The oldest Chinese temple in Kuala Lumpur can be found between Central Market and lively Petaling Street.

The colourful little Taoist shrine, Sin Sze Si Ya, was opened in 1864 by Captain Yap Ah Loy and is still an integral part of the local Chinese community today.

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A visit to the small temple takes less than 5 minutes and is the perfect place to spice up your walk around Chinatown.

The entrance is very inconspicuous from Jalan Tun H S Lee and is virtually unmarked. The main façade of the temple is set in a courtyard, so you can't see it from the street at all.

Entrance to Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

Main gate to Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

The temple is open daily from 7am to 5pm and admission is free.

Inside you can move freely and there is no dress-code.

Sin Sze Si Ya

The much bigger and prettier Thean Hou Chinese Temple can be found about 3.5 km south of Chinatown, and Grab can get you there in 20 minutes in about 9 myr.