Photos are as much proof of your travels today as passport stamps were in the past, especially in the current age of smart-chip “your details are in the system” travel. Besides, how else are you going to impress friends in your social network that you’ve been there and done that? Yet, there are so many things to photograph that you might end up running out of memory card before your first sightseeing trip is up, what’s more if you’re only here on a short trip. To help you out, VisionKL brings you our 10 things to photograph as a reminder of your stay.

The most iconic of all KL landmarks is the Petronas Twin Towers. Then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad famously quipped, when asked about Taipei 101 supplanting it as the world’s tallest tower: “We have two!” The glass-and-steel towers photograph well both day and night, from the ground up (you’d probably need to lie down on the floor to get it all) or from a higher vantage point. For great composition, we’d suggest heading into KLCC Park to get a shot of the towers among the foliage. Because that’s what KL truly is – skyscrapers and plenty of greenery.

But KL is not only about the new. Among the shiny new buildings are pockets of history told through structures, some still standing and some left as remnants. One great building that shares the tale of KL’s Colonial past is the Old Railway Station that opened in 1910. This Moorish-influenced building, designed by British Arthur Benison Hubback and inspired by his time in India, boasts beautiful pillars, arches and domes that are just begging to be immortalised in your prints.

Another of Hubback’s designs, Masjid Jamek (Jamek Mosque), also relates the history of KL, which was founded in 1857 at this spot, the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers (thus the literal meaning of its name, “muddy estuary”). And as this township grew on the back of tin mining, the people’s daily needs were met by places like the wet market, which expanded over time into a permanent structure in the 1930s with Art Deco styling, known as Central Market. You will no longer find fishmongers here, but you can find all manner of cultural items and handicrafts that complement the building’s colourful façade.

KL is nothing if not a meld of people and influences, all of which make for wonderful photos. For architecture with traditional Malay nuances, there is Istana Budaya (National Theatre), with elements of a moon kite in flight, flowers, windows of traditional house and sirih junjung (the presentation of betel leaves in Malay weddings), among others. The National Museum, meanwhile, is a tribute to the state of Negeri Sembilan’s wonderful Minangkabau heritage in the form of its roof, plus other components of Malay architecture and mosaic art.

KL’s heritage is also tied to its links with China, and this can clearly be seen at the Thean Hou Temple. The six-tier temple built by the Hainanese community incorporates spectacular Buddhist, Taoist and Confucius elements.

More illustrations of the city’s cultural diversity, in the form of buildings, retail, food and beverage and people, can be found in Chinatown and Little India. There you will find examples of the products, wares, delicacies, clothing and paraphernalia of everyday life originating from the Chinese and Indian communities, being shared not only among their own but with the broader, harmonious populace.

Of course, a wider view of KL is a must – with the juxtaposition of old and new, man’s creation and nature – and you can capture breathtaking shots of the KL skyline from the observation deck of KL Tower, during the day or in full nighttime glory. Its busy roads, rising development, age-old traditions and green lungs standing together: This is KL.