MALACCA
Malacca (150 kilometers southeast of Kuala Lumpur, two hours by road from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur) is one of the most delightful places in Southeast Asia. Strategically located on the Malacca Straits, a vital waterway between India, the Spice Islands, China and Europe, it was once one of the most important ports in the world. According to one old saying, "He who is the lord of Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice."
Malacca is also commonly written as Melaka, the Malay spelling. Over the centuries it was used by Thais, Arabs, Persians, Indians and Chinese and controlled by Malay Sultans, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British and finally the Malays again. Each occupier collected fees for the trading ships that passed through the port and used that money to building lovely European-and Asia-style buildings along the city's narrow streets and currently silted up harbor. What makes Malacca particularly appealing today is the fact that many of the colonial buildings have a lived in rather Disneyeque look and are still used to house things like convenience stores, barber shops, tea stalls, insurance offices and residences.
Malacca is situated on the Strait of Malacca and has the Malacca River running through it. According to “Cities of the World”: The oldest town in Malaysia, founded about 1400 by a Malay prince, Melaka was one of the leading commercial centers of the Far East until the 17th century. Traders introduced Islam to Malay through Melaka. The city was captured by the Portuguese in 1511 and by the Dutch in 1641. Using the city more as a fortress than as a trading port, the Dutch retained control of Melaka until 1824, when it was transferred to Great Britain.Today, Melaka has little economic importance, but retains some Portuguese and Dutch buildings, as well as a Portuguese-Eurasian community. “The city's architecture reflects its long history as a seaport city-state and later as a colonial stronghold of the Portuguese, Dutch, and British, who held it from 1824 until Malaysia's independence in 1957.” [Source: Cities of the World, Gale Group Inc., 2002, adapted from a October 1994 U.S. State Department report]
The population of the state of Malacca is around 800,000. It covers 1,664 square kilometers and has a population density of 474 people per square kilometer. The Malacca that tourists visit is small so that most people can get around on foot or by trishaw. Many of the 150,000 residents of Malacca city are Babas and Nyonyas, the male and female descendants of Chinese traders that married into Malay families. There are also descendants of British, Dutch and Portuguese families as well as people form almost very race, culture, and religion.
Getting There: By Road: The distance to Melaka from Kuala Lumpur using the North-South Expressway is two hours. Melaka can be reached from Kuala Lumpur by express buses or cabs. Domestic flights are also available. Buses to Malacca from Kuala Lumpur cost $15 and take three hours and can be caught from the Central Market in Kuala Lumpur. Malacca Tourist Information Center Jalan Kota 75000, Malacca, Malaysia. Tel: (06)-2814803, (06)-283-6538, fax: (06)-284-9686.
Melaka and George Town, UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Malacca (Melaka) and George Town in Penang together were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. According to UNESCO: “Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century. Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.” [Source: UNESCO]
“Melaka and George Town, Malaysia, are remarkable examples of historic colonial towns on the Straits of Malacca that demonstrate a succession of historical and cultural influences arising from their former function as trading ports linking East and West. These are the most complete surviving historic city centres on the Straits of Malacca with a multi-cultural living heritage originating from the trade routes from Great Britain and Europe through the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and the Malay Archipelago to China. Both towns bear testimony to a living multi-cultural heritage and tradition of Asia, where the many religions and cultures met and coexisted. They reflect the coming together of cultural elements from the Malay Archipelago, India and China with those of Europe, to create a unique architecture, culture and townscape.
“Melaka and George Town represent exceptional examples of multi-cultural trading towns in East and Southeast Asia, forged from the mercantile and exchanges of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures and three successive European colonial powers for almost 500 years, each with its imprints on the architecture and urban form, technology and monumental art. Both towns show different stages of development and the successive changes over a long span of time and are thus complementary.
“Melaka and George Town are living testimony to the multi-cultural heritage and tradition of Asia, and European colonial influences. This multi-cultural tangible and intangible heritage is expressed in the great variety of religious buildings of different faiths, ethnic quarters, the many languages, worship and religious festivals, dances, costumes, art and music, food, and daily life.
“Melaka and George Town reflect a mixture of influences which have created a unique architecture, culture and townscape without parallel anywhere in East and South Asia. In particular, they demonstrate an exceptional range of shophouses and townhouses. These buildings show many different types and stages of development of the building type, some originating in the Dutch or Portuguese periods....Both towns exhibit a generally acceptable state of conservation, although efforts are required to ensure the conservation of shophouses.”
Malacca History
By the 15th century the predominate power in Indonesia was Malacca (Melaka), the trading kingdom based on the Malay peninsula. The Melaka kingdom controlled the strategic shipping lanes of the Malacca Straits and important commercial ports on northern Java. By the 16th century Melaka was the supreme power in Southeast Asia and Indonesia.
Part of maritime Silk Road, Malacca was founded in 1402 by Paramesvara, a prince who fled from Sumatra and established a port, which attracted trading ships from as far away as China, India and the islands near New Guinea. These ships carried things like sandalwood, pearls, porcelain, silk, gold, tin, and bird-of-paradise feathers as well as profitable cargos of cloves, pepper, cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg from the Spice Islands in what is now eastern Indonesia.
The Portuguese grabbed Malacca away from the Sumatran-Malay princes after a bloody six week battle in 1511. Portugal grew rich on Asian trade, which caught the attentions of other emerging European powers. In 1641, the Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch, who in turn were ousted by the British in 1795. At one time 86 languages were spoken in Malacca.
