Petaling Street (Malay: Jalan Petaling, Simplified Chinese: 茨厂街, Traditional Chinese: 茨廠街, pinyin: Cíchǎng Jiē, Cantonese jyutping: ci4 cong2 gaai1) is a Chinatown located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The whole vicinity is also known as Chinatown KL. Haggling is a common sight here and the place is usually crowded with locals as well as tourists. The area has dozens of restaurants and food stalls, serving local favourites such as Hokkien mee, Ikan Bakar (barbecued fish), asam laksa and curry noodles. Reggae Bar Chinatown is located here. Traders here are mainly Chinese but there are also Indian, Malay, and Bangladeshi traders. It is also known for street prostitution. History and development The original Chinatown is centred on Market Square, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee (or High Street). The High Street was popular as it was higher than the rest of the town and thus less prone to floods. This led the wealthier population to build their shophouses here. As a result, the more ornate shophouses were built north of Jalan Cheng Lock and closer to the High Street business centre. Kuala Lumpur was a typical "pioneer" town around the start of the 20th century. The population was predominantly male, and they were typical of the rough and tough pioneers of those times. The men were mainly Cantonese and Hakkas who had come to the city because of the tin trade, working as coolies in the mines. They were governed by a Chinese Kapitan or headman. The most famous Chinese Kapitan was Yap Ah Loy, a Hakka. In the 1860s to 1870s, the Selangor Civil War erupted between rival Malay factions as well as within the Chinese community that were allied to them. The Chinese community split along partisan lines between the Hokkien Ghee Hin and the Hakka Hai San secret societies. When the British authorities realised that the war disrupted their economy and supply chains, they decided to enter the war. As a result, many buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. During the civil war, the tin mines were abandoned. The neglect during this time caused them to become flooded. After the war, (and when the miners returned) they found that the mines were now unworkable due to flooding. Yap Ah Loy persuaded the miners and coolies to remain in KL and persuaded the Malays in the surrounding districts to grow rice and other garden products. He opened a Tapioca Mill in Petaling