Suffering attacks from neighbouring Johor and Negeri Sembilan, as well as from the Islamic power of Aceh in Sumatra, Melaka declined further. The city passed into Dutch hands after an eight-month siege in 1641 and the Dutch ruled Melaka for about 150 years. Melaka again became the centre for peninsular trade, but the Dutch directed more energy into their possessions in Indonesia.
When the French occupied Holland in 1795, the British (as allies of the Dutch) temporarily assumed administration of the Dutch colonies. In 1824 Melaka was permanently ceded to the British.
Melaka, together with Penang and Singapore, formed the Straits settlements, the three British territories that were the bases for later expansion into the peninsula. However, under British rule Melaka was eclipsed by other Straits settlements and then superseded by the rapidly growing commercial importance of Singapore. Apart from a brief upturn in the early 20th century when rubber was an important crop, Melaka returned again to being a quiet backwater, patiently awaiting its renaissance as a tourist drawcard.
Melaka City
1Top Sights
1Villa SentosaD1
1Sights
2Bukit ChinaG2
3Maritime Museum & Naval MuseumB6
4Masjid Kampung HuluB3
5Menara Taming SariC7
6Poh San Teng TempleF4
7Porta de SantiagoD6
8St Paul's ChurchC6
9St Peter's ChurchE1
10Sultanate PalaceD6
5Eating
11BulldogE2
12Capitol SatayE5
13Green House Vegetarian RestaurantA6
14Pak Putra RestaurantA5
15Purple Cane Tea RestaurantD1
16Restoran Nyonya SuanC7
6Drinking & Nightlife
17MixxC8
18Pampas Sky BarD1
7Shopping
19Dataran PahlawanD7
20Shore Shopping GalleryD1
2Sports & Activities
21Kampung Morten Walking TourD1
Malacca Night CyclingB3
Nonya Culinary JourneyE7
Peranakan Culinary JourneyE1
4Sleeping
22Apa Kaba Home & StayF6
23Casa Del RioB5
24Hotel EquatorialE7
25Majestic MalaccaE1
26Quayside HotelC5
27Ringo's FoyerB3
28Rucksack CaratelD6
29Swiss-Garden Hotel & ResidencesD1
1Sights
1Historic Town Centre
Striking blood-red-painted buildings and a multitude of museums dominate Melaka City's historic centre. Many of the museums are small, with a niche focus and an uninspiring diorama format. Start with more developed attractions like the Stadthuys and the Maritime Museum complex.
StadthuysHISTORIC BUILDING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %06-282 6526; Dutch Sq; foreign/local visitor RM10/5; h9am-5.30pm Sat-Thu, 9am-12.15pm & 2.45-5.30pm Fri)
Melaka's most unmistakable landmark and favourite trishaw pick-up spot is the Stadthuys. This cerise town hall and governor's residence dates to 1650 and is believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East. The building was erected after Melaka was captured by the Dutch in 1641 and is a reproduction of the former Stadhuis (town hall) of the Frisian town of Hoorn in the Netherlands. Today it's a museum complex, with the History & Ethnography Museum as the highlight.
Admission covers all the museums. There is no fee for guided tours.
For in-depth acquaintance with Melaka past and present, you can also peruse the Governor's House, Democratic Government Museum, a Literature Museum focusing on Malaysian writers, Cheng Ho Gallery and the Education Museum.
St Paul's ChurchRUINS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Kota; h24hr)F
The evocative ruin of St Paul's Church crowns the summit of Bukit St Paul overlooking central Melaka. Steep stairs from Jln Kota or Jln Chang Koon Cheng lead up to this faded sanctuary, originally built by a Portuguese captain in 1521. The church was regularly visited by St Francis Xavier, whose marble statue – minus his right hand and a few toes – stands in front of the ruin.
Following his death in China, the saint's body was temporarily interred here for nine months before being transferred to Goa. You can look into St Francis' ancient tomb (surrounded by a wire fence) inside the church.
When the Dutch completed their own Christ Church at the base of the hill in 1590, St Paul's fell into disuse. Under the British, a lighthouse was built and the church was used as a storehouse for gunpowder.