Establishment of Malacca
Malacca was founded in 1402 by Paramesvara, a prince who fled from Sumatra and established a port which attracted trading ships from as far away as China, India and the islands near New Guinea. These ships carried sandalwood, pearls, porcelain, silk, gold, tin , bird-of-paradise feathers and spices such as cloves, mace and nutmeg from the Spice Islands in what is now eastern Indonesia. Malacca became an Islamic state after Prince Paramesvara converted to Islam. Malacca then became a major supply stop for ships traveling the trade routes between China and the Arab sultanates around the Persian Gulf.
Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed, PhD wrote in the Encyclopedia of Islamic History: “Around the year 1390, a prince from Java, Parameswara, was forced to flee his homeland. Landing on the west coast of Malaya with a loyal following of about a thousand young men, the prince lived off piracy for almost ten years. At that time, Siam (modern Thailand) was the imperial power in the area. Parameswara drove out the Siamese and established the town of Malacca in 1403. The name Malacca derives from the Arabic word Malakut-meaning market place. The Arabs had maintained a trading colony there since the 8th century.
“Once settled, the prince encouraged peaceful trade. The fame and fortune of the trading post grew until it attracted international attention. The Muslims dominated the trade in the Indian Ocean. Arabic had become the lingua franca of traders in this region. Islam was gaining a following in the islands of Indonesia. Across the Straits from Malacca, the powerful Muslim kingdom of Aceh was emerging. Local folklore has it that around the year 1405, Prince Parameswara fell in love with a princess from the court of Pasai, accepted Islam, married her and changed his name to Sultan Iskander Shah.
“Thus it was love that brought Islam to Malaya. The bride brought with her good fortune for Malacca. The following year, the Emperor of China, Chu Tin (1403-24) sent a delegation under admiral Yin Ching, offering trade and friendship. The offer was gladly accepted as the Sultan was under increasing military pressure from the Siamese to the north. More courtly transactions followed. In 1409, the great Chinese admiral Zheng Yi (commonly known as Admiral Ho) visited Malacca at the head of a large flotilla of great ships. Admiral Zheng Yi was the greatest seaman of the 15th century. He was a Muslim. The Emperor of China, realizing the importance of Islam in the Indian Ocean region, had appointed him as Admiral of the great voyage. Zheng Yi continued with his flotilla to Acheh, Sri Lanka, Calicut, Bijapur, Hormuz, Aden, Jeddah, Zanj (East Africa), Zanzibar, Shofala and then southwards, crossing what is today the Cape of Good Hope to the west coast of Africa. Admiral Zheng Yi brought an invitation for Sultan Iskander Shah to visit Peking.
“In 1411 Sultan Iskander Shah visited China, was warmly received and was given presents of silk, gems, horses, gold and silver. Malacca also received a “most favored nation status” from China and entered into mutual defense agreements to ward off further Thai encroachments into the Malay Peninsula. Upon his return, Sultan Iskander Shah ruled as a benevolent monarch. He invited Muslim scholars from as far away as Mecca, honored them and encouraged the spread of Islam. Malacca became not only the hub of international trade but also a center for Islamic learning and a rich prize that was to be fought over in succeeding centuries by emerging European Empires. Sultan Iskander Shah died in 1424. His grave is not to be found because the Portuguese, when they captured Malacca in 1510, they dug up the graves of all of the Sultans of Malaya and destroyed the tombstones. But the legacy of Sultan Iskander Shah lives. He was a prince who brought Islam to Malaya for the love of a beautiful princess.”
Malacca Sultanate
The commencement of the current Malay nation is often traced to the fifteenth-century establishment of Malacca (Malacca) on the peninsula’s west coast. Malacca’s founding is credited to the Srivijayan prince Sri Paramesvara, who fled his kingdom to avoid domination by rulers of the Majapahit kingdom.
Early Malaysian cities and states originated in the coast and then moved to interior. These traded expensively with Chinese traders, who began arrived in numbers in the 14th century. Groups such as the Acehese, the Bugis and the Mnangkabau fought for dominance over the peninsula.
Before colonization, Malaysia was ruled sultanas who ruled over fiefdoms. The largest and most powerful of these Malacca kingdom on the Malay peninsular that was dominant power 1400-1511. It vied with the Chinese and Thais for control of the region.
By the late fourteenth century, Malacca had become an important commercial power and cultural influence along the Strait of Malacca, largely as a result of its numerous advantages as a trading port and its commercial and military alliances with China and the Malay kingdom of Bintan, an island near Singapore and home of the Orang Laut. When Muzaffar Shah became Malacca’s ruler in 1444, he declared the kingdom a Muslim state, and Malacca’s growing commercial, military, and political influence helped spread the Islamic faith throughout the region.
Prince Parameswara
The port of Malacca on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula was founded in 1402 by Parameswara, a Srivijaya prince fleeing Temasek (now Singapore), who was claimed in the Sejarah Melayu to be a descendant of Alexander the Great. Parameswara in particular sailed to Temasek to escape persecution. There he came under the protection of Temagi, a Malay chief from Patani who was appointed by the king of Siam as regent of Temasek. Within a few days, Parameswara killed Temagi and appointed himself regent. Some five years later he had to leave Temasek, due to threats from Siam. During this period, a Javanese fleet from Majapahit attacked Temasek. [Source: Wikipedia]
Parameswara headed north to found a new settlement. At Muar, Parameswara considered siting his new kingdom at either Biawak Busuk or at Kota Buruk. Finding that the Muar location was not suitable, he continued his journey northwards. Along the way, he reportedly visited Sening Ujong (former name of present-day Sungai Ujong) before reaching a fishing village at the mouth of the Bertam River (former name of the Malacca River), and founded what would become the Malacca Sultanate. Over time this developed into modern-day Malacca Town. According to the Malay Annals, here Parameswara saw a mouse deer outwitting a dog resting under a Malacca tree. Taking this as a good omen, he decided to establish a kingdom called Malacca. He built and improved facilities for trade. The Malacca Sultanate is commonly considered the first independent state in the peninsula.
