census population of 2,163,000 as of 2022. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 8.622 million people as of 2023. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Southeast Asia, both in population and economic development. Klang Valley is ASEAN's fifth largest economy after Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Manila.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Putrajaya</span> Malaysian government centre

Putrajaya, officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, is the administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of the federal government of Malaysia was moved in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya because of overcrowding and congestion in Kuala Lumpur, whilst the seat of the judiciary of Malaysia was later moved to Putrajaya in 2003. Kuala Lumpur remains as Malaysia's national capital city per the constitution and is still the seat of the head of state and the national legislature, as well as being the country's commercial and financial centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Klang</span> Town in Selangor, Malaysia

Port Klang is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham but renamed Port Klang in July 1972, it is the largest port in the country. It is located about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) southwest of the town of Klang, and 38 kilometres (24 mi) southwest of Kuala Lumpur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independence Square (Kuala Lumpur)</span> Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Independence Square is a square located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. It was formerly known as the Selangor Club Padang or simply the Padang and was used as the cricket green of the Selangor Club. It was here that the Union Flag was lowered and the Malaysian flag hoisted for the first time at midnight on 31 August 1957. Since then, the Independence Square has been the usual venue for the annual Independence Day Parade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum (Malaysia)</span> Museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The National Museum is in Jalan Damansara, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The museum is close to Perdana Lake Gardens and it provides an overview of Malaysian history and culture. Its façade comprises elements from both traditional Malay and modern features. It was inaugurated on 31 August 1963, and it serves as a repository of Malaysia's cultural and historical heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ampang, Kuala Lumpur</span> Place in Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ampang, or Ampang Hilir, is a ward and city district, in the eastern part of Kuala Lumpur (KL) in the Titiwangsa constituency. Its area in Kuala Lumpur can be identified as being along the Ampang Road and Ampang Hilir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian Houses of Parliament</span> Federal government complex in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Malaysian Houses of Parliament, is a complex where the Malaysian Parliament assembles. The structure is located at the Perdana Botanical Gardens in Kuala Lumpur, close to the Malaysian National Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Setapak</span>

Setapak is a town and mukim straddling both norteastern Kuala Lumpur and Gombak District of Selangor, Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subang, Selangor</span> Place in Selangor, Malaysia

Subang is a township in Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located about 17 km west of downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Jalan Ampang or Ampang Road is a major road in the Klang Valley region, Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Built in the 1880s, it is one of the oldest roads in the Klang Valley. It is a main road to Ampang Jaya and is easily accessible from Jalan Tun Razak or Jalan Ulu Klang from the Hulu Kelang or Setapak direction. It is also accessible from Cheras through Jalan Shamelin, from Jalan Tun Razak through Jalan Kampung Pandan via Taman Cempaka, from Kampung Pandan through Jalan Kampung Pandan Dalam via Taman Nirwana, from the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 via Pandan Indah and Taman Kencana and from Hulu Langat town through the mountain pass. Wangsa Maju, Setapak, central Kuala Lumpur, Ampang Park and Salak South surround Ampang. Jalan Ampang became the backbone of the road system linking Ampang to Kuala Lumpur before being surpassed by the Ampang–Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Malaysia</span> Overview of tourism in Malaysia

Tourism in Malaysia is a major industry and contributor to the Malaysian economy. Malaysia was once ranked 9th in the world for tourist arrivals. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 ranks Malaysia 25th out of 141 countries overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuala Lumpur Bird Park</span> Zoo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park is a 20.9-acre (8.5 ha) public aviary in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is one of the world's largest covered bird parks, located adjacent to the 60-hectare (150-acre) Perdana Botanical Gardens, Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park, the National Mosque and Royal Malaysian Police Museum. The Bird Park houses more than 3,000 birds representing more than 200 species in an enclosed aviary. About 90% are local birds and 10% were imported from countries such as Australia, China, Holland, Indonesia, New Guinea, Tanzania and Thailand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalan Klang Lama</span> Road in Malaysia

Jalan Klang Lama or Old Klang Road, Federal Route 2 is the oldest and the first major road in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was built before the Federal Highway was built in 1965. The road was constructed by the Federation of Malaya government from 1956 to 1959. The road was opened on 14 January 1959 by the Ministry of Public Works, Sardon Jubir. The road passing the two towns namely Sungei Way and Petaling Jaya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandar Sri Permaisuri</span> Township in Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Sri Permaisuri is a township in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located near Bandar Tun Razak and Salak South. It was opened for residential housing in 2000. The major types of housing there are apartments and condominiums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Kuala Lumpur</span> Metropolitan area in Malaysia

Greater Kuala Lumpur is the geographical term that determines the boundaries of metropolitan Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Though similar to the term "Klang Valley", there remains a variation between the two. The metropolitan area covers 5,194.72 square km of land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 in Malaysia</span> List of events

2011 in Malaysia is the 54th anniversary of Malaysia's independence.

Alfred Venning ISO was a British colonial administrator and botanist who served in British Malaya and established Kuala Lumpur's oldest large-scale recreational park, the Perdana Botanical Gardens.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lake Gardens". Visit to Kuala Lumpur. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  2. 1 2 JM Gullick (1955). "Kuala Lumpur 1880-1895" (PDF). Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 24 (4): 10–11.
  3. Ryan Bishop; John Phillips; Wei Wei Yeo, eds. (1 May 2003). Postcolonial Urbanism: Southeast Asian Cities and Global Processes. Routledge. p. 136. ISBN   978-0-415-93249-3.
  4. Jamil Abu Bakar (2002). A Design Guide of Public Parks in Malaysia. Penerbit Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. p. 60. ISBN   978-983-52-0274-2.
  5. Joe Bindloss; Celeste Brash (2008). Kuala Lumpur, Melaka & Penang. Lonely Planet Publications. p. 82. ISBN   978-1-74104-485-0.
  6. DBKL. "Perdana Botanical Garden Kuala Lumpur | The Garden". klbotanicalgarden.gov.my. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  7. Steve Frankham (2008). Footprint Malaysia & Singapore. Footprint Handbooks. ISBN   978-1-906098-11-7.
  8. "About Us". klbirdpark.com. Kuala Lumpur Bird Park. Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  9. "KL Bird Park". malaysiasite.nl. WINT. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  10. M, Bavani (19 July 2021). "Struggling butterfly park hopes for lifeline". The Star (Malaysia). Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  11. "Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park Malaysia - About Us". klbutterflypark.com. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  12. "Photographs of Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park and its insect museum". Independent Travellers. independent-travellers.com. Retrieved 28 March 2014.

3°08′35″N101°41′05″E / 3.1430001°N 101.68466°E / 3.1430001; 101.68466