Maritime Museum & Naval MuseumMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %06-283 0926; Jln Merdeka; adult/child RM10/6; h9am-5pm Mon-Thu, 9am-8.30pm Fri-Sun)
Embark on a voyage through Melaka's maritime history at these linked museums. The most enjoyable of the museum's three sections (one ticket covers them all) is housed in a huge re-creation of the Flor de la Mar, a Portuguese ship that sank off the coast of Melaka. The fun of posing on the deck and clambering between floors rather eclipses the displays and dioramas.
The museum continues in the building next door (follow the signs) with exhibits featuring local vessels, including the striking kepala burung (a boat carved like a feathered bird) plus an assortment of nautical devices. Across the road from here, the Naval Museum has uniforms and informative displays, but the highlight is an atrium packed with boats and a helicopter.
Dutch SquareSQUARE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Gereja)
The focal point of the Unesco Heritage zone, this attractive square is surrounded by Dutch-era buildings that have been painted blood-red, shady trees and a mass of kitschly decorated trishaws waiting for customers. Take a moment to admire the pretty fountain erected in 1904 in memory of Queen Victoria and decorated with four bas-relief images of the monarch.
Menara Taming SariVIEWPOINT
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %06-288 1100; www.menaratamingsari.com; Jln Merdeka; adult/child RM23/15; h10am-11pm)
Melaka's revolving viewing deck looks worryingly like a theme-park ride without the seatbelts. Luckily, this is a leisurely thrill ride and one with air-con. The UFO-shaped chamber atop this 80m-high tower slowly rotates as it ascends and descends, allowing panoramic views of Melaka City. Binoculars are provided. Tickets are on sale in the adjacent building.
Porta de SantiagoRUINS
(A'Famosa; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Kota; h24hr)F
Most visitors pause for a photo at Porta de Santiago before hiking to the ruined church on Bukit St Paul. It was built as a Portuguese fortress in 1511; the British took over in 1641 and destroyed it in 1806 to prevent it falling into Napoleon's hands. Fortunately Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in 1810 and saved what remains today.
Sultanate PalaceMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %06-282 6526; Jln Kota; adult/child RM5/2; h9am-5.30pm Tue-Sun)
This wooden replica of the palace of Sultan Mansur Shah, who ruled Melaka from 1456 to 1477, houses an open-air cultural museum and lovely gardens. The fine buildings were crafted without the use of nails and closely follow descriptions of the original palace from Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals), a chronicle of the establishment of the Malay sultanate and 600 years of Malay history.
Melaka Malay Sultanate Water WheelMONUMENT
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Merdeka)
In 2006, work on the Menara Taming Sari revolving tower uncovered another part of the city's fortress walls. The revolving tower was relocated further inland; the remains of the fortress walls were reconstructed and are now home to the 13m-high Melaka Malay Sultanate Water Wheel replica. The original wheel would have been used to channel the river waters for the large number of traders swarming Melaka during the 15th and 16th centuries.
TRICKED-OUT TRISHAWS
First you hear a distant blare of horn honking and hip-hop. Then, suddenly, a convoy of three-wheeled vehicles is careening your way in a blur of fairy lights and cartoon cut-outs. Melaka City’s trishaws are the glitziest you’ll see anywhere in Malaysia, decorated with paraphernalia from papier mâché
models of colonial buildings to Disney princesses and Christmas trees. Local opinion is divided over whether Melaka City’s blinged-up trishaws help preserve this historic mode of transport or hideously distort it. But it's hard to imagine a trip to Melaka City without at least one ride. And it’s impossible not to raise a smile when tourist groups hire them en masse, forming a carnivalesque, cycle-powered conga line.
1Chinatown
Chinatown is Melaka City's most interesting area to explore. Jln Tun Tan Cheng Lock, formerly called Heeren St, was the preferred address for wealthy Peranakan (also known as Straits Chinese) traders. Jln Hang Jebat, formerly known as Jonker St, is dominated by souvenir shops and restaurants; every weekend it hosts the Jonker Walk Night Market. Jln Tokong, which changes name to Jln Tukang Emas and Jln Tukang Besi as you head from north to south, is home to several Chinese temples, a mosque and an Indian temple – the reason it is also known as Harmony St.