At the time of Malacca's founding, the emperor of Ming Dynasty China was sending out fleets of ships to expand trade. Admiral Zheng He called at Malacca and brought Parameswara with him on his return to China, a recognition of his position as legitimate ruler of Malacca. In exchange for regular tribute, the Chinese emperor offered Malacca protection from the constant threat of a Siamese attack. The Chinese and Indians who settled in the Malay Peninsula before and during this period are the ancestors of today's Baba-Nyonya and Chetti community. According to one theory, Parameswara became a Muslim when he married a Princess of Pasai and he took the fashionable Persian title "Shah", calling himself Iskandar Shah. Chinese chronicles mention that in 1414, the son of the first ruler of Malacca visited the Ming emperor to inform them that his father had died. Parameswara's son was then officially recognised as the second ruler of Malacca by the Chinese Emperor and styled Raja Sri Rama Vikrama, Raja of Parameswara of Temasek and Malacca and he was known to his Muslim subjects as Sultan Sri Iskandar Zulkarnain Shah or Sultan Megat Iskandar Shah. He ruled Malacca from 1414 to 1424. Through the influence of Indian Muslims and, to a lesser extent, Hui people from China, Islam became increasingly common during the 15th century.
Power and Influence of the Malacca Sultanate
After an initial period paying tribute to the Ayutthaya, the kingdom rapidly assumed the place previously held by Srivijaya, establishing independent relations with China, and exploiting its position dominating the Straits to control the China-India maritime trade, which became increasingly important when the Mongol conquests closed the overland route between China and the west.
In 1405 the Chinese admiral Cheng Ho arrived in Malacca with promises to the locals of protection from the Siamese encroaching from the north. With Chinese support, the power of Malacca extended to include most of the Malay Peninsula. Islam arrived in Malacca around this time and soon spread through Malaya.
Within a few years of its establishment, Malacca officially adopted Islam. Parameswara became a Muslim, and due to the fact Malacca was under a Muslim Prince the conversion of Malays to Islam accelerated in the 15th century. The political power of the Malaccan Sultanate helped Islam’s rapid spread through the archipelago. Malacca was an important commercial centre during this time, attracting trade from around the region. By the start of the 16th century, with Malaccan Sultanate in the Malay peninsula and parts of Sumatra, the Sultanate of Demak in Java, and other kingdoms around the Malay archipelago increasingly converting to Islam, it had become the dominant religion among Malays, and reached as far as the modern day Philippines, leaving Bali as an isolated outpost of Hinduism today.
Malacca's reign lasted little more than a century, but during this time became the established centre of Malay culture. Most future Malay states originated from this period. Malacca became a cultural centre, creating the matrix of the modern Malay culture: a blend of indigenous Malay and imported Indian, Chinese and Islamic elements. Malacca's fashions in literature, art, music, dance and dress, and the ornate titles of its royal court, came to be seen as the standard for all ethnic Malays. The court of Malacca also gave great prestige to the Malay language, which had originally evolved in Sumatra and been brought to Malacca at the time of its foundation. In time Malay came to be the official language of all the Malaysian states, although local languages survived in many places. After the fall of Malacca, the Sultanate of Brunei became the major centre of Islam.
Portuguese Take Over Malacca
In 1511, about 50 years after the Portuguese seaman Vasco de Gama rounded Cape of Good Hope and reached India, the Portuguese grabbed Malacca away from the Malays after a bloody six week battle in 1511. Even though the Malay sultan occupied a well-protected fortified place, their bows, arrows, lances, spears and battle elephants were no match for the Portuguese canons and primitive muskets.
The Portuguese set up a trading post in Malacca, providing a key supply station and trading center for spices coming the East Indies and porcelain, silk and treasures from China. Portugal grew rich on Asian trade and fulfilled the saying: "Whoever is lord of Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice."
Magellan stopped in Malacca before his historical trip around the world. The Spanish missionary St. Francis Xavier confounded the Jesuit order and traveled 38,000 miles spreading the word of the Gospel. St Paul's church in the Portuguese quarter of Malacca, Malaysia is where Francis Xavier was displayed in an open coffin for ten months before he was buried in Goa.
St. Paul's Church on a hill in Malacca, according to Smithsonian magazine, is “where St. Francis Xavier is said to have denounced dissolute parishioners in the loth century for turning Portugal's most important colony into "the Babylon of the East." At the hill's bottom was evidence of the Portuguese population's comeuppance-the 18th-century Christ Church, whose floor the Dutch paved with the tombstones of their rivals. The most evocative symbol of the city's storied past could be found at the river's mouth: a replica of the Fiordo Mar, the Portuguese carrack that set sail for Goa with tons of gold and jewels looted from the Malacca sultanate- only to founder off Sumatra in 1511.”
Australia marine archaeologist Michael Flecker heads a marine archaeology consulting firm called Maritime Explorations. He has worked with Malaysia's Department of Museums to explore a Portuguese shipwreck in the Malacca Straits.
After the fall of Malacca to Portugal, the Johor Sultanate and the Sultanate of Aceh on northern Sumatra moved to fill in the power vacuum left behind. The three powers struggled to dominate the Malay peninsula and the surrounding islands. Johor founded in the wake of Malacca's conquest grew powerful enough to rival the Portuguese, although it was never able to recapture the city. Instead it expanded in other directions, building in 130 years one of the largest Malay states. In this time the numerous attempts to recapture Malacca led to a strong backlash from the Portuguese, whose raids even reached Johor's capital of Johor Lama in 1587.
