Roaming Along Jalan Merdeka - Melaka Part 4

I love to walk when I am on the road, wherever it is that my travels take me - and discover places along the way. For some reason, I almost never get to do that in Manila. And Melaka’s heritage trail provides this opportunity for leisure walks around some of its most important sights.

Jalan Laksamana, with the Melaka River and Jonker’s Street to its right, and St. Francis Xavier Church, Christ Church and Stadthuys to its left is the perfect start to a satisfying, scenic walk at the heart of Melaka.

Jalan Merdeka

Melaka River

There is a Tourist Information Center right across the Stadthuys, and from there, Jalan Laksamana curves leftwards to become Jalan Merdeka which is the current site of heavy industrialization – with new modern gleaming buildings rising alongside historical sights.

I walked from the small Melaka Fortress, which is a great riverside place to relax under huge canopies of Indian gooseberries, while watching boats sail by. Just beside it is the Dataran Quayside (Quayside Square) which has a 2-in1 restaurant (aptly named Restoran Quayside Café and Seafood Restaurant) where a meal (rice and a viand) could be had for just 5-6 ringgit per serving – perfect for those with a tight budget, and still prefer to eat in the comfort of an AC hall.

Tourist Information Center

Melaka Fortress at the riverside.

Dataran Quayside

Twin restaurants: Restoran Quayside Cafe and Seafood Restaurant have budget meals.

Just further down Jalan Merdeka, you will find the magnificently reconstructed galleon – the Flora del Mar – which is now a Maritime Museum or Muzium Samudera. This eye-catching ship was once a Portuguese Galleon, now it exhibits the maritime history of Melaka, divided into 7 eras: the Malay Sultanate Era (15^th century to 1511), the Portuguese Era (from 1511 to 1641), the Dutch Era (from 1611 to 1745), the British Era (from 1745 to 1941), the Japanese Era (from 1941 to 1945), the 2^nd British Era (from 1945 to 1957), and finally, the Malaysian Independence Era (from 1957 to present).

When the Portuguese captured Malacca, they looted the treasures that abound in bustling Malacca, then hauled them off to their ship – the Flora de la Mar (“Flower of the Sea”). But, as the inscription says, “by the will of God” – the ship sank on January 26, 1512 in the Straits of Malacca on its way back to Europe. The inscription concludes with a rather insipid closing: “The museum serves as a reminder that once political power is lost, everything else is lost.” Huh? ;)

Flora del Mar is now Maritime Museum (Muzium Samudera): The Portuguese ship that sank!

Maritime Museum is open daily – even on Tuesdays – from 9 AM to 5:30 PM (Mon-Fri) and 9AM to 9PM (Sat-Sun). Like one ridiculous idea, to enter the ship, you have to take your shoes off and deposit it on a rack or put them in a plastic bag and carry them with you. What did they envision this to be – a sacred temple? Some ideas could be so melodramatic! Reconstruction of the ship started in 1990 and took 3 years to finish. Entry fee is 3 ringgit for adults and 0.50 cents (ringgit) for children. Call +6 06 283 0926 for more information.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Up next: Melaka Revolving Tower (Melaka Taming Sari)

Entrance to the Maritime Museum at 5 ringgit.

Muzium Samudera: Entering barefoot!

Still, Maritime Museum.

Right across Dataran Quayside is the Royal Malaysian Navy Museum which has outdoor displays of a gigantic boat – well, it’s the Sri Terengganu Battleship, canons, and ammunitions. It archives all the contributions and activities of the Malaysian Royal Navy. Exhibits include pictures of Royal Navy awards, weaponry, uniforms, communication equipment and security gadgets. It officially opened in October 28, 2005. The museum is open daily – except Tuesdays (though their site says otherwise) – Did I already mention never to visit Melaka on a Tuesday? – from 9AM to 5:30 PM. Entrance fee is 3 ringgit per adult, 1 ringgit for children. Call +60 6 283 0926 for more information.

Royal Malaysian Navy Museum

The Ex-Kd Sri Terengganu warship was jointly contributed by the Ministry of Defense and the Royal Navy Force. This ship had been in operation since December 16, 1963 for approximately 31 years; sailed as far as 68,926 miles nautical under the leadership of 24th Ruling Officer. This ship was involved in the peacekeeping exercise during the Indonesian Confrontation era and was duly employed in patrolling the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

This warship was the Royal Malaysian Navy patrol ship from the first group of ships specially reserved by the Malay Federation government from Vosper Limited company, Portsmouth, England in the year 1961.

