A Summer Trip to Malacca

Malacca is a quiet seaside city with a very rich historical and cultural heritage. All around the city are historical buildings dating as far back as the 16th century. Located within the strategic Straits of Malacca, it was a much coveted city in the past, so much so that the Portuguese writer Barbarosa wrote "Whoever is Lord in Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice". Malacca had changed hands a number of times in history, from the original Malaccan Sultanate to the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally to the British.

Today, Malacca has long left its turbulent history behind after Malaysia gained its independence. It is now a historical city with an interesting mix of old and new buildings. Fortunately, new developments within the city had not taken place at the expense of its historical heritage—many of its old buildings were fortunately protected. The cultural aspect of Malacca is an interesting one, where influences from the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Chinese had left their mark in the style of the buildings as well as the locals' way of life. Many of the inhabitants are Peranakans, descendants of inter-racial marriages between Chinese and Malays. The have their own culture and customs as well as their own unique style of cooking. A popular dish of the Peranakan is the laksa; which consists or rice noodles bathed in a thick, spicy and aromatic gravy of coconut milk.

Quick Tips:

The weather here can get pretty warm during the afternoons, with little cloud cover. Visitors are advised to wear light clothing and bring along sun shades and possibly a hat.

When exchanging money, try to request for smaller bank notes. Many shops here wouldn't have enough change if you gave them a RM 100 note. The most versatile bank note is the RM 10, with the RM 50 note being second best.

Best Way To Get Around:

The top of the hill is flat and offers a nice view of the city below. There is a ceremonial grave built on the top of the hill for some unknown ceremonial purposes.

There is an ancient temple (Sam Poh Kong Temple) at the foot of Bukit China that acts as the custodian of the Chinese cemetery. There is also a historic well (Hang Li Poh's well) beside the temple. This well was built by the Sultan of Malacca for his Chinese princess-wife (by the name of Hang Li Poh), and is reputed to never run dry, even during very dry periods. This was an important well during the olden days and was involved in several conflicts between the Malays, the Portuguese and the Dutch.

Christ Church is believed to be the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia, although it was converted to an Anglican church during the British rule. The church has a ceiling that is 12.2m high above the floor, with each 15m-long roof beam fashioned from a single tree with no joints whatsoever. Inside the church one can see old tombstones with Armenian script laid on the floor. These tombstones were originally placed within the ruined Portuguese St. Paul's church and it was believed that these were moved into Christ church by the British for some reasons still unknown. Inside the church are placed several religious artifacts such as a brass Bible inscribed with the first verse of St. John in Dutch and a nice picture of the "Last Supper" in glazed tiles. The church exudes an atmosphere of calm and peace where one can seek solace in. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the church.

Next to Christ Church is the Stadthuys, a Dutch town hall built in 1661 and is the oldest Dutch building in the East. Housed within the brick-red building are three museums, namely the History Museum, the Ethnographic Museum and the Literature Museum. These are opened to the public everyday from 9am to 6pm, except on Friday afternoons when they close from 12:15pm to 2:45pm for prayers. The entrance fee is only RM 2 (approx $1).

Other interesting things nearby include a water fountain that was erected by the people of Malacca in memory of Queen Victoria Regina. On it was inscription the words "Victoria Regina 1837-1901. Erected by the people of Malacca in memory of a great queen. 1904". In front of the fountain, several locals can be seen carrying huge pythons around their necks. Visitors can take pictures with these pythons for a small fee. One of the Malayan pythons here is a rare golden python, where the scales are golden yellow and white instead of the usual brown and black.

Many colorful and elaborately decorated trishaws are parked along Jalan Laksamana, waiting to pick up tourists keen to experience a different way of touring around Malacca city. Each trishaw can seat two passengers and a single ride costs about $1. This is a good way to take in the sights of the city at a leisurely pace without getting too tired.