Did You Know: The Petronas Twin Towers Site Was Once A Horse Racing Track
Races used to be held at Selangor Turf Club back in the 1800s.
Did you know that one of Malaysia's earliest equestrian tracks was located at the very same spot where the Petronas Twin Towers now stand?
Image via Skyscraper City
Image via Pinterest
Long before KLCC was built, a 100-acre horse race track, known as Selangor Turf Club, sat at what is now the heart of Kuala Lumpur
Image via Selangor Turf Club
Image via Petrosains/Facebook
One of the earlier racecourses, Selangor Gymkhana Club, was located along the now Jalan Tun Razak before it was eventually moved and renamed as Selangor Turf Club
According to its history, Geo Cumming and a couple of other prominent racing men developed the new course off Ampang Road (at the present site of the Twin Towers).
Selangor Turf Club was officially opened for racing in 1896.
Image via Travel Malaysia
Horse racing was an extremely popular sport in Malaya during the British colonisation in the 1800s
However, only amateurs were allowed to ride at the time.
Back then, the wealthy and privileged would watch races from a grandstand, while regular folk would view them from the 'native-stand' next to the track (as seen in the photo below).
Image via Pinterest
Seven races were usually held a day and people were allowed to buy as many tickets as they wanted to bet on horses they fancied
Each ticket would cost five Malayan dollars.
By 1906, the Club had grown to have 300 members, who each paid a subscription of 15 Malayan dollars a year with an entrance fee of 10 Malayan dollars.
Image via Selangor Turf Club
Image via Selangor Turf Club
Today, Selangor Turf Club is located at Seri Kembangan, where horse races and other events still take place.
Meanwhile, the previous race grounds have been transformed into a huge playground, wading pool with fountains, jogging path, and of course, the iconic Twin Towers
Image via Hotel Sentral KL
Construction of the Petronas Twin Towers started in 1993. And by 1996, they were named the world's tallest buildings.
Today, they are considered the world's tallest twin towers.
Image via bizcorp4u
Image via Bernama/Free Malaysia Today
KL has changed tremendously over the past few decades. Take a look at some of these old photos:
There are plenty of places to visit in KL. Be a tourist again and explore these spots:
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