Brickfields 十五碑 |
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Jalan Tun Sambanthan in Brickfields.
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Location within Malaysia | |
Coordinates: 3°7′47″N 101°41′3″E / 3.12972°N 101.68417°E | |
Country | Malaysia |
Federal Territory | Kuala Lumpur |
Constituency | Lembah Pantai |
Government | |
• Local Authority | Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur |
• Mayor | Mhd Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz |
Time zone | MST (UTC+8) |
Postcode | 50470 |
Dialling code | +60 322 |
Police | Travers, Brickfields |
Fire | Pantai, Central |
Coordinates: 3°3′27.99″N 101°45′1.84″E / 3.0577750°N 101.7505111°E
Brickfields is a small to medium-sized town and residential neighbourhood (as well as an administrative zone) located just outside central Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is known as Kuala Lumpur's Little India due to the high percentage of Indian residents and businesses. Brickfields been ranked third in Airbnb’s list of top trending destinations.
In 1881, a flood swept through Kuala Lumpur, in the wake of a disastrous fire. These successive problems destroyed the town's structures of wood and atap (thatching). As a response, Frank Swettenham, the British Resident of Selangor, required that buildings be constructed of brick and tile. Hence, Kapitan Yap Ah Loy bought a sprawling piece of real estate for the setting up of a brick industry which would spur the rebuilding of Kuala Lumpur. This place is the eponymous Brickfields.
Later the area was developed by Yap Kwan Seng, the fifth and last Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur. As a businessman, he foresaw an increased demand for bricks in fast-growing Kuala Lumpur and established a kiln in the district. The area soon became the centre for brick-making in the early days because the whole area was a clay pit and good quality bricks are made from clay. Therefore, Brickfields became synonymous with good quality bricks.