In 1607, the Sultanate of Aceh rose as the powerful and wealthiest state in Malay archipelago. Under Iskandar Muda reign, he extended the sultanate's control over a number of Malay states. A notable conquest was Perak, a tin-producing state on the Peninsula. The strength of his formidable fleet was brought to an end with a disastrous campaign against Malacca in 1629, when the combined Portuguese and Johor forces managed to destroy all his ships and 19,000 troops according to Portuguese account. Aceh forces was not destroyed, however, as Aceh was able to conquer Kedah within the same year and taking many of its citizens to Aceh. The Sultan's son in law, Iskandar Thani, former prince of Pahang later became his successor. The conflict over control of the straits went on until 1641, when the Dutch (allied to Johor) gained control of Malacca.
Dutch Take Over Malacca From the Portuguese
The Dutch overpowered the Portuguese in Malacca in 1641 and controlled the port and the spice trade the Spice Islands (Mollucas) for 150 years. "Melayu" was also greatly prized for its natural resources.
In the early 17th century the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, or VOC ) was established. During this time the Dutch were at war with Spain, who obtained the Portuguese Empire due to the Iberian Union. From there they expanded across the archipelago, forming an alliance with Johor and using this to push the Portuguese out of Malacca in 1641. Backed by the Dutch, Johore established a loose hegemony over the Malay states, except Perak, which was able to play off Johore against the Siamese to the north and retain its independence. The Dutch did not interfere in local matters in Malacca, but at the same time diverted most trade to its colonies on Java. [Source: Wikipedia]
The weakness of the small coastal Malay states led to the immigration of the Bugis, escaping from Dutch colonisation of Sulawesi, who established numerous settlements on the peninsula which they used to interfere with Dutch trade. They seized control of Johor following the assassination of the last Sultan of the old Malacca royal line in 1699. Bugis expanded their power in the states of Johor, Kedah, Perak, and Selangor. The Minangkabau from center Sumatra migrated into Malaya, and eventually established their own state in Negeri Sembilan. The fall of Johore left a power vacuum on the Malay Peninsula which was partly filled by the Siamese kings of Ayutthaya kingdom, who made the five northern Malay states — Kedah, Kelantan, Patani, Perlis and Terengganu — their vassals. Johore’s eclipse also left Perak as the unrivalled leader of the Malay states.
The economic importance of Malaya to Europe grew rapidly during the 18th century. The fast-growing tea trade between China and United Kingdom increased the demand for high-quality Malayan tin, which was used to line tea-chests. Malayan pepper also had a high reputation in Europe, while Kelantan and Pahang had gold mines. The growth of tin and gold mining and associated service industries led to the first influx of foreign settlers into the Malay world — initially Arabs and Indians, later Chinese — who colonised the towns and soon dominated economic activities. This established a pattern which characterised Malayan society for the next 200 years — a rural Malay population increasingly under the domination of wealthy urban immigrant communities, whose power the Sultans were unable to resist.
In the eighteenth century, various struggles for political and economic influence fragmented authority in the Malay world, so that conflict and instability were the norm. In the peninsula’s western areas, two groups that had migrated to the peninsula for centuries, the Buginese and the Minangkabau, often fought each other. By 1740 the victorious Buginese ruled many peninsular states and continued to do so until they were defeated by an alliance of Johor and the Dutch in 1784. In eastern areas of the peninsula, Thai kingdoms often fought with and ruled Malay kingdoms from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Furthermore, Malay waters become some of the most dangerous in the world. Dutch monopolistic trade practices encouraged substantial black-market trade, and idle anak raja (sons of rulers) supported piracy as a means of income and recreation suitable to their elite status. Similarly, in Borneo piracy and slave raids supported by foreign powers were common. Piracy even forced the British East India Company to abandon two island settlements (in 1775 and 1776) off the coast of Borneo.
British Take Over Malacca from the Dutch
English traders had been present in Malay waters since the 17th century. Until the arrival of the British European power became fully apparent in Malaysia. Before the mid-19th-century British interests in the region were predominantly economic, with little interest in territorial control. Already the most powerful coloniser in India, they were looking towards southeast Asia for new resources. The growth of the China trade in British ships increased the Company’s desire for bases in the region. Various islands were used for this purpose, but the first permanent acquisition was Penang, leased from the Sultan of Kedah in 1786. This was followed soon after by the leasing of a block of territory on the mainland opposite Penang (known as Province Wellesley). In 1795, during the Napoleonic Wars, the British with the consent of the Netherlands occupied Dutch Malacca to forestall possible French interest in the area.
When Malacca was handed back to the Dutch in 1815, the British governor, Stamford Raffles, looked for an alternative base, and in 1819 he acquired Singapore from the Sultan of Johor. The exchange of the British colony of Bencoolen for Malacca with the Dutch left the British as the sole colonial power on the peninsula. The territories of the British were set up as free ports, attempting to break the monopoly held by other colonial powers as the time, and making them large bases of trade. They allowed Britain to control all trade through the straits of Malacca. British influence was increased by Malayan fears of Siamese expansionism, to which Britain made a useful counterweight. During the 19th century the Malay Sultans aligned themselves the British Empire, due to the benefits of associations with the British and the belief in superior British civilisation.
