Chinatown is a place of vivid, colourful and varied interest with the florists and floral accessory shops adding to the mix. You can have a lot of fun crafting your own floral arrangements for Mother’s Day on 14 May.
The rain is about to stop and I am walking towards flower heaven, which is only just seen. An unexpected and familiar flower scent assails that transfers back to childhood days, especially the backyard of Nana’s house. At last it is seen and the unexpected put to rest with Hyacinth bulbs in full flower at the shop front pavement table and great bouquet flowers like Asiatic Lilly and fillers like Baby’s Breath.
You’re not familiar yet with the many florists in this part of KL? Let me take you to my favourite shops!
Weng Hoa Floral Boutique
Welcome to ‘Weng Hoa Floral Boutique’ in Jalan Hang Lekir at the Pasar Seni LRT/MRT Station, at the end of Chinatown. One of the originals in this part of KL, dating back to 1983. It stocks all floral needs including florists foam, fresh cut flowers of many varieties, tons of greenery, orchids, a small array of potted plants and occasional surprises like the Hyacinth. More here on their FB Page.
Weng Hoa Floral Boutique, 1 Jalan Hang Lekir, Chinatown
Flower Movement
Just a few doors along is another ‘kedai bunga’ (flower shop) titled ‘Flower Movement’. An intriguing name fronting a slightly disorganised shop, that supplies all flower arrangement dress up needs. You’ll find things here such as lace and ribbons, wraps, various stuffed creatures and many other flower related novelties. You never know what gems you might find in a messy shop!
Flower Movement, 5 J Hang Lekir, Chinatown
Jalan Hang Lekir turns into pedestrian precinct outdoor market further along. You will find various street vendors of flowers and arrangements. I’m not going there today though, as the rain is back, so I stick to covered pavement and turn into Jalan Tun H.S. Lee towards other florists.
Floralife Central and Lee Wah Florist
Along this mostly covered side ‘Floralife Central’ presents an intriguing view almost touching on the gaudy. For Mother’s Day, gaudy is good! This shop mainly specialising in flower arrangements and also has a variety of cut flower, potted plants and accessories. More here on their website.
Floralife Central, 146 Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Chinatown
Just across the street, Lee Wah Florist has been in business here since 2003. A large shop taking up two shop fronts. A big assortment of cut flowers, greenery, fillers, flower arrangements and ornamental plants fills the store. I was a bit early to go exploring inside on this occasion, as they were just setting out displays for the day. Here’s more info on their website.
Lee Wah Florist, 129 J Tun H.S. Lee, Chinatown
How to get there
By car, I’d suggest to park at Central Market’s carpark off Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lok, which is less than a 100 metres away. Best to get here early to mid-morning to get a car parking space.
You can also take the train via MRT or LRT to Pasar Seni Station, which is about 150 metres away. Look for the building side murals as your guide into flower world.
Tips
- For a great Mother’s Day bouquet: simply buy some greenery and Chrysanthemum, the all time Mother’s Day traditional favourite.
- Prices are mostly marked and haggling is not permitted.
- You won’t need to spend more than RM70 to create two to three arrangements at home.
- Around 9.30 – 10.00am is a good time to visit, after the rush of wedding and function planners.
- Prices can inflate up to 30% during festival periods such as Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. You can buy a bunch of four Asiatic Lily stems for RM18 outside of these times. Same stems at the moment are around RM25.
A beautiful mural at the start of florist world.
