Visited March 2023.

I think this could be a nice and interesting addition to WH list where medical institutions are not represented yet.

When you think leprosarium (or leper colony), you imagine an isolated community of people suffering from leprosy (Hansen’s disease) (i.e. Spinalonga, Greece, nominated in 2020, but withdrawn by Greece as a result of a lack of ICOMOS recommendation) – and you can be quite surprised when visiting this site. Today it is in the middle of Sungai Buloh town (and it can be easily reached from Kuala Lumpur Sentral by train and/or mrt, and then bus), in its modern neighbourhood where hospitals, clinics, medical schools and medical institutions are situated – these relatively new buildings (from sixties, seventies and even from the beginning of 21st century) occupy part of the so called Valley of Hope – it is the name given to this leprosy (kusta in Malay language) colony where people suffering from leprosy were not discriminated and isolated – as it happened in other leprosarium, but they were given the opportunity to integrate into the society by work, administration, education and religion. It was the second biggest leper colony in the world (after Culion in the Philippines). That was a very human approach to the disease and to the town planning too – all necessary buildings to serve this community were build in a green, beautiful natural setting – ‘garden city’. Research, experiments and trials in the Valley of Hope made it one of the most important centres for leprosy and led to the development of medical offices, labs and schools around it in the second half of 20th century.

In the past there were more than 600 buildings divided into three sections. The most numerous were the European-style family house with a kitchen annex for four or six persons; some of them were inhabited by married recovered patients. Today you can walk small alleys amongst these cottages – almost all of them abandoned now (even very recently), some turned into garden shops, one being a common place for schoolchildren, two being prepared for becoming part of the museum; the biggest building became an exposition hall (but it is open only on Sundays), some became research center where you can watch a short video about the story of the place; there are some places of cult in the vicinity of the valley – Hindu temple, mosque, church and small temple; in the north of the valley you’ll find a cemetery where crosses, swastikas, crescents and Chinese characters are gathered together…

When you’re in the Valley of Hope, look for a tree Hydnocarpus wightianus; its seed oil is widely used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine, but also was used in the treatment of leprosy.

More info about the site: https://www.valleyofhope.my/universal-values-of-sungai-buloh-settlement