Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has recognized 353 historic areas in the city center to be included as new tourist attractions, said mayor Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan.

He said the buildings and sites located in these areas will be included in the pedestrian walkway of the Kuala Lumpur Heritage Trail which aims to promote domestic tourism as well as preserve and conserve the city’s historical sites.

“Among them is the DBKL City Theatre, located in front of Dataran Merdeka which will reopen on Aug 1,” he said.

He said the first phase of the 1.5km route involves 17 areas in Lebuh Ampang, adding that the history of the buildings will be included in the pilot project called ‘KL Dulu, Jejak Warisan KL’.

“Previously in Masjid Jamek for example, there was another mosque known as the Java Street Mosque which was built in the 1870s. Not many are aware of such historical background and these are stories that we wish to share with tourists. For buildings that are no longer there or have been replaced, we will place a marker complete with the relevant historical information,” he said.

Nor Hisham said it took DBKL eight months to collect the information through workshops involving 17 small focus groups as well as through interviews with owners and heirs of the buildings.

“We also welcome the cooperation of anyone willing to come forward to share their personal knowledge of their properties as added information on the buildings and sites. At the same time, we also request the cooperation of building owners to take care of their premises and to inform us of any vandalism that could affect the image of the tourist route,” he added.

Nor Hisham said DBKL was also prepared to clean or undertake repair works on abandoned buildings found along the heritage trail, but the cost would be borne by the owner.