The Malaysian "Jalan-Jalan" (Part 3): The Cultural and Historical Legacy of Malacca

- March 23-25, 2016, Wednesday to Friday.

- A day after arriving at Kuala Lumpur from Penang (click here for my Penang trip in Part 2, and here for my first KL leg prior to Penang in Part 1,) I was on my way again to go out of KL to visit one of the most culturally-rich places in Malaysia - Malacca. Apart from being a UNESCO Heritage Site like Penang, Malacca is an important destination in Malaysia since it was home to the once powerful Malacca Sultanate that dominated the Southeast Asian maritime trade routes. The territories of Malacca and Indonesia's Sumatra across the strait (which used to be part of the Malacca Sultanate) form a "bottleneck" where all boats and ships needed to pass in order to enter the realm of Maritime Southeast Asia. It is through this bottleneck and other maritime trade routes that gave rise to the numerous influences from India, Saudi Arabia, China, and other places, which is the reason why Malaysia became "Truly Asia" - that is, all Asian cultures, languages, and peoples mingled and fused in this area. The wealth of Malacca eventually caught the fancy of the European colonizers in the 16th century, and so a mix of Portuguese, Dutch, and British influences can be found in Malacca as well.

- In KL, I rode to the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS for short,) which is a (long-distance) bus station connected to a train station called Bandar Tasik Selatan (BTS for short.) The acronyms can be quite confusing, but when you say BTS or TBS, cab drivers or Uber drivers may more or less know where you want to go. By train, you will reach BTS first, then a short walk through the overpass will bring people to TBS. The easiest way to get a bus is to go to the main lobby of the station, and the operators there will ask you where you want to go, and after that they will show you all the bus companies with the destination that you wish. From the list, you can choose which bus company and which time you want to depart. In my case, I arrived there around 10am, and I asked for the next bus to Malacca. From the list, I booked a 10:15 bus via Metrobus to Malacca. The cost was a very very cheap 10 ringgit.

- Malacca was only a 1-to-2-hour bus ride from Kuala Lumpur. It was a comfortable bus ride, since there only around 5 or 6 of us in the bus. I got to sleep and relax in the soft seats. I reached Melaka Sentral (the locals spell Malacca as "Melaka"), the main bus station of Malacca, around noon, and hailed a cab to my hostel in the city center. I stayed in Apa Kaba Home & Stay (click here) which is a traditional Malay house converted into a hostel. It looks like the house is in the middle of nowhere in the photos, but I assure you that the house is located in the heart of the heritage center of downtown Malacca. It just so happens that its location allows Apa Kaba to have some peace and quiet despite its location at the center of the city (this is actually what made the hostel impressive.) I was able to reserve a double room with private bathroom. The room was quite big compared to my hostel in Penang, had air-conditioning, and some amenities. It also served free breakfast for its customers.

- After checking in the hostel and finished having lunch, I immediately set out to explore the heritage center of Malacca, which was less than 5 minutes from my hostel (probably a 10-minute walk for those who don't walk as fast as I do.) I realized that the heritage center was a little bit more compact compared to Penang, and I went around so quickly that I had to control myself so I can save some places for the following day.

- I first visited the Proclamation of Independence Memorial, which was built in 1912 and used to be a gentlemen's club during the British era. Today, it is a museum with photos and memorabilia on the country's journey to independence the development of modern Malaysia. This museum, as with most other museums, require a small entrance fee.

Surprisingly a Dutch building despite the British who used to use the building.

Royal baju melayu.

Current flag of Malaysia.

- If following the tourist walking map of the heritage center, the nearest landmark would have been the A Famosa Fort, which is just beside the memorial. However, I decided to skip the A Famosa Fort for the afternoon and reserved it for the following day. I decided to finish as many museums as I could for the remainder of the afternoon.    

- A 2-minute walk from the Proclamation of Independence Memorial is a row of old buildings that all function as museums today; the used to be businesses of office buildings used by the Dutch and the British. This row of buildings is just a minute's walk to the center of the Malaccan heritage site (i.e. the Red Square.) These old buildings are mostly red-terracotta in color though no one knows the real reason why they are colored as such. Many legends and myths surround the color of these buildings, but one thing is for sure - the red buildings give Malacca its trademark.