Melaka Chinatown
1Top Sights
1Baba & Nyonya Heritage MuseumC3
1Sights
28 Heeren StreetD4
3Cheng Ho Cultural MuseumE3
4Cheng Hoon Teng TempleC1
5Dutch SquareE4
6Masjid Kampung KlingD2
7Melaka Malay Sultanate Water WheelD4
8Sri Poyatha Venayagar Moorthi TempleD2
9StadthuysE4
10Zheng He Duo Yun ZuanE3
5Eating
1113 Hibiscus Vintage Art CafeG2
12Baboon HouseB3
13Chung WahE3
14Hoe Kee Chicken Rice BallD3
15Jonker 88C2
16Kocik KitchenB2
17Limau-Limau CafeC2
18Low Yong MohD1
19Poh Piah LweeA1
20Salud TapasB2
21Seeds GardenC1
22SelvamG3
23Shui Xian VegetarianD1
24Street KitchenF3
6Drinking & Nightlife
25Backlane CoffeeB1
26Calanthe Art CafeD3
27Daily FixC2
28Discovery Cafe & Guest HouseG2
29Geographér CafeC2
30Idlers CornerF3
31Kaya Kaya CafeE2
32Me & Mrs JonesC3
33Sid's Pub @ JonkersD4
7Shopping
34Clay HouseE3
35Hueman StudioC1
36Joe's DesignD4
37Jonker Walk Night MarketD3
38Malaqa HouseB3
39Orangutan HouseD3
40Orangutan HouseC1
41Orangutan HouseE3
42Puri PadiD3
43Red HandicraftsC3
44Tham Siew Inn Artist GalleryC3
45Trash & TreasureG2
Umyang BatikC3
46Wah Aik ShoemakerB2
2Sports & Activities
Biossentials Puri SpaB2
47Huolong Foot Reflexology & MassageB2
48Melaka River CruiseD3
49Old Melaka Heritage TourE4
4Sleeping
501825 Gallery HotelG1
5145 LekiuD1
52Bridge LoftF2
53Cafe 1511 GuesthouseC3
54Calanthe Artisan LoftD3
55Courtyard@HeerenB3
56GingerflowerD4
57Hangout@JonkerD3
58Heeren HouseD4
59Hotel PuriB2
60NomapsD4
Opposite PlaceD1
61Rooftop GuesthouseE1
62StablesC3
oBaba & Nyonya Heritage MuseumMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %06-283 1273; http://babanyonyamuseum.com; 48-50 Jln Tun Tan Cheng Lock; adult/child RM16/11; h10am-1pm & 2-5pm Wed-Mon)
Touring this traditional Baba-Nonya (Peranakan) townhouse transports you to a time when women peered at guests through elaborate partitions and every social situation had its specific location within the house. The captivating museum is arranged to look like a typical 19th-century Baba-Nonya residence. Tour guides enliven the setting with their arch sense of humour.
Book ahead or arrive just before the strike of the hour. Last tour of the day is an hour before closing time.
Zheng He Duo Yun ZuanGALLERY
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %06-282 6966; 42A & 44A Lg Hang Jebat; h9am-6pm)F
A Shanghai-based auction house has funded this impressive gallery split between two large converted warehouses facing onto the Melaka River and entered from the path running alongside the water. Exhibitions (at which some of the works are for sale) change roughly every three weeks and focus mainly on Chinese arts and culture.
The alley separating the two buildings has a wall painted with one of the most colourful of Melaka City's street-art murals.
Cheng Hoon Teng TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(Qing Yun Ting or Green Clouds Temple; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %06-282 9343; www.chenghoonteng.org.my; 25 Jln Tokong; h7am-7pm)F
Malaysia's oldest traditional Chinese temple, constructed in 1673, remains a central place of worship for the Buddhist community in Melaka City. Notable for its carved woodwork, the temple is dedicated to Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy.
