Melaka (or Malacca) is a quaint but fascinating Malaysian seaport, situated on the West coast of Peninsular Malaysia about 148km south of Kuala Lumpur. The capital of the state of Malacca, it was once the foremost trading port in SE Asia, before Sir Stamford Raffles came along and founded Singapore! As such, there is a great deal of historical and cultural significance to be found within the town.
Whilst I was teaching in Singapore it was my task to plan and implement a fieldtrip for 9-10 yr olds to this relatively unknown gem and I became very familiar with the town and all that it has to offer. I would thoroughly recommend a trip here to anyone who is staying in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
It is well worth knowing a little about the history of Melaka in order to appreciate the diversity of sites in the town so I’ll intersperse history with information about some of the sites we visited.
The town dates it’s origins back to the 15th Century. There is a charming legend about it’s founding by the Hindu Prince Parameswara, who was fleeing Singapore. One day as he and his followers stopped to rest and hunt, his favourite dog was kicked by a mouse deer. He was so impressed by the bravery of this deer that he decided to found a new city on the spot! At the time, Parameswara was sheltering in the shade of a Melaka tree, so he decided that this would be the name of his new town. The ‘original’ tree can be found at the base of St Paul’s Hill near to A Famosa amongst a bevy of souvenir stalls.
One of the earliest historical sites is Hang Li Po’s well. Hang Li Po was a 15th century Chinese princess who was brought from China as a ‘present’ for the Sultan of Malacca. Hang Li Poh joined the Sultan’s harem and she and her 500 handmaidens lived at the base of Bukit China. The well can be found near to Bukit China and the Temple of Poh San Teng. Bukit China is reputedly the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China and we found it worth exploring to see some of the ornate Chinese graves. The well is notable in that it has never dried up, even during periods of great drought. It is now known as a ‘wishing-well’ and if you throw coins in you will be sure to return to Melaka in the future. If you’re hungry or thirsty then you can buy water or fresh fruit at the stalls outside the temple.
The Melaka river or Sungai Melaka, is a very grubby and quite narrow waterway but was very important in establishing Melaka as a seaport. Ships could sail up to the town, moor safely and discharge their cargo. I think that the river has silted up a great deal over the years but one of the most rewarding things to do is take a river trip. The children and adults particularly enjoyed this part of the fieldtrips. You can find the boarding point just off the Town Square and trips run several times a day depending on the tide and the demand (six passengers are needed per trip). One of the best times of day to take the trip would be around 4.30pm when the fishermen are preparing their boats. The cost is usually about RM7 for adults and RM3 for children or you can hire the whole boat for RM35. At the moment the exchange rate is about 5.7RM to the pound. The boats are quite small but there are lifejackets available for the nervous. The highlight of the cruise is the entertaining commentary given by the guides! Spoken in reasonable English you will be regaled by facts about Melaka, information about wildlife, jokes, personal histories and stories of previous passengers. On the tour you will see town centre properties that back onto the river, temples, typical Malay style houses, remnants of colonial architecture and warehouses, assorted wildlife and numerous fishing boats. There are lots and lots of large monitor lizards and it is fascinating but can be a bit smelly! I’ve taken this trip 7 or 8 times and there is always something different to see. On with the history…..
Due to its strategic position in the Straits of Melaka, the historical town of Melaka grew rapidly. Ships en-route to China and the Far East would stop here to re-provision and it was also well linked to the Indian continent. It quickly became a centre for trade and among the products on offer were silk and porcelain from China, spices, gold and sandalwood from Indonesia, fabrics and stone from India and tin from the hinterland of Malaysia. The European explorers, namely the Portuguese and, later, the Dutch and British were very interested in acquiring such a lucrative trading post, known as the ‘Venice of the East’.
