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Malacca is so rich in architectural heritage that it's tantamount to a chronicle of the rise of the European Age. Save the French, just about every major European sea power forged a colonial episode in this former maritime gateway of the Far Eastern spice trade. And as the tide of history turned, each empire successively retreated, leaving a church here, a ruin there. Some architectural bequests disappeared in the hands of new owners, but enough survived to make possible an arresting biographical tour of this ancient colonial outpost.
Luckily, Malacca has been left with a townscape incredibly suited for exploration on foot. Present-day town planners have wisely realised and capitalised on this fortuitous physical inheritance, putting in paved walkways and amenities that immeasurably ease and enliven the proverbial 'walk through the past'.
Legacy of Empires
The best spot to begin our tour is in Dutch Square. Here, in the centre of Dutch colonial administrative and social function, the old offices at the Stadthuys have been turned into the Museum of History, while the enchanting Christ Church still stands as the oldest Protestant artefact in the country. Nearby, the sprays of Queen Victoria's Fountain, dedicated for her Diamond Jubilee, serve notice of the British arrival. Another British colonial era construct, the Tan Kim Seng Clock Tower, embodies the rags-to-riches story of a Straits Chinese, or Baba, prospering as he did from the earliest rubber plantations on the Peninsula of Malaya. Perahus and wooden barges can still be sighted at nearby docks along the banks of the Malacca River, reminiscent of the great seaport once thriving at the river mouth.
Proceed along Jalan Kota around the base of the St. Paul's Hill, passing the Tourist Police Headquarters, to see what the Portuguese, the pioneer conquistadors, had built here. A' Famosa was one of several gates in the giant fortress that once encircled the hill and sheltered the Portuguese nobility. Up the steps atop the hill, St. Paul's Church was their church and originally named 'Duarte Coelho', or 'Our Lady of the Hill'. Within, an empty grave strewn with coins marks the initial resting place of Saint Francis Xavier, one of the original Jesuit missionaries, who once preached from the missing altar. A Statue now stands in his eternal memory.
Before the colonialists, Malacca was ruled by Sultans. Their feats and fables are gathered and displayed at the Sultanate Palace, a wooded replica bearing the likeness of ancient Malay palaces. Comparatively recent phenomena, the Independence Obelisk and the Proclamation of Independence Memorial celebrate the arrival of self-rule.
Bazaars Past and Present
Dutch suburbia—if such a term could be applied to the 17th century—began past the vehicular bridge next to Dutch Square. Heeren Street was home to the upper-crust of Dutch colonial society, while their servants and subordinates were confined to the parallel Jonker Street. Now both streets are bustling commercial thoroughfares, where a great many interesting hotels, restaurants, cafes, and merchants of antiques and other trades provide ample titillations for the walking tourist. For sure, things were less hectic in the older days and while the Dutch had their shops, Chinese traders dominated sundries commerce. The old Chinatown of Malacca started as a row of shacks along the Western bank of the Malacca River, an area adjoining Jonker Street. Numerous ancient Chinese trades, like goldsmiths and makers of joss paper, still thrive in pre-war shophouses. A rare religious monument from the Dutch era, the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple—built in 1646—miraculously survived the various occupations and was recently restored to its past magnificence. Immigrant Chinese sought shelter and kinship in clan-houses and the Eng Yong Tong provides an uncommon if somewhat decrepit glimpse into an ancient tradition.
In the 1930s, Chinatown extended across the river to the eastern bank. Linked to the old quarters by the Malacca Bridge, a new commercial centre—anchored by a Central Market which has since been torn down—rose from a swampy land site. Jalan Bunga Raya and Jalan Kee Ann are today a bundle of sights, sounds and smells, home to generations of hard-scrabbling Chinese enterprises, such as the Madam King Departmental Store, locally the oldest departmental store. A daily Night Market and numerous Open Air Eating Stalls are further shopping and eating opportunities not to be missed.
Fancy a Walk Among the Dead?
A short walk from the Emperor Hotel along Jalan Munsi Abdullah in a southerly direction brings one to the junction of Jalan Hang Li Poh. From there, the Sam Poh Kong Temple can be readily seen, while Hang Li Poh's Well lies within a walled compound on one side of the temple. The stories of the legendary seafaring eunuch, Admiral Cheng Ho, and that of the Princess who married a Malacca Sultan are told often enough. Few visitors know of the millions of Chinese who as traders, coolies and artisans helped built the Malacca we see today. Just beside the temple, a series of stepped foot paths lead up to a rare sight—hundreds, even thousands of tombs, some from as far back as the Ming Dynasty, spread out over the hilly expanse. Somewhere near the peak, the Tan Family Ancestral Memorial Site occupies a spacious and the most auspicious plot, the deceased’s descendants having saved Bukit Cina from brazen development many times over. Return next morning with your jogging shoes for an unhurried jog —it may well be your most unforgettable experience of this city.
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