Jalan Tun HS Lee, Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Tun HS Lee, Kuala Lumpur, on Google Street View

Jalan Tun HS Lee, Kuala Lumpur (Jun 2024)

Jalan Tun HS Lee is a road that runs through the Kuala Lumpur Chinatown. It was formerly known as Jalan Bandar, and before that, High Street. Jalan Tun HS Lee was named after the first Finance Minister of Malaysia, Tun Henry Lee Hau Shik, who was born to a wealthy family in Guangdong, China. He migrated to Malaya in 1924 to manage his family's tin mining business in the Klang Valley.

The longest road through the inner city of Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Tun HS Lee runs from Jalan Gereja in the north to Jalan Kinabalu in the south. In between, it forms junctions/intersections with Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin, Jalan Yap Ah Loy, Leboh Pasar Besar, Jalan Petaling, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Jalan Hang Lekir, Lorong Bandar 21, Lorong Bandar 20, Jalan Sultan and Lorong Panggung.

It is not possible to traverse the entire length of Jalan Tun HS Lee from end to end, as sections of it are one-way streets in opposing directions. Between Jalan Gereja and Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin, traffic flow is southbound in the direction of Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin. Between the Leboh Pasar Besar/Jalan Yap Ah Loy intersection to Jalan Tan Siew Sin, traffic flow is northbound. The stretch of Jalan Tun HS Lee between Leboh Pudu and the Leboh Pasar Besar/Jalan Yap Ah Loy is pedestrianised. South of Leboh Pudu, traffic is southbound all the way to Jalan Kinabalu, where Jalan Tun HS Lee forks into two to enter Bulatan Merdeka and Jalan Syed Putra.

Map of Jalan Tun HS Lee, Kuala Lumpur

Sights along Jalan Tun HS Lee

Jalan Tun HS Lee (2 January 2010)


Jalan Tun HS Lee, at the junction with Jalan Gereja (7 July, 2016)


Stretch of Jalan Tun HS Lee south of Jalan Sultan, during construction of the Pasar Seni MRT Station (7 July, 2016)


Jalan Tun HS Lee road sign (6 July, 2016)

Exploring Jalan Tun HS Lee

Let me describe Jalan Tun HS Lee to you from north to south. It starts at the junction with Jalan Gereja, near the Orange International College and heads down in a southwest direction. Jalan Tun HS Lee passes through the Historic Triangle between Lebuh Pudu and Jalan Yap Ah Loy.

The first intersection is with Jalan Tun Perak, at Wisma Teck Choon. Down the stretch of Jalan Tun HS Lee between Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin, perhaps the only sight of interest is the Junk Book Store, which claims to be the biggest second-hand bookshop in the country.

Jalan Tun HS Lee veers to the left to head from southwest to south. The next intersection is with Jalan Hang Lekiu followed by Lebuh Pudu and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. Just before the intersection with Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock is the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, said to be the oldest Taoist temple in Kuala Lumpur.

Beyond the intersection of Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, there are a number of budget hotels and guesthouses. This is the main section of Chinatown. After the intersection with Jalan Hang Lekir, you can see the Guan Di Temple on your left. Further down the road is the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur.

Jalan Tun HS Lee continues south, past the intersection with Jalan Sultan. It passes under the flyover of Jalan Kuching to end at a junction with Jalan Syed Putra.

How to reach Jalan Tun HS Lee

Take the Ampang Line or Kelana Jaya Line of the RapidKL LRT to the Masjid Jamek LRT Station, then walk southeast down Jalan Tun Perak to reach the intersection with Jalan Tun HS Lee. You can also take the Kelana Jaya Line to the Pasar Seni LRT Station then walk east along Jalan Sultan to reach Jalan Tun HS Lee.

Back to Discover Kuala Lumpur; list of Streets of Kuala Lumpur and Streets of Malaysia