Brickfields is rapidly changing, and with development, many landmarks that once contributed to the character of the area in the early 1950s and 1960s are no longer in existence. However, there are still various establishments around Brickfields which are worth visiting.
Buddhist Maha Vihara Located just a stone’s throw away from Stesen Sentral, this center for the study of Buddhism was established in 1894 by the Sinhalese community to provide a place of worship in their Sri Lankan Theravada tradition. The current Buddhist Chief High Priest, Venerable K. Dhammaratana Thera, is based here. The Maha Vihara is now a major Buddhist Community
Centre in Kuala Lumpur as well as in Malaysia. The Bodhi trees growing in the garden were grown from cuttings from the famous temple complex of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka.
The YMCA in was inaugurated in October of 1905 with 141 members. The hostel was declared open by Sir Cecil Clementi, the then Commisioner of the Malay States, in 1931. Currently, the YMCA in Brickfields offers various facilities including accommodation, conference rooms, multi-purpose halls, and sporting facilities.
The Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) was established in 1951 in order to look after the welfare of the blind in the country. Volunteer at the Gurney Training Centre for the Blind, or simply visit to see how the blind are trained in various capacities which include computer literacy, Braille and touchtyping.
The Temple of Fine Arts in Brickfields is the main centre of learning in Malaysia for classical Indian music and dance. Watch graceful young dancers practice their moves amidst soothing sounds of traditional Indian musical instruments.
The Holy Rosary Church was constructed by Father Francis Emile Terrien, a French missionary, in 1903. The church took 18 months to build, and was blessed on December 18, 1904. Renovations to the original structure took place in 1950, resulting in the structure one sees today.
The Church was established in July of 1963 to cater to the Tamil-speaking faithful in the Brickfields, Bangsar, Pantai Dalam and Old Klang Road areas. It was blessed and consecrated by the late Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon, Archbishop Emeritus, the then Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur. Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Church is said in both English and Tamil.
Called the Hundred Quarters because the combination of the double and single storey quarters initially built for Government clerical staff in the 1950s number a hundred in total. Jalan Rozario was named after F.L.D. Rozario which served as the chief clerk to William Treacher, former English Resident of Selangor.
