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Malay Mail
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
From fireflies to fruit farms: Why Kuala Selangor is the perfect weekend escape from KL
KUALA SELANGOR, July 7 — Located just about an hour's drive from the federal capital, Kuala Selangor is known not only as a seafood paradise and a popular spot to witness the enchanting fireflies at Kampung Kuantan, but also offers many other fascinating attractions. These include exciting activities such as watching eagles swoop down on food thrown to them by boatmen ferrying tourists along the Selangor River, exploring the historically rich Bukit Malawati and tasting fresh fruits at Selangor Fruit Valley. Traditional games museum Home to 44 types of traditional games, the building housing the museum at Bukit Malawati here is still intact in its original structure. It was built in 1904 and once served as the residence of an assistant engineer. Visitors can take a look at the various materials used for traditional games that were once popular around Selangor and other states, including a 40-year-old congkak, wau (traditional kite), shell checkers, batu seremban and tins. The entry fee is RM3 for Malaysian adults (free for children) and RM8 for non-citizens. Assistant Curator of the Kuala Selangor District Museum, Mohd Ismail Ramlan, gives a briefing on the Traditional Games Museum during a three-day, two-night media visit under Tourism Malaysia's Star Healing 2025 programme. — Bernama pic Assistant curator of the Kuala Selangor District Museum Mohd Ismail Ramlan said one of the highlights of the museum is a dedicated area where visitors can try out the games themselves, making it an interactive and fun experience for all ages. 'Visitors can play traditional games like congkak and others, which can be captured as memories during a visit to the Traditional Games Museum,' he said. The museum is open daily except Monday. Kuala Selangor mural street art This iconic alley in the old town of Kuala Selangor features about 20 mural artworks depicting stories of Bukit Malawati, which once served as a fortress during the reign of the Selangor Sultanate in the 18th and early 19th centuries, particularly during attacks by the Dutch. This iconic alley in Kuala Selangor features around 20 murals illustrating Bukit Malawati's role as a military stronghold during 18th- and early 19th-century Dutch invasions. — Bernama pic Visitors can spend about 30 minutes appreciating the colourful mural art as well as taking photographs as the location is highly Instagram-worthy. One particularly eye-catching mural is the depiction of 'Legenda Makam Anak Dara', said to be the story of a girl who mysteriously disappeared on the night of her wedding. Eagle feeding on Sungai Selangor Eagle feeding activities on Selangor River have become one of the main attractions in Pasir Penambang here. Eagles glide low over the water in Kuala Selangor, a popular spot for birdwatching and wildlife sightings. — Bernama pic A 30- to 45-minute boat ride along the river brings visitors close to the natural habitat of various eagle species, while offering breathtaking views of the river estuary. Among the unique species that can be spotted here are the Brahminy Kite and Black Kite. Ticket prices for this activity are RM25 and RM20 for Malaysian adults and children respectively; and RM50 and RM40 for non-Malaysian adults and children. Selangor Fruit Valley If you are visiting Kuala Selangor and looking for an agro-tourism experience that is educational and fun-filled, then stopping at the Selangor Fruit Valley (SFV) is a must. Located about 10 minutes from the main town, SFV is a tropical fruit and vegetable farm owned by the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation and has become one of the most popular agro-tourism attractions in the state. For an educational and fun agro-tourism experience in Kuala Selangor, Selangor Fruit Valley (SFV) is a must-visit on your itinerary. — Bernama pic Spanning 946 hectares, the area includes segments such as fruit and vegetable cultivation, animal farming and stingless bee rearing, as well as family-friendly agro-tourism facilities. Among the local fruits available here are coconut, guava, durian, ciku, mango, mangosteen and nangcem, a unique hybrid of jackfruit and cempedak. Visitors can also hop on a tram to tour the farm and enjoy the vast greenery — an ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. — Bernama
RNZ News
30-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
How to play traditional games for the Dragon Boat Festival
Photo: RNZ / Ruth Kuo The Dragon Boat Festival is typically a time of nostalgia as Chinese households think back with fondness of their time as children in summer in East Asia. With the weather now warm enough to enjoy time outside in the Northern Hemisphere, children spend hours upon hours playing traditional games that have ties to the season. Eventually growing up to become adults, many struggle to leave these games behind. Here's a handful of traditional Chinese games for children that stand out for their uniqueness as much as their longevity over time. Grass duels are as simple as they are ingenious. With pastures thickening in the warmer temperatures, two children select what they think look like strong grass stems and engage in a delicate tug of war. The children interlock two blades of stems holding the ends in each hand. At the signal, they pull