In 1824 British hegemony in Malaya (before the name Malaysia) was formalised by the Anglo-Dutch Treaty, which divided the Malay archipelago between Britain and the Netherlands. The Dutch evacuated Malacca and renounced all interest in Malaya, while the British recognised Dutch rule over the rest of the East Indies. By 1826 the British controlled Penang, Malacca, Singapore and the island of Labuan, which they established as the crown colony of the Straits Settlements, administered first under the East India Company until 1867, when they were transferred to the Colonial Office in London.
According to UNESCO: In 1795-1818, during the Napoleonic wars in Europe, Melaka came into British hands. By then Penang/George Town had been in existence for some time and as its rival, it was initially ordered to level Melaka. The fort was demolished, only the gate is left, but then the destruction was stopped. A few years later, in 1824, Melaka was finally brought under British administration. George Town was founded in 1786 by the British. Unlike the Portuguese and the Dutch they exercised a policy of free trade. People from all over the world were encouraged to settle in the new town and to produce export crops. To administer the island, a Presidency was set up under the jurisdiction of the East India Company in Bengal and in 1826 it became part of the Straits Settlements together with Singapore and Melaka. [Source: UNESCO]
“The development of both cities over the centuries was based on the merging of diverse ethnic and cultural traditions, including Malay, European, Muslim, Indian and Chinese influences. All this resulted in a human and cultural tapestry that is expressed in a rich intangible heritage that includes languages, religious practices, gastronomy, ceremonies and festivals.
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow strait of water that divides the Indonesian island of Sumatra from Malaysia and Singapore. It is also one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The 890-kilometer-long waterway carries one third of the world’s trade and one half of the world’s oil supply. Carrying more ships everyday than the Panama and Suez Canals combined, its strategic importance can not be underestimated. The strait doesn't lie in international waters but is located in the territorial waters of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and these countries are responsible for patrolling it.
More than 60,000 ships — equal to half the world's merchant fleet — carrying half the world's oil and 40 percent of its commerce pass through the Malacca Strait. The ship range from mammoth supertankers as large as city skyscrapers to tugs and barges. Lots of tankers going between the Persian Gulf and East Asia pass through the strait. As parts of the strait are only one kilometer wide ships have to sail at low speed.
Peter Gwin wrote in National Geographic: For centuries, this sliver of ocean has captivated seamen, offering the most direct route between India and China, along with a bounty of resources, including spices, rubber, mahogany, and tin. But it is a watery kingdom unto itself, harboring hundreds of rivers that feed into the channel, miles of swampy shoreline, and a vast constellation of tiny islands, reefs, and shoals. Its early inhabitants learned to lead amphibian lives, building their villages over water and devising specialized boats for fishing, trading, and warfare. [Source: Peter Gwin, National Geographic, October 2007]
Patrick Winn wrote in Global Post, “The Strait of Malacca is a natural paradise for seafaring bandits. Imagine an aquatic highway flowing between two marshy coasts. One shoreline belongs to Malaysia, the other to Indonesia. Each offers a maze of jungly hideaways: inlets and coves that favor pirates’ stealth vessels over slow, hulking ships. It's a narrow route running 550 miles, roughly the distance between Miami and Jamaica. This bottleneck is plied by one-third of the world's shipping trade. That's 50,000 ships per year — ferrying everything from iPads to Reeboks to half the planet's oil exports. Avoiding pirates by traveling fast is “practically impossible in the Strait of Malacca. The channel is simply too crowded and too shallow. Gigantic vessels are instead forced to churn through at slow speeds that invite pirates in fast-moving skiffs. (To save fuel, today's cargo ships often travel at about 14 miles per hour. That's slower than 19th-century sail boats.) [Source: Patrick Winn, GlobalPost, March 27, 2014]
Malacca River
Malacca River divides the newer parts by the Malacca River from the older parts. At night the waterfront area is closed of to traffic and the streets come alive with craftsmen and vendors at stalls, selling jewelry, ceramics, drinks, curry puffs, and rice balls served in banana leaves. There are also many good restaurants, serving a variety a ethnic cuisines.
The river was the main artery of trade for Melaka in its heyday when it was bustling with traders from all around the world. Some buildings from that era still stand majestically by the river, which is also lined by old villages, or kampungs, and modern day buildings.
The Malacca River (Malay: Sungai Melaka) starts from the foothills in the neighbouring state of Negeri Sembilan and feeds into the Strait of Malacca. A USD$100 million (RM350 million) infrastructure project to revive and rejuvenate the river which is the central to Malacca as an historic city was carried out. This has included construction of a tidal barrage, restoration of buildings and bridges, dredging, concrete river banks with river walkways. Land reclamation projects have extended the river mouth further into the Straits. [
The 45-minute cruise is accompanied by an entertaining and informative commentary. And, for just RM8, it's a good bargain. See parts of historical Melaka, get a history lesson for next to nothing, and never break a sweat! Because of the Melaka River Cruise's very central location, it is very easy to get to and from if you are staying in Melaka. Contact: Melaka River and Coastal Development Corporation, Tel: 606-281 4322/ 23
Historical Sites in Malacca
Kampung Hulu's Mosque, built in 1728 during the Dutch era, is the oldest mosque in Malaysia. Its unique architectural style is a unique blend of Sumatran, Hindu and Western architecture. All of the building's original wooden structures except the four main pillars and the roof structure were replaced with concrete. Within the mosque compound, you can find the grave of Sayyid Abdullah Al-Haddad, a famous religious teacher, whom many regarded as a "Wali" (Saint). A good way to see the Kampung Hulu Mosque is to include it as part of your walking tour of nearby Jonker Street. The Mosque is set just one street back from the famous street. You can go there by either taxi, trishaw or town bus (No 17) from the main Melaka bus stand.
