Sleepy Malaysian town Titi hopes ‘buzz of domestic visitors’ will return as Covid-19 curbs ease
- Strict virus curbs have deterred even local residents and affected business in the small Hakka township, with many shops and key attractions still closed
- Residents hope Titi’s fresh produce, distinctive street art and historical appeal will lure visitors back as Malaysia begins efforts to boost domestic tourism
Titi, a small Malaysian township about 70km east of Kuala Lumpur, is yearning for the return of domestic tourism. Once a popular weekend destination for those in the capital, everything changed when Covid-19 hit. As restrictions ease, residents are hopeful that visitors will return to the mainly ethnic Hakka township, whose history includes migration from Huizhou in China’s Guangdong province and the scars of a wartime massacre.
“Many would drive to Titi for a two-day, one-night tour, which usually includes the Kwong Fook Kong temple to pray and ask for good fortune,” said Siow, referring to the town’s oldest Chinese temple built in 1892.
Other attractions include the monument for victims of Japanese aggressions during World War II, the St Augustine Catholic Church and Titi bridge, which the town is named after, and referred to by the locals as “lovers’ bridge”.
Titi, meaning bridge in Malay, has a population of just above 6,000, the result of migration to bigger cities and nearby Singapore in search of better opportunities.
“But what has really drawn in the crowds is the distinctive street art,” said Siow, referring to the murals that have turned the sleepy town into a minor social media sensation in recent years.