- I started my museum-hopping afternoon with The Malay and Islamic World Museum at the Old Bastion House (built 1910). The museum had different cultural artifacts and house/replicas from the Islamic-Malaysian world.

Old Bastion House. 

Indonesian-style palace replica.

Groom's headdress.

Bride's headdress.

Wedding costumes.

Malayo-Polynesian Language Family. 

The Malacca Sultanate.

- Beside the Bastion House is the old Malacca Historical City Municipal Council (built 1960s) that is now the People's Museum. Apart from Malaysia's traditional cultures, other aspects of Asian and African cultures were also exhibited there, like traditional African accessories and Song-style and Ming/Qing-style lotus shoes for foot-bound women.

Different ethnic groups in Malaysia: Chinese, Malay/Peranakan, Portuguese/Kristang, Islamic Malay, Indian.

Kite makers.

African accessories.

Lotus shoes.

- Right beside the Bastion House is the UMNO Museum (no photography allowed inside.) UMNO stands for United Malays National Organisation, and is the largest political party of the country and the organization that had a big role in the formation of the independent Malay state. The museum contains plenty of memorabilia, such as photos, documents, UMNO-motif clothes and costumes, as well as video clips.

Sorry, no photography inside.

- Another nearby museum is the Muzium Islam Melaka (Malacca Islamic Museum,) which is different from the earlier-visited Malay and Islamic World Museum. The building of Muzium Islam Melaka used to be the building of the Islamic Council of Malacca. The museum contains information on the history of Islam in Malaysia, as well as several artifacts like Korans/Qur'ans, jars, swords, and palanquins.

One of the first hand-written Qur'ans in Malacca.

- The next on my list was a bit off way (though just a 1-2 minute walk) from all the other museums that were just neighbors of each other. This special museum can be found in a life-size replica of the Flor de la Mar (lie. "Flower of the Sea,") which was a Portuguese ship that sank off the coast of Malacca on its way back to Portugal during the 1500s. Today, it houses the Maritime Museum of Malacca (aka "Muzium Samudera.") The replica of the ship did not only house dioramas or special artifacts, but portions of the ship also showed how they were used. For example, a small section of the bottom floor served as the prison for those captured during wars, and prisoners would not have much elbow space in that section. Visitors should not miss Phase 2 of the museum, which is located right beside the ship replica. Phase 2 of the Maritime Museum has more dioramas of historical encounters in the Malaccan shores, animals found in Malacca's waters, and other findings related to the Malaccan seas.

Yes, that's a museum.

Early maritime traders.

Captain's area.

Menara Taming Sari from afar. (You're supposed to go in that slowly-revolving UFO-like thing and it'll give you a good 360 view of Malacca.)

Cannon replica at the side of the ship.

Front view.

Wodden bird-motif boat head.

Creepy sunken ship diorama.

Leatherback sea turtle.

- After my visit to the Maritime Museum, I checked out the Museum of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department. Thought not originally on my list, it made me wonder what kind of museum a Customs Department would have. While the first half of the museum showed things that customs officers used through the decades, the latter half of the museum, just as I expected, had exhibits of things that cannot be brought to Malaysia (in short, a more detailed list and exhibits as the ones you can see in Customs section in the airport.)

Customs Museum.

- I looked at my phone for the time and it was still early in the afternoon, around 2pm. The museums were generally small so it did not take long for me to finish most of the museums. For the remainder of the afternoon, I strolled by the banks of the Malacca River, and crossed the bridge to the other side. The street directly across the bridge is called Jalan Hang Jebat, or more commonly known as "Jonker Walk." During the weekends, Jonker Walk turns into a vibrant night market. Since I went there during a weekday afternoon, I realized that Jonker Walk was still quite alive. Jonker Walk used to be a residential area for the Dutch, but later on, the rich Peranakan Chinese thrived in that area. This is why Jonker Walk looks a bit like the streets of any Chinatown.

