Kuala Terengganu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kuala Terengganu
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City and State Capital
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From top right clockwise: Terengganu State Museum, Tengku Mizan Road leading to the city, Chinatown, Abidin Mosque, and Crystal Mosque
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| Nickname(s):
KT
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| Motto(s):
Waterfront Heritage City
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 Kuala Terengganu
Location in Malaysia
Kuala Terengganu
Location in Asia
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Kuala Terengganu
Location in Earth
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| Country |  Malaysia |
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| State |  Terengganu |
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| District | Kuala Terengganu District | ||
| Granted municipality status | 18 January 1979 | ||
| Granted city status | 1 January 2008 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 605 km2 (233.59 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) | ||
| Population
(2014)Template:My10
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| • Total | 402,000 (1st) | ||
| • Demonym | Kuala Terengganuan | ||
Kuala Terengganu, often abbreviated as K.T., is a city, the administrative capital, royal capital and the main economic centre of Terengganu, Malaysia. Kuala Terengganu is also the capital of Kuala Terengganu District. It is also the only royal capital among the nine royal states of the country that bore its state's name. Kuala Terengganu is located about 440 kilometres northeast of Kuala Lumpur on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The city is situated at the estuary of Terengganu River, facing the South China Sea.
As a district, Kuala Terengganu is the smallest in terms of area, but it has the largest population in Terengganu with a population of 406,317 in 2010. City status was awarded to Kuala Terengganu with the title Bandaraya Warisan Pesisir Air (English: Waterfront Heritage City) on 1 January 2008.
Besides being a major political and economic centre to the state, the city is also the main gateway to many of the state's tourist destinations. Even though the city is not spared from modernity and development, Kuala Terengganu still has strong Malay influences that are intermixed with other cultures from its long history as a port.
Contents
Economy
Kuala Terengganu was a major fishing port and one of the important trading ports in Malaya. The chief exports were coffee, gambier, gold, ivory, pepper and tin. They were mainly traded for rice, tobacco, cotton goods and opium.
The economic sector in Kuala Terengganu is mostly made up of small-scale manufacturing industries such as the traditional textile making, local food industries, arts and craft factories, and agriculture, with most of them centred around residential areas or villages.
There are two main industrial estates for bigger industries. Factories such as those that produce bricks or timber products are located further away from the main city areas.
As the principal gateway for tourists to the state, tourism remains as one of the major economic sources for Kuala Terengganu.
Tourism
The Terengganu State Museum is located in Kampung Losong. It is acclaimed to be one the largest museum complexes in Malaysia and South East Asia with an area of 27 hectares. The architecture is based on the traditional Terengganu Malay house known as rumah tele. It has eight different galleries and other open air exhibits such as Petronas Gallery, Maritime Gallery, Islam Gallery, exhibits of traditional Terengganuese houses, and many others. The museum is also the home of the Terengganu Inscription Stone, the oldest artefact with Jawi writing in this country.
Near the museum is the Islamic Heritage Park. This park is an educational entertainment park that showcases various replicas of famous mosques from all over the world. Among the replicas are Al-Masjid al-Haram, Qol Sharif Mosque, and Masjid Negara. The Crystal Mosque is also located here. Boat cruises services along Terengganu River are also provided for the visitors.
A small hill known as Bukit Puteri can be found nearby to Pasar Payang. The hill is about 200 metres high, located near the banks of Terengganu River. Because of its strategic location, it was used as a fortification by the sultans of the state. Old artefacts, a graveyard, and monuments can be found on top of the hill. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a century-old brass bell known as genta is rung to signify that it is time for iftar, or the end of the fasting on that day.
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Pulau Duyong is a river island located at the Terengganu River estuary. It is popularly known for its traditional boat making activities. Pulau Duyong also contains a historical monument known as Kota Lama Duyong (Duyong Old Fort). It is a traditional Malay house built with local and European elements.
Kuala Terengganu has various places for recreation. Amongst the most prominent one is Batu Buruk Beach, located not far from the city centre. The beach has many amenities and facilities for visitors, such as horse riding, horse carriage rides and kite flying. However, visitors are recommended not to swim in the waters due to strong currents.
Cultural
The Chinatown of Kuala Terengganu is one of the main tourist attractions. This settlement is a row of shop-houses from the prewar era, with some of them dating back from the 1700s. Most of the houses are 2 stories high, mainly made of bricks or concrete, with wooden flooring for the second storey. Some have kept the intricate wood carving windows, huge heavy wooden front doors, and olden plaques.
The centuries-old buildings now consists of various shops, local coffee shops, offices, souvenir shops, restaurants and other services. It is home to two Chinese temples, Ho Ann Kiong and Tien Hou Kong, which were built in 1801 and 1896.
Another landmark is the 19th-century Low Tiey water well, erected in 1875. After years and years, it still supplies clean water to Chinatown's residents. Many of the buildings here have undergone restoration or beautification programmes to make them more appealing, but without destroying the heritage value.
Central Market (more commonly known as Pasar Payang) is the main market of the city. This double-storey building houses different kinds of goods, ranging from fresh produce, poultry, sea products, traditional delicacies, home products, clothes, and handicrafts such as batik, songket, and brass ware.
The Abidin Mosque is Kuala Terengganu's old state royal mosque built between 1793 and 1808. It is popularly known as Masjid Putih (White Mosque). The mosque is also the location of the Royal Mausoleum.
Seberang Takir is a fishing village situated on the northern bank of Terengganu River estuary. Here, visitors can see for themselves many cottage industries such as the producing of keropok lekor (a local fish cracker), batik printing, and drying salted fish, and the making of belacan (shrimp paste).
Images for kids
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Jalan Banggol area seen from PB Square.
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Maziah Palace was built to replace the old Green Palace, which was destroyed by fire in 1882.
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Street in Kuala Terengganu in June 1961 with a Chinese shop on the background.
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PMINT Tower houses the headquarters for Kuala Terengganu City Council and Terengganu State Economic Development Corporation.
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Sea view of Kuala Terengganu with tropical rainforest climate.
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A view of Kuala Terengganu Drawbridge from Seberang Takir
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Sultan Mahmud Airport incorporates traditional Terengganu designs for its terminal building.
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The traditional water taxis known locally as 'bot penambang' in Kuala Terengganu.
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Kuala Terengganu Court Building, combining the High, Sessions, and Magistrate Courts under one roof.
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The administration building of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin in its Gong Badak Campus.
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Terengganu State Library.
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The façade of the main building of the Terengganu State Museum.
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The shophouses of Chinatown.
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Bazaar Warisan contains vendors selling traditional fabrics such as batik and songket
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The Floating Mosque.
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Batu Buruk Beach.
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Abidin Mosque
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KTCC Mall is a modern mall in the city of Kuala Terengganu, located at the newly developed area of Muara Selatan.
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Keropok lekor, the popular local delicacy of Terengganu can be found in and around the city.
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Telecommunication towers on the top of Bukit Besar.
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Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium in 2019
See also
In Spanish: Kuala Terengganu para niños
