Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
From super-tiny to supertall
Nested in a valley surrounded by deep rainforest, Kuala Lumpur's dense cityscape only sprang up in the last century or so. Early photographs of the location, dating to the late 1800s, reveal a modest town of thatched attap dwellings, along with a few British colonial buildings in Mughal and Moorish styles. But since Malaysia gained independence in 1957, the capital has earned fame for the high-rising stars of this sparkling shot: its skyscrapers, which number in the hundreds and include supertall structures like Petronas Towers and Merdeka 118.
From super-tiny to supertall
Nested in a valley surrounded by deep rainforest, Kuala Lumpur's dense cityscape only sprang up in the last century or so. Early photographs of the location, dating to the late 1800s, reveal a modest town of thatched attap dwellings, along with a few British colonial buildings in Mughal and Moorish styles. But since Malaysia gained independence in 1957, the capital has earned fame for the high-rising stars of this sparkling shot: its skyscrapers, which number in the hundreds and include supertall structures like Petronas Towers and Merdeka 118.
© Edwin Tan / E+ / Getty Images 2026-09-11 08:45:52 :