An Afternoon in Malacca

Malacca or Melaka, two hours away by bus from Kuala Lumpur, is a vibrant little city teeming with history. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July of 2008. There are many interesting historical sites in Malacca because of its rich past, having been colonized by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British.

We only had half a day in Malacca, and here were some of the sites we were able to visit:


Memorial Pengisytiharan Kemerdekaan

We didn't go inside the Memorial Pengisytiharan Kemerdekaan (Proclamation of Independence Memorial) because of time constraints, we just passed by, but here you'll be able to see exhibits about Malaysia's history from the time of the first sultanates leading up to the country's independence.


A Famosa is what remains of what used to be an old Portuguese fortress. The fort was destroyed during the Dutch invasion, all that's left are the walls. I can't believe we weren't able to take pictures of the cannons just in front of this entrance.


goofing around inside A Famosa

St. Paul's Church is just up the hill from A Famosa. The path to the church allows you to enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the town.

St. Paul's Church, built by the Portuguese in 1521 was once the prayer house of the Portuguese Catholics and became a fortress in 1567. When the Dutch took over, it became a burial ground for their noble dead. Some of the tombstones are still along the walls inside the church.

A statue of St. Francis Xavier stands outside the church ruins (with one hand missing). He was buried here briefly in 1553 before his remains were transferred to Goa in India.

We went down Bukit St.Paul (St. Paul's Hill) towards the Red Square, and we saw that we were 10,632 kilometers away from London:


The Red Square is the beautiful square around Christ Church and Stadthuys, both red buildings, like most of the buildings in this area.



Abet inside the Stadthuys
(Don't ask me what he's doing there, I have no idea.)

The Christ Church was built by the Dutch from 1741 to 1753. This is the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia. We didn't go in, but inside are hand-made pews dating back to 200 years ago.

Also in the square is the Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower, built in 1886...

...and this fountain.


Trishaws, pedicabs decorated with bright plastic flowers and blasting pop music from speakers, are a common sight, each more gaudy and louder than the last.



The sign above points to the Eye on Malaysia, a 60-meter tall portable Ferris wheel that used to be in Kuala Lumpur but was transferred to Malacca just last November 2008. This is just one of the tourist attractions that we didn't get to visit because we didn't have the time, among them Bukit Cina, Hang Li Poh Well, and other churches, temples, forts and museums. Half a day in Malacca just isn't enough. Still, I'm glad that despite our limited time in this historic city, we were able to experience the very vibrant Jonker Walk that evening.

Jonker Walk post coming up next.