Petaling Jaya: Culture, Cuisine and Discoveries

Petaling Jaya offers a variety of reasons to visit: local specialities, religious architecture, historical landmarks and creative attractions. The PJ Old Town Cultural Map features 18 local specialities and places them in the context of Petaling Jaya’s history and culture. The map’s contents may change in future editions.

City history and local specialities

A cultural landmark in the centre is Muzium Petaling Jaya. It is located in the Taman Tasik Jaya area, in central Petaling Jaya. If the city centre is a factor in your holiday rental search, you can use this place as a specific reference point when planning.

Petaling Jaya Old Town is marked by two historical landmarks: Assunta Hospital was founded in 1954 and is a landmark of the neighbourhood. The Church of The Assumption was built in 1959 and is also a landmark of Petaling Jaya Old Town. Their respective founding and construction years give these places a distinct historical context.

Architecture and religious history

The main hall of Wat Chetawan, the Vihara (Viharn), was completed in 1962. It is gilded with gold leaf and decorated with multicoloured glass tiles, and crowned with a multi-tiered roof featuring Chor Fahs. The combination of gilding, coloured glass and a tiered roof makes the hall a striking architectural feature.

The Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple, also known as the Petaling Jaya Pillaiyar Temple, was built in 1964 and features Dravidian architecture. Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Aziz developed in two stages: the site began as a surau in 1956 and became a mosque in 1964. These different architectural styles and historical developments can be taken into account when exploring Petaling Jaya’s culture.

Performing arts and self-directed activities

The Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre puts performing arts in the spotlight. It includes a fully equipped 686-seat proscenium theatre, the Nero Event Space black-box venue, and an incubator for talent and creatives called 1ncubator. Alongside the city’s historic buildings, it offers a designated place for performing arts and creative talent.

At ESCAPE Petaling Jaya in Paradigm Mall, Petaling Jaya, the activities focus on self-directed play. This sets it apart from the city’s historical and architectural themes: here, the emphasis is on choosing how to play. When planning your trip, you can consider culture and activities as distinct interests.

Sunway Lagoon in the wider travel area

In the wider travel area, Sunway Lagoon offers a different kind of experience. A Tourism Malaysia brochure lists more than 90 attractions across six parks: Water Park, Amusement Park, Wildlife Park, Extreme Park, Scream Park and Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon. The park names show the range of themed areas.

Sunway Lagoon can be reached via the Federal Highway, Damansara-Puchong Expressway, New Pantai Expressway and KESAS Highway. Traffic conditions affect journey times, so checking current traffic conditions can help you plan your drive.

Choosing a base that suits your plans

When choosing a holiday rental, it is worth first sorting out the priorities for your trip: local specialities and city history, temple architecture, performing arts or self-directed activities appeal to different interests. Match the location of any accommodation you are considering to the places you actually plan to visit. If Sunway Lagoon is on your itinerary, keep traffic-dependent journey times in mind.

Discover more destinations: Rawang, Hulu Langat, Banting, Sungai Buloh, Klang, Sungai Besar, Port Klang, Pulau Indah

For the wider travel overview: Selangor.