The Portuguese arrived in the form of Alphonso D’Albuquerque in the early 16th century. They bombarded the town with cannon from the safety of their ships and the resident Sultan fled to Johor. Soon after their arrival, the Portuguese built the A Famosa or Porta de Santiago, which, in its time, was a massive fortification. The remains of this fort can still be seen today in the form of a large gateway. The walls are an impressive 3m thick! This is all that is left since the British decided to remove the rest of the fort so it could never be used against them. The Portuguese introduced Catholicism to the people of Melaka and destroyed anything that might become a focus for resistance. There is an area in the city today, known as the Portuguese Square where the descendants of the original Portuguese/Malay marriages have made their home. They are mostly fishermen by trade and have distinctive Portuguese surnames. You can also find street names with a Portuguese flavour such as Fernandez or Rodriguez. There are several restaurants here and you can see a cultural show with a definite Portuguese bias. We were booked in to see one of these but I’m afraid it was not very special. In June the residents hold a festival honouring their patron saint and there are parades and celebrations throughout the town. Dotted around Melaka you may also come across other isolated sites that have survived.
One hundred and fifty years later the Dutch also made a bid for Melaka. They poisoned the water supply and laid siege to the town for 8 months. The A Famosa fort played a key role in delaying their takeover! However, in the mid 17th century the Dutch rule began. The Dutch proceeded to rebuild the town, introduced Protestantism and made it the centre of administration for the Dutch East India Company. You can see many buildings in the Dutch architectural style and evidence of their presence is widespread. One of the most interesting is the Stadhuys. This building now houses 3 museums – history, ethnography and literature. There are some very interesting and creative displays and it is well worth a visit. We used to spend a couple of hours browsing in the afternoon. The entrance fee is about RM2 and the museum is open from 9am until 6pm. The Stadhuys is in the Town Square area, distinctive with its red painted buildings. Here you can also see Christ Church, built in the 1750’s. It has a very peaceful and calm atmosphere inside and is a welcome cool retreat after the tropical heat. In the Town Square you will also find some very highly decorated ‘trishaws’. These are a form of transport and the drivers will offer you tours of Melaka or trips around the sights. Negotiate for a price before you get on because otherwise they’ll charge as much as they think you can afford!
After a short walk up nearby St Paul’s Hill you can look around another Dutch monument - St Paul’s Church. The latter was originally built by the Portuguese and named ‘Our Lady of the Hill’ but when the Dutch took over, they renamed it and used it for worship for over 100 years. Christ Church was then completed and St Paul’s Church fell into disrepair. You can still see and read gravestones which are now propped against the inside walls of this building. There is a statue of St Francis Xavier here, which was added in the 1950’s and which commemorates his interment in Melaka before being finally buried in Goa. From the top of St Paul’s Hill you get a great view of the Straits of Malacca and the surrounding town. The slopes are grassy and there is often a welcome breeze. We used to stop here for a packed lunch, even though it can get a bit crowded. You will also find a selection of artist’s stalls selling good, bad and tacky souvenirs of Melaka, it is worth having a look as you might find something that appeals. Unfortunately the Dutch weren’t really interested in developing the port, only in protecting their properties in the Dutch East Indies. So Melaka began a long and slow decline. They did translate the Bible into Malay and create a Dutch/Malay dictionary.
Moving swiftly on, the British acquired Malacca during the Napoleonic wars, when Holland was invaded by the French. They handed it back to the Dutch briefly but then exchanged control of the town for British territory in Sumatra. The A Famosa was largely destroyed and the British built a railway, hospitals and schools. William Farquar and Sir Stamford Raffles soon found more profitable shores, however, and Melaka was given back to the Sultan of Johor in exchange for Singapore.
In the 19th early 20th century it was the Chinese who contributed to the wealth and development of Melaka in the form of the Baba-Nonyas, also known as Peranakan or ‘Straits Chinese’. These are wealthy Chinese/Malay families who arguably adopted the best practises of both cultures. Across the river from the Town Square is the main Chinese ‘area’ of Melaka. Here you can stroll along the streets and see traditional craftsmen at work – a blacksmith, tin-smith and people making funerary goods for the Chinese temples. Our tour of this part of Melaka always took the longest, as there was so much to see and you have to take things slowly in the heat. You can also admire the beautiful houses with typical ornate Peranakan tiles decorating doorsteps and house facades. One of the most beautiful and interesting is the Baba-Nonya Heritage Museum. If you only have time for a short visit to Melaka then I recommend that you put this at the top of your list. The entrance fee is about RM7 for adults and RM3 for children and the museum is open from 10am until 12.30pm in the morning and then 2pm until 4pm in the afternoon.
