Journey to Melaka (or Malacca)

Picture of Melaka from the top of St. Paul’s Hill.....Beautiful!!

Last Wednesday one of our international students Ming (or Michael, as we know him) needed a ride home to Melaka.....a couple of hours from Kuala Lumpur.  We decided it would be a great time for a day trip.....so we loaded in the car early Wednesday morning.....Me, Dennis, Michael and Aunty Janny....off we went to the land of Melaka.

What a delight that city is.....I would love to live there.....small enough to not be intimidated to drive.....very historical......a wonderful Chinatown and food that was out of this world!!

Ming (aka Michael) and Mr and Mrs Chua

Oh my goodness!....How hospitable they were.  They treated us to lunch and dinner.  Lunch was traditional Malaysian fare:  Nyonya food at Cottage Spices Restoran.  It was delicious and wouldn’t you know that I would forget to take pictures until halfway through the meal!!!

Nyonya cooking is about the blending of pungent roots and incorporating the long marinating of meats and seafood before cooking.  Fresh herbs:  lemongrass, ginger and turmeric; chilies, candlenuts, shallots and bellman are a must; and aromatic leaves such as kaffir lime, pandan and fresh bay and turmeric leaves are what gives nyonya it’s zest!

Don’t know exactly what I ate but it sure was good!
YUMMO!!

Traditional Malaysian dessert

After stirred up......it has red beans in it
Not what I would normally want in a
dessert!

Background Info on Melaka

Melaka was founded by Parameswara (or Raja Iskandar) the last Malay ruler of Temasik (ancient Singapore) in 1396 when he and his followers retreated up the straits and found the area to be a place of strategic location.  He decided to

make a permanent settlement there, naming it "Melaka" after the name of the tree he leaned against.

Melaka emerged as a strong seaport primarily due to it’s strategic location on the straits of Melaka along the Spice Route.

Arabs, Bengalls, Malabarese, Persians and Tamils from the West; Burmese, Chinese, Khmers and Thais from the East; and Javanese, Sudanese and Sulu from the Archipelago all made their way to Melaka for trading purposes.  It’s harbors bristled with Chinese junks and spice laden vessels from all over the hemisphere.

The city was originally built of wood, so there are no crumbling and stately reminders of the long ago power of the Malaccan Sultanate.

The port city was coveted by European powers and the Portuguese captured the city in 1511 and occupied it for well over a century.  The Portuguese influence is still visible in the city’s architecture.  The first thing the Portuguese did was to build a fort on a natural hill over looking the river called A Formosa, The Famous.
In 1641 Melaka was taken over by the Dutch after a fierce battle.

In 1795, the city was given to the British to prevent it from falling to the French. The first thing the British did was to destroy it.  All was demolished except for a small part which is left standing today.  It is one of the oldest surviving architectural remains in Asia.

Front view of A Formosa

Back view

Side view

Up the hill (aka steps!) we trudged to the St Paul’s Church.   Built by Duarte Coelho, a Portuguese Captain in 1521 AD, the church was formerly a chapel for the Portuguese and it was named as “Nosa Senhora” – Our Lady of the Hill. 

As Melaka was colonised by the Dutch from the hand of Portuguese in 1641, the fate of this former Portuguese chapel had been significantly changed. It was being used by the Dutch as a temporary praying place before their own church – the Christ Church was being completely constructed. Since that, the Dutch has renamed the Portuguese Chapel from “Nosa Senhora” – Our Lady of the Hill to St. Paul Hill.

When the Dutch’s Christ Church was completed, St. Paul Hill no longer played its role as a praying place and the Dutch turned it into a burial ground and graveyard. Several monumental tombstones, with Dutch words engraving on it were leaning against the wall in the church. The tombstones and the graveyard nearby were places for the Dutch to mourn their ancestors while they settled down in Melaka centuries ago.

In front of the church stood a huge pearl-white statue - the statue of St. Francis Xavier.  I don’t know why I did not get a picture of it.....but I didn’t.





 The view from the top of the hill of the city of Melaka is amazing.  The picture at the top of this blog was a view taken from St. Paul’s hill, as are the pictures below.

Since we have just visited St. Paul’s church I will go ahead and talk about the most notable marks that the cultures have left in this beautiful city....their places of worship....

Indians:  Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple

This Indian temple was built in 1781....one of the very first temples built in the whole country.  Today it serves as an active spiritual and social center for the hindu Community.

Sorry these pictures are not the best of the inside but it was later in the day when we got to the Hindu temple and it had already closed....so I snapped what I could.  Hopefully it gives you an idea of what it is like.

Chinese:  There were several temples within the China town area of Melaka.  I am not sure of the names of all of them....and some of them, I was told, are actually clan meeting places...not actually places of worship....although to me I really could see no difference.

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Known as the Temple of the Bright Clouds.  It is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Malaysia built in 1646 with material shipped directly from China.  It house the state of Kuan Yin....the Goddess of Mercy.

It consists of small altars built around a central edifice.  It smells of flowers and incense.

The majority of Chinese in Melaka are relatively poor and have little money to give their deceased loved ones a grave in a graveyard.  The glass case above contains tiny statuettes and tombstones erected for their passed relatives.  They are stacked deep in rows and photos are attached to each one.  The Chinese

worship their ancestors and burn paper money, small replicas or cars, clothes.....for them to use in the afterlife. 

