Dubbed the one-stop craft centre, Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex has become a tourist destination offering visitors with a wide range of artisan craft products made in Malaysia. Located at Jalan Conlay, it is within walking distance to the famous and busy Pavilion shopping mall and Bukit Bintang shopping district.
Featuring beautiful Malay architecture, the complex houses several different sections comprising gifts and souvenirs gallery, a craft museum, artists’ colony and craft village. It is worth exploring for visitors as you will be amazed by the wide variety of local made craft products.
Let’s see what key activities visitors can get up to on a visit here:
Shop for Malaysian crafts
The Karyaneka shop offers a variety of local craft products on sale for visitors at an attractive price. Products range from gifts and souvenirs, clothing and accessories, home furnishings and decorations from various craft categories. Some of the local handicrafts on sale are batik, rattan baskets, pottery and other crafty knick-knacks. We love their hand-painted batik fabrics and the pretty baskets woven from pandanus and rattan leaves. Be prepared to bring back a heavy shopping after this visit!
Make your own Malaysian handicraft
At the Craft Village section, there are live demonstrations of local craft-making by talented artisans. Visitors can also try their hand at ceramic making or batik painting. Besides that, visitors can even learn the basic techniques of handling the knife for carving at the wood-carving village. Opportunities are given for visitors to explore their creative talents with the guidance of local crafters at the site. At a time when consumers are used to buying ready-made products, this hands-on craft-making activity is an eye-opening and refreshing experience.
Own a piece of artwork by local artists
There is also an Artist’s Colony, where art lovers can purchase works of art directly from local artists. Art lovers can get to know local artists and watch how they go about producing the art work. The artists work with acrylic paints, oil paints, charcoal and even pencil. Their subject matter ranges from local landscapes to abstract images to portraits. We love spending time chit-chatting with these artists who are not only highly-skilled but offer unique perspectives of Malaysia through their artworks.
Visit the Craft Museum
The gallery is an informative museum on the history of Malaysian handicrafts, covering each state’s traditional craft heritage. The collection of museum pieces are authentic and truly an amazing documentation of Malaysia’s craft heritage. Visitors can learn more about Malaysian handicraft through the dioramas and video presentation.
Splurge on National Craft Day
Every year, the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex organises the National Craft Day or Hari Kraf Kebangsaan (HKK). It is a huge event that gathers hundreds of crafters from Malaysia and international countries under one roof to display, promote and sell their creations. If you are looking for authentic and high quality Malaysian crafts, as well as handmade items from small and medium enterprises, then this is the place to be. The diversity of crafts here covers textiles, woodwork, metalwork, woven items, forest products, and more. International artisan groups also exhibit their traditional handicrafts besides performing their cultural dances and music.
One of the most enjoyable ways to get to Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex is by riding the KL Hop-On Hop-Off (HoHo) open top buses. The complex is one of the 23 stops covered by the bus service. A ticket allows passengers to ride the bus and see other famous landmarks of Kuala Lumpur city centre and visit destinations such as Chinatown, Central Market, KLCC and more.
Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex
Address: Seksyen 63, Jalan Conlay, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2161 1470/1480
Operation Hours: 9.00 am-6.00 pm
Email: komplekskrafkl@kraftangan.gov.my