Chinese Hill contains 12,000 Ming dynasty graves. The Chinese community rose up to protect the hill when it was earmarked for development. Not far from the cemetery is the Fort of St. John, with worn battlements and a major 18th-century defensive wall that points inland rather than out to sea to protect the city from invasions by hostile tribes from the peninsula.
Sultan's Well (at the foot of Chinese Hill) is where, the story goes, the Chinese princess Hang Lih Poh, 500 of her handmaidens and hundreds of people were killed by drinking water poisoned by enemies of Malacca. The princess was promised to a Malay sultan in return for allowing Chinese merchants to trade raw silk, brocade and silver.
Portugese Square
Portugese Square (three kilometers east of Malacca) is also known as 'Mini Lisbon'. Located within the Portuguese Settlement, the square is the centre of Portuguese culture in Melaka and in Malaysia. The small kampung, or village, around the square is the heart of Melaka's Eurasian community, descended from marriages that took place between colonial Portuguese and Malays some 400 years ago.
There are occasional performances of Portuguese dances and music. There is a bulletin board at the square that lists upcoming cultural events. But even on days when there is no performance, the square is a delightful place to go to for a meal and a drink and view the sunset over the Straits of Melaka.
Getting There: By Taxi: The Portuguese Square, or Medan Portugis, as it is also known, lies 3 kilometers east of town. The best way to get there and back is by taxi. They are ample and cheap. Contact: Tourism Malaysia Melaka, Tel: 606-288 3304 Portuguese Settlement Community, Tel: 606-284 7493
St Paul's Church (in the Portuguese quarter) is where Francis Xavier was displayed in an open coffin for ten months before he was buried in Goa. Destroyed by a fire in the mid-1800s, it was never rebuilt and remains in ruins today. Nearby is a 17th century monument honoring Dutch soldiers who died fighting in battles in the Malacca area.
St. Paul's Hill and the Oldest European Fort in Asia
The Portuguese controlled Melaka from 1511 to 1641. The first thing they did was build a fort overlooking the river, calling it A'Famosa. As Melaka was the centre of struggles between super powers of the time, and suffered the constant threat of attack, the A'Famosa fort was critical in Portugal maintaining its colonial foothold in the Far East.
Within the fort walls were housing and food stores, a castle, a meeting room for the Portuguese Council and five churches. A seven-month attack by the Dutch just about destroyed the entire fortress, leaving only the entrance faade and the structure of a church at the top of the hill. Go for a stroll up St. Paul's Hill on a cool late afternoon and wander among the majestic trees and historical remnants. Here, you can almost imagine the glories and miseries of the besieged lives the Portuguese would have led right here all those years ago...
Porta Santiago (at the foot of St. Paul's Hill) is one the oldest European structures in Asia. Begun by the Portuguese shortly after their successful 1511 siege, it is a stone and brick gatehouse, which is all that remains of the hill-top Portuguese A'Famosa fortress. The Portuguese-Dutch-fortress is largely intact. Make sure to look the 17th century cannons etched with the Dutch East India Company logo. A Light and Sound show called “Mysteries of the East” is shown at night from a small outdoor theater nearby.
Getting There: By Foot or Taxi Because of St. Paul's Hill's very central location, it is very easy to get to and from if you are staying in Melaka. Contact: Department of National Heritage, Tel: 606-288 3599 Tourism Malaysia Melaka Office, Tel: 606-288 3304/ 1549/ 3785
Colonial Dutch Buildings in Malacca
Colonial Buildings in Malacca are situated around the Dutch Square and St. Paul's Hill. The three-story, peaked-tile-roof Tan Beng Swee clock tower was built by a Chinese millionaire in 1886. Nearby is a nea-Gothic Christ Church, built by the Protestant Dutch in 1753 with brick imported from Holland. It has Armenian inscriptions on the floor and houses the State Historical Museum, with dioramas and period costumes and furniture. Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock is an old Dutch streets sometimes called "millionaire's row." It is now lined with the ancestral home of powerful Baba and Nyonya families.
St.John's Fort was Rebuilt by the Dutch in the 18th century and was once a private Portuguese chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The fort has an interesting feature — cannons face inland as, during that time, attacks on Melaka came mainly from the hinterland instead of from the sea. Another attraction for many is the view from the top of the hill where St. John's Fort stands, particularly for the fantastic tropical sunsets.
The Bastion is part of the wall that the Dutch built after they took Malacca from the Portuguese to the Dutch in 1641. As part of measures taken by the Dutch to ensure the safety of Melaka. The Dutch fortified the walls of Melaka city, which further strengthened the existing city’s defenses left by the Portuguese. The Dutch still received threats from outsiders and locals in a bid to wrestle back the city of Melaka. The fortification of the city’s walls involved the building of a bastion or control tower strategically located at the mouth of Melaka River, the focal point for trade and stopover for international ships.
The building of a bastion, known as Middleburg was carried out by the Dutch in 1660. This new control tower added to the existing bastions of Melaka city to nine. The defenses of the city became strengthened with this new bastion as it regulated the area surrounding Melaka River, busy with shipping and trading activities at the time. The existing defense system with bastion provided cannon support to the military. It proved a vital factor in overcoming unseen threats. This building is located opposite the entrance to St. Paul’s Hill, and is easy to find as it is located in the middle of the Melaka city centre.
