Previously housed in Summit USJ, MinNature Malaysia has now found a new home in the shopping haven of Sungei Wang Plaza in the city centre.

While some exhibits from the old location have been transferred and remain on display in MinNature, a whole new collection of exhibits have also been set up. These will be updated on a regular basis and improved with further details.

In addition, MinNature is now pursuing the goal of showcasing the cultural heritage of Malaysian buildings throughout the country.

Speaking to FMT, founder of MinNature, Alvin Wan Cheng Huat, 38, said that his previous work in the construction and demolition industry helped him recognise the need to preserve Malaysia’s heritage buildings.

“We want to preserve what we take for granted,” he said regarding Malaysia’s heritage buildings.

Setting out on his ambitious project was not easy, but with support from his family and a dedicated team, his dream of preserving Malaysia’s heritage buildings in miniature form finally came to life.

Adorable miniature hawker stalls and local eateries greet you the minute you enter MinNature. These exhibits reflect all to well the familiar and unique facet of Malaysian culture: food.

On display are roadside fruit stalls and one selling satay, complete with sticks of meat skewers awaiting the soot-covered grill. It becomes evident soon enough just how much detail has been painstakingly incorporated into each exhibit.

In a testament to the dedication and skill that goes into making these miniatures, every little piece on display is hand-made.

Take for instance the balls of used tissue papers that litter the table amidst the stacks of dim sum baskets.

Or the skewers on sale at the “lok-lok” stand, each of which are individual pieces made by hand.

In addition to the exhibits, information panels in Bahasa Malaysia, English and Chinese detail the history and facts about Malaysian street food culture.

In the same hallway, a map adorns the wall, with pins indicating where visitors come from. While there’s barely enough space left on Malaysia, there are pins littered across the map, indicating just how MinNature draws in the crowd from across the world.

Moving on into the new exhibit space, you’re likely to feel a little nostalgic for the days of old as you study the miniature Malay village on display.

Leaving the rural side of the country for the urban, there’s also much to see in the Chinatown exhibit.

Folks living in the Klang Valley are more likely to find something familiar in this exhibit, with the grime of pre-war shophouses and the chaos of bustling night markets.

Little insights into Malaysia’s urban life are everywhere, including cars double-parked and piles of trash heaped directly under signs that forbid it.

Again, heading out of town, you will instead head for the coast rather than the farmlands, to the fishing villages of Johor, dotted with homes that stand on stilts above the sea.

The scenery is idyllic, showing the nightlife of isolated fishing communities as they gather around for family meals and chat the night away.

The next gallery exhibits replicas of the heritage towns and cities of Alor Setar, George Town, Ipoh, Genting Highlands and Cameron Highlands.

The sights of these cities and towns are lovingly recreated, with scenes of everyday life down to the smallest details.

For visitors who cannot put down their digital devices, MinNature is in the process of installing a mobile application that makes use of Augmented Reality (AR) to provide visitors with an interactive experience.

Through this application, visitors can watch animated figures roam across the miniature landscape.

The true centrepiece of MinNature is yet to come though.

The only exhibit that was salvaged from its previous premises and reassembled after relocation, is the Dataran Merdeka, one of the largest in MinNature and the most elaborate.

The Jalur Gemilang is proudly draped across the historical field, with the landmarks of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, St Mary’s Cathedral and Royal Selangor Club recreated.

And of course, the hectic traffic on Jalan Raja is just as grating in miniature form as it is in real life.

While admiring these Malaysian landscapes, keep an eye out for little hidden objects, or Easter eggs, placed throughout the dioramas.

See if you can spot Captain America roaming the busy streets of Kuala Lumpur, or Pennywise the Dancing Clown lurking in the dark corners of Alor Setar.

“We hope to build MinNature as an international brand. What we emphasise here is the culture and heritage of Malaysia. We can do the same for other countries.”

“Imagine a miniature Vietnam, or a miniature Thailand. That’s our ten-year plan,” says Wan.

MinNature Malaysia
First Floor, Sungei Wang Plaza
Jalan Sultan Ismail
Bukit Bintang
50250 Kuala Lumpur

Admission Fee

• Special Promo (Now till March 13): RM15 for adults; RM10 for children (4-12 years old)
• Normal: RM25 for adults; RM20 for children
• Free: Children aged four and below

Hours: 10am-10pm daily
Contact: 011-1009 9374/facebook.com/MinNatureMalaysia/