Chasing History: Inside Xplorasi Warisan KL’s Merdeka City Quest

ANN MARIE CHANDY | 3 September 2026

All set and ready to go: From Stadium Merdeka to Dataran Merdeka, more than70 teams were raring to go through Kuala Lumpur’s historic core, solve puzzles and discover stories hidden in plain sight during 'Xplorasi Warisan KL: Edisi Merdeka 2026'. The real prize? Seeing the city with fresh eyes.

KUALA LUMPUR’S history was not sitting quietly in a museum on Aug 30. It was out on the streets, waiting to be found.

From Stadium Merdeka, where independence was declared in 1957, teams fanned out across the historic heart of the city, following clues, deciphering heritage trivia, completing challenges and racing towards Dataran Merdeka – the symbolic finishing point where the Federation of Malaya flag was first raised.

There were wrong turns, hurried photographs, creative videos, food challenges and plenty of laughter along the way. There were also discoveries – including for participants who had lived and worked in Kuala Lumpur for years but had never stopped to ask what stood behind the familiar facades and signboards.

This was Xplorasi Warisan KL: Edisi Merdeka 2026, a heritage-themed city quest that transformed the Warisan KL geographical area into a giant, open-air playground for history, heritage and culture.

The flag-off and welcome address at Stadium Merdeka was led by Dato’ Mohamed Nasri Sallehuddin, Warisan KL Joint Secretariat representative. From there, more than 70 teams tackled seven checkpoints: the KL Old Railway Station, Dayabumi Complex, Central Market, Petaling Street, Masjid Jamek, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad and, finally, Dataran Merdeka. At each stop, the city revealed another layer of its story.

Teams had to collect passport stamps, answer heritage questions, complete photography assignments and hunt for specific signboards. They tested their skills with a craft challenge and a food task that involved “pulling tea”. They also had to create videos capturing their experience, turning the day itself into a record of Kuala Lumpur in motion.

Rise and Shine: Dato’ Mohamed Nasri Sallehuddin (right), Warisan KL Joint Secretariat representative, and Dato' Ir. Ts (Dr) Izwan Ibrahim (left), CEO of PNB Merdeka Ventures, at the flag off ceremony at Stadium Merdeka.

For Azanis Shahila Aman, Muhammad Hafiy Isyraf Mohd Rosli and Noor Rizan Ahmad of team Baby G NST, the challenge offered a different way to encounter a city they thought they already knew.

“Before this, I mostly just read about KL's history, but through this challenge, I actually got to visit the places, see them for myself and learn the stories behind them,” Azanis said. “It made history feel much more alive and meaningful.”

The team ultimately claimed the championship and RM4,000.

The winning team, Baby G NST.

Why Baby G? Azanis, a journalist, had recently become a mother to a seven-month-old baby girl. “Baby G” was chosen as a playful tribute to her new chapter in life. Her teammates were also close to home – Hafiy is her husband, who works as a stringer photographer for the New Straits Times, while Rizan is a colleague from Bernama.

What began as a fun day out became a shared family-and-friends adventure, with a total of RM20,000 cash prizes distributed among all the winners.

Second place went to Kita Try, followed by Baru Nak Up Bernama in third, Tereunion in fourth and Bagan Hunters in fifth. Fifteen consolation prizes were also awarded, alongside novelty awards recognising everything from the best video and most creative outfit to the most sporting team, an early-bird team and the aptly named Sesat Tapi Semangat (or Lost but Determined) Award.

But competition was only part of the appeal.

For Team Kuih Lapis, three librarians from Taylor’s University who go on regular treasure hunts, and a lawyer from Ampang – the Central Market checkpoint stood out.

Jeypraba and his sister Jeya, together with Viknes and Balqis, found themselves navigating the city through photographs, clues and increasingly tired legs. “It was tiring but fun,” Jeypraba said.

Balqis, Vicknes, Jeypraba and Jeya were happy to be learning more about the streets and buildings in KL during the Merdeka celebrations this year and welcome more such activities in the future.

For his sister Jeya, the biggest discovery was Dayabumi Complex – “Honestly, I never know it existed!” she confessed never noticing the country's first steel-frame skyscraper which, for a brief period, was the tallest building in Malaysia.

Kuih Lapis also noted that looking for signboards along Petaling Street was also challenging. But that sense of looking again in old, familiar places was precisely what Xplorasi set out to achieve.

“Xplorasi Warisan KL is more than a heritage challenge; it is an opportunity for Malaysians to discover Kuala Lumpur’s history firsthand and connect with the stories, places and people that have shaped our nation,” Nasri said.

The format mattered. Rather than asking participants to absorb heritage as a distant subject, the challenge placed them inside it. They walked the routes, touched the buildings, tasted familiar flavours, searched for details and worked together to make sense of clues.

Teams such as Jejak Puspa KL – four girl friends, Lana, Adele, Nazrena and Farihan – brought their own energy to the race. While Nazrena said there were some stressful moments during the challenge, all four attested to the fun they had along the way… especially during the “teh tarik challenge”. Lana, who proved to be an unexpected pro at pulling tea, admitted that despite living in KL for 43 years, it was her first time stepping inside Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad.

Jejak Puspa KL before and after the Xplorasi!

The team names were also a hoot! Go Go Cepat, Pelan Pelan Kayuh, Mystique Minds, Cendawan, Bujang Lajak and 57 Peratus.

Together, they reflected something important about Kuala Lumpur itself – a city whose identity has always been shaped by different people, cultures, occupations, generations and communities sharing the same urban landscape.

The journey from Stadium Merdeka to Dataran Merdeka also gave the challenge a deeper resonance during Merdeka celebrations. The route connected places associated with railway travel, commerce, faith, civic administration, markets and public life – physical reminders that the story of independence did not happen in isolation. It unfolded within a city built and inhabited by generations of Malaysians.

The final gathering at Dataran Merdeka, held alongside the Ambang Merdeka festivities, brought the teams back together for the prize-giving ceremony.

For Baby G’s Azanis, the most rewarding part was not simply reaching the finish line. “I think this is a great way for people to discover KL because it combines history, exploration and a bit of friendly competition,” she said. “You get to learn about places that you might normally walk past without knowing their significance.”

That may be the most enduring lesson of Xplorasi. A heritage city is not simply a collection of old buildings. It is a place where history continues to be encountered, interpreted and enjoyed by the people who walk its streets today.

That is the thinking behind initiatives such as Xplorasi Warisan KL, which invite people to experience the city’s heritage for themselves – not simply as history preserved in buildings, but as a living part of Kuala Lumpur’s cultural life.

The race ended at Dataran Merdeka. But for the participants, the exploration continues – because once you start looking at Kuala Lumpur through the stories embedded in its streets, buildings and public spaces, it becomes much harder to simply walk past.

From one challenge to the next, Xplorasi Warisan KL brought together people of all ages – girls and boys, men and women, friends, families and colleagues – to explore the city, embrace its history and discover its culture in the best way possible: together. Across Kuala Lumpur’s historic streets and landmarks, there was laughter, teamwork, friendly competition and plenty of moments to remember. What better way to spend Merdeka Day than having fun in the city we call home – while celebrating the stories, places and people that make it what it is?