This is what they burn
the items in

Another Buddhist Temple:

Chinese Clan meeting place:

Another Buddhist Temple:

I really do not know if they are temples or clan meeting places....take your pick:

Kampung Keling Mosque

The architecture of this mosque in Chinatown is inspired by Hindu temples and early mosques in Sumatra reflecting culture from the east and west.  It is one of the oldest mosques in Melaka.  It does not have the congenital dome seen in other mosques but rather a 3 tier roof rises like a pyramid and the minaret is structured like a pagoda.   No pictures of the inside as we were not allowed in.

Christian Churches

There was no shortage of crosses in the city of Melaka....

Christ Church

Built by the Dutch, starting in 1741 and finishing in 1753, as a place for the Dutch to pray.  It is very striking with it’s strawberry red color brick.  It bears distinctive marking of 18th century Dutch architecture with it’s rectangular plan, massive walls and red granite plinths (which are bases or platforms upon which a column rests)

Later when the British took over Melaka for a temporary reign, they changed it to an Anglican Church.  The church is the oldest Protestant Church still in operation in Malaysia.  Even today it holds services in English, Chinese and Tamil.  Most parts of the church were constructed manually including the pews and windows.  There was no photography allowed inside the church but there are some notable things that should be mentioned:

**Tombstones were incorporated into the floor tile and are engraved with Armenian Script

**The picture of the Last Supper is done using glazing and glossy tiles in different colors rather than oil paint on canvas

    **Brass Bible with Scripture from St. John engraved on it

**Each beam is made from a single tree trunk without using a single joint

For the most part, the church remains the same as it did over 200 years ago.

Good view of the plinths

All around the church are stalls
selling souvenirs

This church is a favorite spot for
Malaysians to have wedding pics
made.  While we were there we saw 2
different couples having pics made
at this side door (or window)

In front of the church is what is known as the Dutch Square.  This is where all the very colorfully decorated blaring very loud music are headquartered to take you around Chinatown and historic sites for a fee.  It seemed everyone we passed was blaring Elvis Presley music!!  Funny!

Dutch Square is also called Red Square because of surrounding buildings painted red.  The buildings were not always red....they were originally painted white but when the British took over they painted them red.  There are 2 icons that are found in Dutch Square:

Tan Beng Swee Clock Tower

and

Queen Victoria’s Fountain

Tan Beng Swee Clock Tower

Tan Ben Swee Clock Tower was given by a son in 1886 to fulfill his dying father’s wish.  The father, Tang Beng Swee, was a 3rd generation of a Chinese Philanthropist millionaire family

Time can be seen from all 4 sides

Queen Victoria’s Fountain

Queen Victoria’s Fountain was given as a memorial in 1904 to commemorate Her Majesty’s 60th anniversary on the British Throne

Stadhuys

Stadhuys.....the oldest remaining Dutch building in Asia....is seen behind Queen Victoria’s Fountain.

This building, built in 1650, was built on the ruins of a Portugese fort using imported bricks.  It served as the Dutch Town Hall and housed the Governor and officers.  Today it houses a museum.

Melaka’s Sultanate Palace

This is not the original place but a replica based on sketches found in ancient Malay annals.

I apologize for not having a better picture but it cost to go inside and our time was short to do an inside tour but they let me step inside the gate to take a picture

Proclamation of Independence Memorial

In 1956 Melaka declared its independence by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra...the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.  A building was built to honor that day and it houses a museum of Malaysia history

On our way to a replica of an old Portugese ship we meandered down the walk by the Melaka River....enjoy the scenery

Flora del a Mar

Flora del a Mar is a faithful re-creation of a Portuguese Galleon that sank off the Malaysian Coast while on its way to Portugal carrying loot plundered from Melaka.

Inside the galleon is a museum that documents Melaka’s importance as a regional and international business center from the period of the Melaka Sultanate thru the Portuguese, Dutch and British eras.

Next door to the Portuguese Galleon is a Maritime Museum....a modern museum incorporating computer technology to focus on a variety of maritime themes.

Next back to Dutch Square where we finished our day with an exploration of Jonker Street.....Chinatown!!  Loved this area.

I am going to just let you enjoy the walk through China town streets with images I captured with the camera....

It was a long but enjoyable day.....and I am told quite pleasant heat wise....it usually much much hotter!  We were then treated to dinner by Michael and his parents!  Did I say how hospitable they were?  By that time my camera’s batteries had run out.....I can’t believe I took that many pics...but I did seem to be snappy one with every step we took...

We ate at Aunty Fatso’s......not kidding....I googled it and actually got a picture of the sign so you wouldn’t think I was kidding....

The food was, need I say, delish!!!  We had one of the best dishes I have ever eaten...don’t know the name of it but it was basically a thick cheese soup with prawns and thin noodles....YUMMO!!  We also had grilled fish, crab legs, sauteed greens and I am sure other things but since my camera had died....I have no proof or memory!  What a wonderful day we had.  Aunty Janny and I relaxed while Dennis drove the 2 hours home.  Would I go again?  ABSOLUTELY!!!! and plan to!

Random pics from our day 

This man was selling fruits and veggies in the
neighborhood

Typical Melaka roof style

How does this tree survive with so many
roots showing?

Don’t know why it surprised me to see evergreens here

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!  You made it to the end of this really long blog....sorry....there were so many things to take pics of and I wanted you to get a real feel for what it was like to be there.  There were so many more I would have taken had my camera not died.  

Thanks for looking....till next time......