both ends towards them until one snaps, sending the loser tumbling. The victor then waits for another challenger to confront them, silently praying they don't come armed with a thicker stem. Deceptively simple and endlessly uncertain, the game tests one's grip and reflexes - no one knows who'll be the last one standing. Photo: RNZ / Ruth Kuo Eggs are ubiquitous during the Dragon Boat Festival as various poultry seemingly lay them by the dozen at this time of year. It's not surprising, then, that children use them in duels to determine which cracks first. The rules are as simple as the game above: Two children press hard-boiled eggs against each other. The egg that cracks is deemed the loser and its owner devours the contents. The winner moves on to the next challenger. It's common to find children in parts of China that carry eggs of their choice in colourful pouches hanging around their necks. In some regions, the eggs are dyed bright red to bring good luck. The games are decided by those who master grip and angle, with some forming a crook with their thumb and forefinger to support the tip as the shells press against each other. Photo: RNZ / Ruth Kuo Some parts of China have a tradition of standing eggs on their ends for the Dragon Boat Festival. Folklore has it that eggs can be balanced in this way at specific times of the year. Those who believe in the complementary, contradictory principles of yin and yang say the active, expansive energies of yang usually peak for the Dragon Boat Festival, creating perfect conditions for an egg to stand. Contemporary theory has it that the sun's position over the Northern Hemisphere during the spring equinox or Dragon Boat Festival slightly offsets gravity, making it easier to balance eggs - or even coins. There is no scientific proof for either theory, but it doesn't stop children from trying to succeed in completing the challenge. Photo: RNZ / Ruth Kuo Children in China typically wear brightly coloured ornaments that have been made from five vibrantly coloured threads during the Dragon Boat Festival. The five colours - red, green, yellow, white and black - represent fire, wood, earth, metal and water under the "five elements theory", countering the "five pests" that exist in the universe - centipedes, snakes, scorpions, geckos and toads - and offering good health and protection. Following a custom that dates to the Han Dynasty, adults tie the ornaments around children's wrists, ankles or necks on the morning of the festival. Tradition demands the children to remain silent while this is being done, and so parents typically complete the task while they are asleep. In some regions, the threads are removed when during the first rainfall following the Dragon Boat Festival and cast into a river, which symbolises the washing away of illness and leaving behind well-being. Photo: RNZ / Ruth Kuo Families in southern China typically take advantage of the strong winds that to fly kites. Traditional kites are made with bamboo frames, with auspicious symbols or blessings painted on paper or silk sails. In some parts of China, kites are flown in an attempt to "release misfortune", sending illness and bad luck that are believed to come with the rain as the seasons change away with the wind. In ancient times, people held archery competitions during the Dragon Boat Festival, aiming at centipedes, snakes, scorpions, geckos and toads that were painted on targets. Children typically joined in the fun by throwing stones at the targets. Members of the aristocracy refined the game over time, tossing arrows from a distance into a pitch-pot that was placed on the ground. The pitch-pot game is believed to have played by aristocrats and officials in China's Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. In contemporary times, participants use chopsticks instead of arrows as they seek to land the elongated pieces of wood in the tall cannisters. Photo: RNZ / Ruth Kuo Zongzi are sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves and tied together with cotton string, hemp string or traditional grass rope, making ideal targets to hook on a fishing line. Participants use fishing lines or improvised hooks to try to snare as many as possible within a set time. The person who lands the largest number of dumplings in that time is declared the winner. Families who don't have any dumplings can use toys or small gifts wrapped with a ribbon as an alternative. Photo: RNZ / Ruth Kuo Although it's not a game per se, another tradition typically observed by Chinese families during the Dragon Boat Festival is the regular appearance of tigers. The tiger is the king of beasts in Chinese culture - a fierce guardian that is rooted in folk belief and Taoist tradition. Households traditionally hung tigers made from mugwort from doors during the festival to ward off pests and misfortune. Over time, cloth and brocade have been increasingly used to craft the talisman. In some parts of China, children wear hats and shoes with the image of a tiger. In another custom, parents use realgar wine to draw the Chinese character for "king" - 王 - on a child's forehead, symbolising their transformation into a little tiger. The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on Saturday, 31 May, this year. Some members of New Zealand's Chinese community are bound to observe a few of these traditions over the coming weekend, so don't hesitate to join them in on the fun if you happen to stumble across them.