Getting There: By Foot or Taxi St. John's Fort is a little way out of town. If you head away from town on Jalan Parameswara, it turns into Jalan Hujung Pasir. Turn left onto Jalan Bukit Senjuang. The Fort will be on your left. Contact: Tourism Malaysia Melaka Office, Tel: 606-288 3304/ 1549/ 3785; Department of National Heritage, Tel: 606-288 3599; Contact: Jabatan Warisan Negara Zon Selatan, En.Mat Nasir Bin Baba (Ketua Zon), Tel: 06-2866011, Perzim, Tuan Hj.Khamis Tel: 06-2826526/+06-2811289
Stadthuys (Town Hall)
Stadthuys ( the centre of old Melaka) is the most impressive building in Malacca and the oldest surviving Dutch building in Asia. Completed in 1660 and joined to the residence by the Dutch governor, it is a reddish-orange, painted-stone building with heavy wooden doors, louvered windows and thick walls. The building is reportedly painted the color it is because construction workers spit out so much betel juice while they were doing the restoration work they had no choice but to paint it the color of betel juice red.
The rooms inside Stadthuys contain mother-of-pearl-inlaid rosewood furniture, Ming porcelain, weapons, and wall painting that bring to life Malacca's history. Near the Stadthuys is a colonial church built on the site of a Portuguese church built in 1562. Built in 1650 as the official residence of the Dutch Governor and his officers, The Stadthuys is a fine example of Dutch architecture of that period. It is believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East.
An outstanding example of colonial Dutch architecture, this edifice now houses the History Museum and Ethnography Museum. On display are traditional bridal costumes and relics from Melaka's over 400-year history. Both museums are well-laid out and offer detailed explanations of how these costumes and relics played their part in Melaka's glorious past. Getting There: By Foot or Taxi: The Stadthuys is the centre of old Melaka. If you find Jalan Kota, you will not miss the large red building. Contact: Perbadanan Muzium Melaka (PERZIM), Tel: 606-284 1934
Chinatown in Malacca
Chinatown (centered around the Street of Harmony on the north side of the river) is filled with old wooden buildings, antique shops, homes of wealthy Strait Chinese and tourist shops, particularly around Jonker Street, that sell porcelain items, gold jewelry and antiques such as shoes worn by foot-bound Chinese women.
Make sure to check out the funeral shops, which sell Hell passports, tickets on Hell airlines, credit cards from the Eastern Bank of Hades and cardboard motorcycles, refrigerators and luxury cars that are burning during traditional Chinese funerals and during the Chinese version of All Soul's day.
Sights in Chinatown include Kampong Keling Mosque, a 250-year-old building with a Sumatran-style, pagoda-shaped minaret; Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moothi, a wooden Hindu Temple built in 1781 with a statue of the elephant-headed god Gandesh; and Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, a shrine built in 1648, with lacquer and porcelain ornaments, used by Buddhists, Taoists and Confucians. Make sure to visit the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum, with displays of Malay handicrafts and Chinese silk paintings.
Jalan Hang Jebat, formerly known as Jonker Street, is known worldwide among serious antique collectors as one of the best places to hunt and bargain for antiques. Authentic artifacts and relics, some dating as far back as 300 years, can be found among a host of interesting collectibles, each with its own history and mystery. Malacca is a mecca for antique hunters, but if an antique is purchased to take out of the country, permission must be sought from the director general of Museum Negara. Recently, a new wave of cafes and craft shops have sprouted on this street, lending it a cultured air of old-meets-new. Because of Jonker Street's very central location, it is very easy to get to and from if you are staying in Melaka
Touristy Malacca
Menara Taming Sari is an 110-meter-high tower that offers great views of Malacca and the Malacca Straits. Opened in 2008, Menara Taming is located at Jalan Merdeka, Banda Hilir, and has a designed based on the legendary Taming Sari Keris. It is Malaysia's first tower that revolves 360 degrees. The air-conditioned viewing cabin can accommodate 66 people at one time. Getting There: By Foot/Trishaw/Taxi: Menara Taming Sari lies in the centre of Banda Hilir, Melaka and is easy to get to from wherever you might be staying. Contact: Melaka Taming Sari Berhad Office, Tel: 606-288 1100
Villa Sentosa (on the edge of Malacca) is a traditional Malay house that is intended to give visitors a sense of what everyday Malay life is like. The walls are decorated by baskets woven by local women and the kitchen contains things like mallets for making shrimp paste and knives for opening coconuts. Outside is a gong which was used to call children for supper time.
