Open air complex for work and shopping

THERE's a place in Ara Damansara called Niuzexui. You've not heard of it? Well, it's part of a new commercial development near Kuala Lumpur that's slowly but surely picking up a reputation as a great spot for snacks, browsing and shopping. Visitors to Niuzexui have described it as an "open-air" shopping Red Dragon Fruit . But funnily, the meaning of the word is far from what the complex is all about. Literally, it means "Buffalo Cart Water!" Why the name Niuzexui then? Beats me. Maybe the owner liked the sound of it. The complex is actually three connected pedestrian malls between rows of office blocks that were rather empty when I visited this place in April. The malls are protected from the elements by a giant canopy similar to that of Kuala Lumpur's Jalan Petaling. Located here are more than 50 small stores selling a myriad of merchandise and snacks. Red lanterns hang overhead, giving the place a Chinatown ambiance. Value-for-money buys are the main lure here. Where handbags are concerned, Niuzexui is not to be snuffed at. Traffic, Wat? Bag and Butik GPS have an impressive array of totebags, hobo bags, duffel bags, shoulder bags and drawstring bags. Complementing the handbags are the shoes. Franco Martino, OMG Unique Enterprise and several other stores boasts of pumps, T-strap shoes, ballerinas, clogs and sandals at extremely irresistible prices. For some items, discounts are up to a whopping 40 per cent. One store there creatively displays its sports shoes by sticking them in metal poles with side stumps!