MELAKA or MALACCA

Melaka at a glance |Melaka History | Melaka Weather | Melaka Attractions

MALACCA AT A GLANCE:

Malacca or Melaka is an interesting blend of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British influences and is considered Malaysia's most historic city.  It was once the most important trading port in the region but is now little more than a sleepy backwater.  Ancient-looking junks still sail up the river, imbuing the waterfront with a timeless charm, and the city remains full of intriguing Chinese streets, antique shops, temples and nostalgic reminders of the now-departed European colonial powers.  If the ultra-modern architecture and forward-looking citizens of Kuala Lumpur symbolize Malaysia's hopes for the future, then the quiet, seaside city of Malacca, about 150km to the south, is the guardian charged with the reflective task of preserving its past.  Five hundred years ago, an extraordinary empire rose and fell here, its power and dreams suddenly caught off-guard by the dawn of the Colonial Era.  The city was so coveted by the European powers that the Portuguese writer Barbarosa wrote "Whoever is Lord in Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice."  It was a major port along the spice-route, and its harbor bristled with the sails and masts of Chinese junks and spice-laden vessels from all over the hemisphere.  Because the city was originally built of wood, there are no crumbling and stately reminders of the power once wielded by the Malaccan Sultanate, but along shores of the Malacca River the scene has probably changed little.  Sloping rooftops of traditional Malay houses still hang over the water, and seem to call out sleepily from the past.  The riverside is a part of the city that seems to have defied the Portuguese, who captured the city in 1511 and occupied it for well over a century.  The Portuguese influence is visible in the city's architecture.  As they did in other colonies, they taxed buildings relative to their width, a policy that accounts for the deceptively thin facades along the colonial streets.  A building no more than twelve feet across can easily extend backwards two hundred feet, its hidden interior a linear succession of high-ceilinged rooms and courtyards.  On the streets themselves, however, it is the Chinese influence that is felt most.  As they have done for hundreds of years, Chinese merchants advertise the wares inside their shop houses with bright red characters.  Open air fruit, vegetable, and fish markets sing with cadences of people bargaining in Mandarin. 

HISTORY:

Strategically situated on the famous Straits of Malacca, about 147km south of Kuala Lumpur, Malacca is a place with a proud past.  However, not much is known about the state until the 15th Century as there were no proper records prior to this period.  According to the annals of history, it was founded by an exiled Hindu prince, Parameswara, from Palembang in Sumatra in 1402.  Melaka then grew slowly but steadily to become a major trading center and port-of-call for ships from the four corners of the world.  Among them were Indian-Muslim traders from India whose wealth attracted Parameswara.  Not too long after, he too embraced Islam and came to be known as Megat Iskandar Shah.  Hence began the Melaka Sultanate.  In 1409, Admiral Cheng Ho, "the Three-Jewel Eunuch", an envoy of the Ming Emperor, helped forged links between the state and the Middle Kingdom.  Hence the beginning of a long relationship between Melaka and China.  The descendants of Chinese settlers from this period came to be known as "Baba Nyonya" (Straits-born Chinese), products of a unique fusion of traditional Chinese origins and the Malay environment.  The Melaka Sultanate flourished to become the emporium of the East and its prosperity soon made it a target for the growing Portuguese empire.  In 1509, a Portuguese galleon headed by De Sequeira landed at Melaka.  Overwhelmed by the State's beauty and wealth, he tried to overthrow the Malay Kingdom but was thwarted by Sultan Mahmud, the leader then.  However, the Sultanate eventually fell in 1511 after a Portuguese army attack lead by Alfonso De Albuquerque.  The Portuguese continued to rule Melaka against all odds until they were outclassed by the ambitious and more powerful Dutch in 1641.  The Dutch spread their sovereignty and destroyed much of the Portuguese heritage in the state.  But their reign was short lived as the British wrestled control in 1795.  The London/Anglo Dutch Treaty of 1824 conceded the state to the British for good.  Thus begun a period of British rule until the country's independence in 1957.  Despite the recent appearances of modern buildings and hotels on the periphery of the old town, Melaka still remains a historical goldmine.  All cultural and architectural relics of the respective colonial eras can still be seen today.

WEATHER:

The table below shows the average monthly weather indicators during 8 last years. Temperature in Centigrade:

ATTRACTIONS:

The most imposing relic of the Dutch period in Melaka is the massive pink town hall, Stadthuys, built between 1641 and 1660.  It's believed to be the oldest Dutch building in Asia and displays all the characteristic features of Dutch colonial architecture (read incredibly weighty doors and pleasant louvred windows).  The building houses government offices and an excellent Ethnographic Museum, which highlights aspects of local history and culture.  The imposing ruins of St Paul's Church, built by the Portuguese over 400 years ago, stand in a beautiful setting atop St Paul's Hill.  It was regularly visited by St Francis Xavier, who was buried here for a short period before being transferred to Goa in India.  The church fell into disuse when the Dutch arrived, but is still surrounded by old Dutch tombstones.  The British, with great sensitivity, used the church as a gunpowder store.  For those who prefer their religious architecture to be a little more colorful, the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple in the old part of the city is the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia.  It was founded in 1646, and all of the materials and all of the artisans who built it were imported from China.  The old part of Melaka is a fascinating area to wander around, and this is where you'll find many of Melaka's famous antique shops; a stroll along Jalan Hang Jebat will pass the best of them.  On the edge of the city is the largest Chinese graveyard outside of China itself, a sprawling zone of fields, trees, and uterus-shaped tombstones.  Because of the huge cemetery and the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple there is an entire industry in Malacca that produces goods exclusively for the dead - paper simulacra that families burn as offerings to their lost loved ones.  Because the spirits need cash in the next world, piles of multi-colored currency with the word "Hell Note" hang on display in what seems like every other shop.  Over the centuries, the Chinese and local Malay cultures in Malacca intertwined, eventually producing a completely unique society, the Baba-Nyona.  This fascinating micro culture reached its height around the turn-of-the-century, and Malacca's Baba-Nyonya Heritage Museum preserves typical Baba-Nyona household.  Tanjung Bidara is 35km from Malacca town and this beach is ideal for swimming, waterskiing or canoeing.  Chalets and motels are available.  Pantai Kundur, a small fishing village, is approximately 17km from Malacca town.  For a night with a difference, go night-fishing at a Kelong, a wooden house built on stilts over water.  Tanjung Keling is about 10km from Malacca town.  It has a stretch of white sandy beach set within a coconut palm grove.  There are a number of things to do here.  Among them are picnicking, swimming and canoeing.  North of the beach is the Tanjong Keling Mosque with its unique octagonal minaret and tiled steps.  One kilometer away lies the grave of Hang Tuah, the legendary Malay warrior.  Pulau Besar is located 10km off Malacca's coast.  It is known for its sandy beaches and entrancing legends and sacred shrines.  The island has an international class hotel and several chalets. Activities on the island includes snorkeling, swimming, fishing and jungle trekking.