The Melaka Zoo (13 kilometers from downtown Melaka) is situated at Ayer Keroh, The second largest zoo in Malaysia, covering 54 acres, It has 1,200 animals from more than 200 species, including Malayan Gaur, Serow and the Malayan Tiger. The Melaka Zoo opened in 1963 and has made some effort to follow the open concept and maintain natural green environment. The zoo is involved in wildlife research, conservation breeding and zoo education center. Getting There: By Road Exit at the Ayer Keroh interchange from the North-South Expressway. Go straight until you see the signboard of Zoo Melaka. Contact: Zoo Melaka Office, Tel: 606-232 4053/ 06-232 4054 Tourism Malaysia Melaka, Tel: 606-288 3304/ 1549
Getting There: By Road: This site is located at Jalan Kota, in the area of Taman muzium Budaya (in front of the Istana Kesultanan Melayu Melaka). Contact: Jabatan Warisan Negara Zon Selatan, En.Mat Nasir Bin Baba (Ketua Zon), Tel: 06-2866011, Perzim Tuan Hj.Khamis, Tel: 06-2826526/+06-2811289
Taman Mini Malaysia Cultural Park (a few kilometers outside of Malacca, near the town of Ayer Keroh) is worth a look if you have an interest in traditional architecture and ways of life, this is a great place to go exploring. Each of the homes represents the architectural style of the 13 states in Malaysia and is furnished with various items, arts and crafts which depict the culture of each state. Inside each house, you can find a range of genuine handicrafts originating from each state or county. The life-like figures 'inhabiting' each charming home on stilts are garbed in their respective traditional costumes. Other attractions in the park include weekly cultural shows and traditional games. Basically, this is an opportunity to see all Malaysian architecture and heritage in a short all-encompassing outing. And it's a nice break from the hustle and bustle of nearby urban Melaka. Getting There: By Bus/ Rental Car/Taxi Exit at the Ayer Keroh interchange from the North-South Expressway. Go straight until you see the Butterfly Park on your left. To get to the park, you will need to take the second main junction on your left from the Ayer Keroh main road. Contact: Taman Mini Malaysia & Mini ASEAN Office, Tel: 606-232 1331/ 1351 Tourism Malaysia Melaka Office, Tel: 606-288 3304/ 1549/ 3785
Museums un Malacca
Cultural Museum (Jalan Kota near Taman Muzium Budaya) is housed in a copy of a 15th century sultan's palace that was burned by the Portuguese in 1511 and reconstructed in 1985 using traditional techniques and materials described in 16th century chronicles. Among its features are a seven-tiered green copper and zinc roof supported by massive carved wooden columns. Inside the museum are life-size mannequins in period costumes replicating scenes from court life. Guides give juicy details about royal intrigues, murders and love affairs.
Research and excavation works at Taman Muzium Budaya (Culture Museum Park) started in 30 June, 2010. The Based on map drawings made by the Dutch, the area may have remnants of a fort wall jutting towards Santiago gate and Hendrieta Lousia bastion. Excavations have unearthed the foundation of the Melaka fort wall from Santiago gate, Hendrieta Louisa bastion as well as corner wall of the bastion. Other artefacts were discovered at this site including Chinese porcelain fragments (from Ming and Ching Dynasties), stoneware, Dutch stones, urns, animal bones, steel and others.
Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum is devoted to the 'Straits Chinese', also called the Baba and Nyonya. These are Chinese of noble descent who have adopted much of the Malay culture into theirs. This has been a gradual process lasting over 400 years since the great Chinese explorer Admiral Cheng Ho first brought Chinese settlers to Melaka. Over the centuries, the Baba Nyonya have developed a distinct and highly interesting culture that is unique to Malaysia's west coast, particularly Melaka. The public can view the historical artefacts unique to this heritage at a captivating private museum run by the Babas and Nyonyas of Melaka. Within the walls of this heritage building, you can learn everything there is to know about this unique culture. The Heritage Museum offers guided tours (by appointment), research facilities and audio visuals. Getting There: By Foot or Taxi The museum is on Heeren Street, parallel to Jonker Street. Contact: The Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, Tel: 606-283 1273, Tourism Malaysia Melaka Office, Tel: 606-288 3304/ 3785
Archaeological Excavation Sites in Malacca
Fredrick Hendrick Bastion Archaeological Excavation Site: After the fall of Melaka, Portuguese built a fort to deter enemy threats at the time. The fort built by the Portuguese from laterite stone was sourced from the surrounding areas. The fort was built circular to the city and had 8 bastions, built in each corner of the city as well as strategic locations at the walls to monitor incoming enemy forces.
The Fredrick Hendrick bastion is one of six full functioning bastions at the time. The Dutch later fortified and built a sturdier bastion when the defeated the Portuguese in 1641. The Dutch still received threats from the local community who tried to wrestle back Melaka. Additions to the fort walls were also carried out, especially near the river mouth of Melaka River, site of trade and stop-overs of ships from around the world.
Getting There: This structure is located on Quayside Road, in front of Bastion Middleburg and is easy to find as it is located in the middle of the Melaka city centre. Contact: Jabatan Warisan Negara Zon Selatan, En.Mat Nasir Bin Baba (Ketua Zon), Tel: 06-2866011, Perzim Tuan Hj.Khamis Tel: 06-2826526/+06-2811289 Tourism Information Centre, Tel: 06-2814803
Melaka City Archaeological Excavation Site: Research and archaeological excavation works at the playground started in June, 2010. This site is situated at Jalan Kota, next to the Central Melaka police headquarters. This area as chosen due to its proximity to the remnants of the city’s walls, from Bastion Fredrick Hendrick to Bastion Santiago, based on a sketch of a Portuguese (1588) and Dutch (1792) maps.
Excavation works started manually and systematically archaeologically. The works uncovered the remnants of the city’s walls that were built using laterite stones, organized methodically by the Portuguese and fortified by the Dutch. However, the British powered Melaka and destroyed the city walls. Besides the city’s wall structure, the original drainage system of the Melaka was also found at the site. The drains were square (40 cm x 60 cm) made using laterite. Other artefacts found at the site were Ming and Ching dynasty porcelain shards, stoneware, Dutch rock, pottery, animal bones, steel and others. However, the artefacts were found scattered throughout the area as this was also part of a walled up dam during the British era.
Getting There: By Road This site is located at Jalan Kota, next to the Melaka Tengah Police/Traffic Headquarters and is easy to find as it is located in the middle of the Melaka city centre. Contact: Jabatan Warisan Negara Zon Selatan, En.Mat Nasir Bin Baba (Ketua Zon), Tel: 06-2866011, Perzim, Tuan Hj.Khamis, Tel: 06-2826526/+06-2811289 Tourism Information Centre, Tel: 06-2814803
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons,
Text Sources: Malaysia Tourism websites, Malaysia government websites, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Japan News, Yomiuri Shimbun, Compton's Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.
Updated in August 2020