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Merdeka Square is the heart of 'old' Kuala Lumpur, the seat of colonial power, and where the flag was first raised for the new Malaysian nation. The 'square' itself is a large grassy field, still used for cricket, and bordered by the incongruously Tudor styled Royal Selangor Club. At one end of the fields is one of the world's largest flagpoles, from which the Malaysian flag oversees independence celebrations every year.
The 1897 "Sanitary Board" fountain.
Near the flagpole is a large fountain ordered from England and erected by the city's Sanitary Board around 1897 to provide fresh drinking water (drinking from it today is not recommended). Beyond the other end of the field is St Mary's Church, built in 1894.
Facing the square across the wide street is a long line of Moorish-inspired public buildings from the colonial era, dominated by the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Not far from all these 'antique' buildings is one of Kuala Lumpur's most elegant modern buildings, the Dayabumi Complex.
The easiest way to get to the square is to take any one of the three train lines that run through the Masjid Jamek station. From the station, you can see the Jamek Mosque, then proceed around the corner to the square. If you walk the length of the square to Dayabumi Complex, you can find yourself in the Chinatown area.