Masjid Kampung KlingMOSQUE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Jln Hang Lekiu & Jln Tukang Emas)F
Originally dating back to 1748, the 19th-century rebuild of the mosque you see today mingles a number of styles. Its multitiered meru roof (a stacked form similar to that seen in Balinese Hindu architecture) owes its inspiration to Hindu temples, the Moorish watchtower minaret is typical of early mosques in Sumatra, while English and Dutch tiles bedeck its interior.
Admission times to go inside vary; dress modestly and, if you're female, bring a scarf.
The proximity of Kampung Kling mosque to Cheng Hoon Teng temple and Hindu temple Sri Poyatha Venayagar Moorthi has prompted locals to dub this area 'Harmony St'.
Sri Poyatha Venayagar Moorthi TempleHINDU TEMPLE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Tukang Emas)F
One of the first Hindu temples built in Malaysia, this temple was constructed in 1781 on a plot donated by the religiously tolerant Dutch and dedicated to the Hindu deity Venayagar. The building adds a dash of Indian colour and spiritual variety to 'Harmony St'.
Masjid Kampung HuluMOSQUE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Jln Masjid & Jln Kampung Hulu)
This is the oldest functioning mosque in Malaysia and was, surprisingly, commissioned by the Dutch in 1728. The mosque is made up of predominantly Javanese architecture with a multitiered roof in place of the standard dome (at the time of construction, domes and minarets had not yet come into fashion). It's not particularly well set up for visitors, but this Chinatown icon is worth admiring from outside.
8 Heeren StreetHISTORIC BUILDING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 8 Jln Tun Tan Cheng Lock; by donation; h11am-4pm)F
This 18th-century, Dutch-period residential house was restored as a model conservation project. Guides are on hand to explain various aspects of the house. Pick up an Endangered Trades: A Walking Tour of Malacca's Living Heritage (RM5) booklet and map for an excellent self-guided tour of the city centre. Entry is free, but donations are appreciated.
The restoration project was partially chronicled in the beautifully designed coffee-table book Voices from the Street, which is for sale at the house, along with other titles.
Cheng Ho Cultural MuseumMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %06-283 1135; www.chengho.org/museum; 51 Lg Hang Jebat; adult/child RM20/10; h9am-6pm)
The impressive exploits of Chinese-Muslim seafarer Ming Admiral Cheng Ho (Zheng He) are celebrated through this museum's dioramas, maritime miscellany and enormous giraffe, a model of the rather inconvenient animal gift brought overseas by the adventurer. Cheng Ho's tremendous voyages make for interesting reading, though the level of detail in this multifloor museum wearies after a while.
The museum is a good excuse to wander through a creaky old Chinese mansion, complete with swaying lanterns and mother-of-pearl-embossed furnishings.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
SUNGAI MELAKA &
CHINATOWN STREET ART
Some efforts have been made by the Melaka authorities to create pleasant walkways alongside the Sungai Melaka between Chinatown and Kampung Morten. Along the route you'll pass many colourful and creative murals on building walls. Images include those of Parameswara, Melaka's founder and Ming dynasty princess Hang Li Po. The alley leading to the river at the end of Jln Tukang Besi in Chinatown looks like a child's picture book come to life, while on the corner of Jln Hang Kasturi and Jln Kampung Pantai you'll find horses galloping up the street in the style of classical Chinese painting.
1North of the City Centre
East of Chinatown on the opposite side of the river is Melaka City's surprisingly plain Little India. While it's not nearly as charming as the historic centre or Chinatown, this busy area along Jln Bendahara and Jln Temenggong is a worthwhile place to soak up some Indian influence and grab a banana-leaf meal.
oVilla SentosaHISTORIC BUILDING
(Peaceful Villa; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %06-282 3988; Jln Kampung Morten; entry by donation; hhours vary, usually 9am-1pm & 2-5pm)
The highlight of visiting the charming Malay village of Kampung Morten is this living museum within a 1920s kampung house. Visitors (or rather, guests) are welcomed by a member of the household who points out period objects, including photographs of family members, Ming dynasty ceramics and a century-old Quran. You're unlikely to leave without a photo-op on plush velvet furniture or a few strikes of the lucky gong.
Lonely Planet Kuala Lumpur, Melaka & Penang Page 23
