{{Short description|District in Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur}} {{Coord|3|9|47.9|N|101|41|48.8|E|display=title}} right|thumb|200px|Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Chow Kit
'''Chow Kit''' is a suburb in central Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located around Jalan Chow Kit (Chow Kit Road) and is enclosed by the parallel streets of Jalan Raja Laut and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. It is named after Loke Chow Kit ({{zh|c=陸秋傑|poj=Lio̍k Chhiu-kia̍t|j=Luk6 Cau1 Git6}}) a well-known miner, municipal councilor, public official, and also the first local owner of a department store - Chow Kit & Co – which was the largest in KL at the time.<ref name="chowkit">{{Cite web |url=http://www.malaysiandigest.com/features/77922-malaysian-road-names-who-is-who.html |title=Malaysian Road Names: Who's Who? |access-date=2017-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630181136/http://www.malaysiandigest.com/features/77922-malaysian-road-names-who-is-who.html |archive-date=2017-06-30 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
Today the area features a large Indonesian community and known as "Little Jakarta".<ref>Antje Missbach; Separatist Conflict in Indonesia: The Long-distance Politics of the Acehnese diaspora; Routledge; 2012</ref> The majority of Indonesia's Minangkabau, Javanese, and Acehnese open restaurants and as retailer.<ref>Sismudjito, Rizabuana Ismail and Darul Amin Abdul Munaf; The Rise and Tide of the Minangkabau Traditional Trading in Kuala Lumpur: A Preliminary Research; 2015</ref><ref>[http://geutheeinstitute.com/2017/12/15/chow-kit-pasar-aceh-di-malaysia/ Chow Kit ‘Pasar Aceh’ di Malaysia]</ref> Recently, a small African community also lives there. There is a night market also known as ''Bundle Chow Kit'' along Lorong Haji Taib which is known for the sale of used clothing and accessories.<ref>[http://www.bharian.com.my/Current_News/HM/Thursday/Santai/20061109124115/pp_index_html "Bundle Chow Kit tetap hebat"], ''Harian Metro''. ''Bernama''. Accessed 19 July 2007.{{dead link|date=February 2014}}</ref>
==Wet market== A daily wet market known as Bazaar Baru Chow Kit is the largest wet market in Kuala Lumpur, and a tourist attraction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/chow%20kit%20market.html |title=Chow Kit Market|access-date=2014-10-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070706220844/http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/chow%20kit%20market.html |archive-date=2007-07-06 }}</ref> A wide variety of fish and seafood products are available for customers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Photographs of Chow Kit wet market|url=https://independent-travellers.com/malaysia/kuala_lumpur/chow_kit_market/|website=Independent Travellers|publisher=independent-travellers.com|access-date=29 June 2017}}</ref>
==Red-light district== Chow Kit has traditionally been known as one of the major red-light districts in Kuala Lumpur.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sanjugtha |first1=V |title=Rejuvenating Chow Kit |url=http://www.focusmalaysia.my/Assets/rejuvenating-chow-kit |website=Focus Malaysia |access-date=31 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422121504/https://focusmalaysia.my/Assets/rejuvenating-chow-kit|archive-date=22 April 2019}}</ref> Many of the prostitutes are daughters of prostitutes that have grown up in the area.<ref>{{Cite news | year = 2006 | url = http://thestaronline.com/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/9/nation/14761340&sec=nation | title = Uncertain future for Chow Kit children | work = thestaronline.com | access-date = 21 July 2006 | archive-date = 17 February 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120217094823/http://thestaronline.com/news/story.asp?file=%2F2006%2F7%2F9%2Fnation%2F14761340&sec=nation | url-status = live | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Malaysian director Justin Ong's 2013 film, ''Ida's choice'', is about a young woman in the red-light district.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ida's choice |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2013/03/201332512410892945.html |website=www.aljazeera.com |access-date=31 January 2019 |date=26 Mar 2013}}</ref>
==Transportation== The KL Monorail Chow Kit Monorail station is situated in this area, while the PWTC LRT station (Ampang Line) and Hospital Kuala Lumpur MRT station (Putrajaya Line) are located nearby.
==In popular culture== *Chow Kit Road became the subject of the hit song, ''Chow Kit Road'', made famous by the late Sudirman Arshad.<ref name="chowkit"/> Sudirman held an open-air concert on the road in 1986 to a 100,000-strong audience.<ref name="sudirmanconcert">[http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/04/05/good-ol-charm-of-jalan-chow-kit/ Good ol’ charm of Jalan Chow Kit]</ref>
==Gallery== <gallery> File:SHOPPING_2_0042.jpg|The wet market File:MURTABAK_1_0031.jpg|Murtabak (pancake) seller File:CHICKEN_1_0050.jpg|Chicken meat in Chow Kit File:ANCHOVY_1_0058.jpg|Small-sized anchovies in Chow Kit File:Bazaar Baru Chow Kit 631.jpg|Carambola File:Bazaar Baru Chow Kit 632.jpg|Pitaya File:Bazaar Baru Chow Kit 634.jpg|Durian </gallery>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{commons category|Chow Kit}}
{{Etnic Enclaves in Malaysia}} {{Greater Kuala Lumpur}}
Category:African diaspora in Malaysia Category:Suburbs in Kuala Lumpur Category:Indonesian diaspora in Malaysia Category:Red-light districts in Malaysia