- Around Jonker Walk, not only can people find souvenir shops, restaurants, and antique stores, but it is also rich in museums and other landmarks. My first stop near Jonker Walk was the Cheng Ho Cultural Museum. Cheng Ho (spelled as "Zheng He" in proper pinyin,) a Muslim eunuch, is a prominent Ming-Dynasty Chinese person in Southeast Asia apart from China, because Cheng Ho led fleets to different parts of Asia and Africa and forced many of these places to be tributary states of China. If these territories would not agree, Cheng Ho and his men would attack them. Despite this, Cheng Ho became a prominent figure in global trade and diplomacy.

Malacca Sultanate Watermill (built 2008).

Welcome to Malacca!! 

Malacca River,

Jonker Walk across the bridge.

Cheng Ho Cultural Museum.

Terracotta Warrior replica.

Cheng Ho's bust.

Cheng Ho brought a giraffe from India/Africa to China, and the Chinese thought it was a live "qilin," a Chinese mythical animal.

Diorama of Cheng Ho's supposed fleet.

A Thai mukut/crown. Cheng Ho went to Thailand.

Shadow puppets from Malaysia and Indonesia.

Cheng Ho's ship.

- Near Jonker Walk is also the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum, which is an old Peranakan mansion turned into a museum, just like the one in Penang (click here). However, this one was smaller mansion, and had less exhibit pieces. Also, no photos were allowed inside the museum except for the lobby. Still, it was a great way to see how the rich Peranakan Chinese lived in the early 1900s.

Museum entrance.

Museum lobby; entrance to the house.

More old buildings outside the museum.

- Farther away in the Jonker area, I stumbled upon the Mausoleum of Hang Kasturi, a Malaysian hero. After that, I visited the Cheng Hoon Teng (lit. "Green Cloud Temple,") which is the old temple in Malaysia, being built in 1645.

Mausoleum.

Tomb.

Cheng Toon Teng.

Monk blessing a baby.

Devotee by the guardian lion.

- I late visited two traditional mosques, the Masjid Kling (1748 and rebuilt in 1872) and Masjid Hulu (early 1700s.) Both mosques are unique as they the architectural styles were based on Sumatran, Indian, Malacca-Malay, and Chinese styles. While walking around and between the temples, I came across several street art, and nicely-decorated trishaws.

Masjid Kling.

A decorated trishaw on the streets of Malacca.

Cat.

One of the nicest street art I've seen.

Nice old building.

Masjid Hulu.

More old buildings.

- Finally, I crossed the bridge again and had a walk around the Dutch Square, which is the heart of the heritage area of Malacca. It is where all the most important buildings during the colonial era are found beside each other. These include the buildings that house some of the museums I visited earlier that day (as can be seen at above.)

Windmill by the river.

See all the red buildings??

Queen Victoria Fountain.

Red Clock Tower.

- I had an early dinner and rested in my lovely hostel for the rest of the evening. I couldn't believe that I finished more than half my itinerary in Malacca in just half a day.

- The next day, I had an early start since I wanted to do some photoshoots while the crowd hasn't flocked the tourist spots in Malacca. I first went to the A Famosa Fort (lit. "The Famous,") where the famous Porta de Santiago (the gate of the fort) can be found. This is the only remaining part of the original fortress. The fort was built in 1511.

A Famosa Fort.

- After taking some shots, I briefly went to the Dutch Square again to do some shots. I had some difficulty doing a shoot in front of Christ Church (built 1753) since some tour groups also had an early start. I also got to take a photo in one of the quiet alleys before all the souvenir stores opened and took over the small alley. The old buildings in that area reminded me of the Philippine's Vigan City (particularly Calle Crisologo), where old European-style buildings have been preserved and converted to stores, museums, or new homes.

Took me a while to get this shot; a big tour group was near me.

Christ Church.

All of them, red.

Nicely-decorated trishaws.

Took a photo just before the souvenir stores would open and take up half the alley.