In reality, the museum is 3 houses combined. I believe they are still owned by the family that used to occupy them and they contain a wealth of information and artefacts that illustrate the life of a wealthy Peranakan family. There are guided tours around the museum at set times, this is to preserve the ‘atmosphere’ and ensure that everyone gets the most out of their visit. The traditional Peranakan house was very narrow at the front but stretches back a long way. It incorporates various rooms with a kitchen at the back, complete with utensils and an ice-cream maker! There is also a feature which I would love to incorporate into my home in the UK (I wish! Lol). This is an open courtyard room towards the front of the house, there is no door onto this courtyard and it just opens up to the sky. It forms a lovely indoor-garden area open to the elements. The guide will regale you with family stories and you will see examples of beautiful porcelain, jewellery, games equipment and inlaid blackwood furniture throughout.
One other ‘must see’ in this area of Melaka is the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. This is the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia built in 1646 and is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy. It is adorned with dragons and phoenixes and there are numerous statues of various deities around the courtyard. There are also smaller rooms for ancestral worship and you can often see the traditional accompaniments for a Chinese funeral. We used to troop into this temple with 50 children and several adults but were never frowned upon or asked to leave. Entrance is free but I'm sure that donations would be welcome.
There are many other worthwhile sites to visit in Melaka. Our school fieldtrip would last for 4 hectic days and we still didn’t have time to see everything! You might visit Jalan Hang Jebat, also known as Jonkers Street to browse through the antique and craft shops, there is a Maritime Museum and St Francis Xavier’s Church to see. A Cultural museum and the replica Sultanate Palace can be found near to St Paul’s Hill and you can also take rides in a bullock cart. There are Chinese temples, Hindu temples and mosques of significant historical interest and there is also a new, air-conditioned shopping centre towards the seafront. In Kampong Morten you can look around Villa Sentosa, a Malay house dating from the 1920’s. The family still live in the house and will gladly show you around at certain times. It is a unique opportunity to look inside these cool and airy dwellings and see how the family live. Donations are very welcome (and expected) but otherwise entrance is free. The Villa Sentosa is open every day except for Friday mornings and female visitors are expected to bring an escort.
The Tourist Board can give you information about the well signposted and annotated ‘heritage walk’ as well as maps and details of accommodation, events and other attractions. If that wasn’t enough, in the area outside Melaka, towards Ayer Keroh, there is a butterfly farm, zoo and the Cultural Village where you can see examples of Malay architecture from the different states of Malaysia.
As for accommodation, well, I have experience of a couple of Hotels in Melaka, for example the Renaissance Melaka provides very good accommodation. For those wishing to stay in the recreated ambience of the Baba-Nonyas, there is ‘The Baba house’ and there are also a number of 3/4 star resorts and hotels in and around the Melaka. In nearby Ayer Keroh there are also resort hotels clustered around golf courses and chalet accommodation.
Melaka is a very reasonably priced destination offering good value for money. There is a wide range of accommodation available to suit all budgets in and around the town. Melaka has a hot and humid climate throughout the year, but the heaviest rain seems to fall in Aug-Oct. You should always be prepared for thunderstorms and tropical showers. The best time to visit is probably December - March with the subsequent months being very hot. Drink plenty of water during the day (not fizzy drinks or juice) to rehydrate, wear a hat and lots of sunscreen.
Altogether I found it a fascinating destination made all the better if you have some knowledge of the history. If you only have a short amount of time available, I recommend the Baba-Nonya Heritage Museum, St Paul’s Hill and the river cruise as highlights.
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