- Next I visited one of my personal favorites in Malacca - the Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum. The museum is still within a short walking distance from the center, closer to the Proclamation of Independence Memorial and the A Famosa Fort. I fancy this museum because its building is a reconstruction of the actual Malacca Sultanate palace. Inside the "palace," dioramas and artifacts on the history of Malacca can be found, as well as various costumes from the different sultanates of Malaysia. The throne hall and the sultan's bedroom was also reconstructed to look like the original.

In front of my palace, I mean, the Malacca Sultanate Palace (Museum.)

Personally, I think it's a good reconstruction of the palace.

In front.

Throne hall, complete with costumed mannequins.

A closer view of the sultan.

Royal baju melayu and kebaya.

Sultan's bedroom.

Royal ceremonial objects made from sampins.

- After visiting the awesome museum, I went back to A Famosa Fort and climbed the stairs to St. Paul's Hill to see the ruins of St. Paul (no, it's not the one in Macau, click here to see), The Church of St. Paul (or what once was,) was built in 1521, making it the oldest church in Malaysia. Today, the only things left and can be seen at the church are old Portuguese tombstones.

Porta de Santiago.

Flag of Malaysia.

Ruins of the Church of St. Paul.

Tsss. Kids. The cat wanted to sleep but these kids didn't want to stop petting (and disturbing) the cat.

Now it can't go back to sleep. Aww.

From inside the church.

- Almost running out of places to go, I decided to pass by the Church of St. Francis Xavier, a neo-gothic church built in 1859. The courtyard of the church has a statue of St. Francis Xavier, a time capsule, among other things. It was also just before lunch when I passed by the church, and I realized that I nearly forgot to visit the Stadthuys itself!! (I almost forgot, probably because I was hungry.) The Stadthuys, built in the early 1600s, functioned as the city hall during the Dutch colonial era, and is the main building around the Durch Square. Today, it houses the History and Ethnography Museum. Ideally, it should have been the museum I visited first, since it gave a concise and easy-to-understand history of Malaysia and Malacca.

Church of 

A colorful keris inside the Stadthuys (now the History and Ethnography Museum.)

View from the museum.

With Cheng Ho/Zheng He.

An interesting tombstone, too bad it didn't have a description. It's written in both Armenian and Dutch. Unfortunately, I don't speak either language.

- Since I became more dehydrated than hungry, I went to one of the stalls by the banks of the Malacca River and bought myself a solo-sized watermelon (one would cost around 10 ringgit.) The vendors would cut a circle on the watermelon, get something like an electric beater, and juice the insides of the watermelon. I love watermelons a lot, and I think I should do this as well when we have watermelons at home. Afterwards, I finally had a nice lunch at the Dutch Harbour Cafe. It was a cafe that served both Western and Malay food. I thought their food was great, because all the flavors were not too overpowering.

My sweet sweet solo-sized watermelon.

Malcca laksa and "Spinach and cheese Greek samosa" (though they should have named it "palak paneer samosa" instead. I love palak paneer and turning it into samosas was a genius idea to make it easier to eat!!) 

- For the afternoon, I had a good stroll in Penang's Little India. Although not as colorful as the ones in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, I did find some interesting things from the rows of stores there. I spend the rest of the afternoon walking along Jonker Walk, though I wasn't able to find something interesting to buy. I later decided to take some rest in my hostel before going out again to stroll alone the street-art-filled buildings, and to have dinner near my hostel.

Little India Malacca.

- To be honest there were actually some places farther from the center that I could have gone to, like St, John's Fort, the Portuguese Settlement (with good seafood), and the Malacca Straits Mosque, but I decided to spend more time in the heritage center to appreciate its cozy ambiance more. Hanging around the Dutch Square would have been nicer if it only weren't too hot. Malacca literally brought my back in time even more than Penang, and yes, true enough, my Malaysian friends expected that Malacca would be my favorite among my three destinations in Malaysia.

- With a heavy heart I left Malacca to KL in the mid-morning of Friday via Metrobus, but surprisingly I was also excited about going back to Kuala Lumpur. I'd get to hang out with Nathalie again, meet more Malaysian friends, and explore the other corners of Metro Kuala Lumpur!! (Don't forget to read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 4 here!!)