Mahkota Parade: shopping, shopping, shopping - and your bus rides back to Melaka Sentral. Those yellow ones, called Bas Sekolah, are school buses.

Part 1 - Overview: A Little History of Melaka - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2010/08/melaka-giddy-with-delight-in-new-old.html

Our first ever Melakan visit here - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2007/12/fascinating-malacca-malaysia.html

Part 2 - Christ Church and Stadthuys - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2010/08/christ-church-and-stadthuys-red-square.html

Part 3 - Jonker's Street and Melaka River - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2010/08/jonkers-street-melaka-river-walk-in.html

Jalan Merdeka site map.

Jonker’s Street & Melaka River – A Walk in the Jonk (Melaka Part 3)

The last time I was in Melaka, Jonker’s Street only came alive during week end nights when they’d close the streets for some 300 shops and their pedestrians. Daytime would find the streets along Jonker’s Walk largely deserted – like a crumbling old part of town with rickety houses that have seen better days. A ghost town, if you must. These days, Jonker’s Street at daytime bustles with activity, characterized by a brisk turn over of tourists finding their own personal discoveries in the antiques that were once owned by the street’s rich populace up until the Great Depression when rubber plummeted and many Baba families lost their fortunes. An Indian trader from Kerala bought much of these stuff for reselling – and his descendants – the Kuthys - in modern Melaka still engage in similar trade in the same street .

Jalan Hang Jebat is Jonker’s Street’s main road, but this should include its adjacent lanes, like Jalan Tan Cheng Lock. Roughly translated to “Young Noblemen Street”, Jonkers was inhabited by the affluent families of old Melaka. It is now the premier hunting ground for antique items in Malaysia!

Antiques don’t do much for me, but it is interesting to wander around a street that richly tells stories of days gone by! Like ghosts that never quite leave the past. They hang on to the present.

What's anything Dutch without a windmill - or clogs? ;->

From the Red Square, I was excited to visit Jonker’s Street. It was just across Jalan Laksamana (which they used to simply call “Riverside”). There were boats plying the murky Melaka River – at 10 ringgit a ride. I was wondering why the river was in such quagmire. At least Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River has cleared up a bit in the last 5 years or so. Melaka River meets up with the ocean further ahead.

I crossed the concrete bridge and walked north. Within 5 minutes, I found Jonker’s Walk. Its main avenue is Jalan Hang Jebat, just straight ahead. It is a narrow street filled with antique shops and restaurants specializing in chicken ball rice and Nyonya dishes. There’s a few temples at Hang Jebat. The first one you will encounter (to your left) is Hookien Huang Kuan, the clan’s ancestral temple (which you can check out free of charge)!

Melaka River

If you head to its adjacent street, Jalan Tan Cheng Lock (just at the next block), you will find Kampung Kling Mosque and Cheng Hoon Tieng Temple (Malaysia’s oldest Chinese temple). UNESCO conferred Cheng Hoon Tieng Temple a special citation for its preservation and restoration – a feat only equaled by Georgetown’s Teochew Temple (Penang) for culture heritage conservation.

On my way back towards Red Square, I noticed the nearby bridge heading west from the river. It’s the Tan Kim Sieng Bridge that appears as ordinary as the real “London Bridge”, but bears a historical significance to the city. It bears the name of the wealthy early19th century Chinese philantropist, Tan Kim Sieng, who donated it to the town. Born a Hokkien in Malacca in 1805, Tan Kim Seng amassed a fortune as a trader. During the Dutch and Portuguese war, the Dutch secured the bridge to gain advantage against their enemies. They eventually conquered Malacca.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Start of Jalan Hang Jebat

Jonker's Street - Jonkers meant "young noblemen" in Dutch. Here's wikipedia's take on its etymology: "Jonkheer" or "Jonkvrouw" is literally translated as "young lord" or "young lady", or "esquire". In medieval times, such a person was a young and unmarried son or daughter of a high ranking knight or nobleman. Many noble families could not support all their sons to become a knight because of the expensive equipment. So the eldest son of a knight was a young lord and his brothers remain as esquires." I love these little bits of history.

Hokkien Clan's ancestral temple along Jalan Hang Jebat (above and next 3 photos below).

Souvenir shop

Kampung Kling Mosque along Jalan Tan Cheng Lock. This photo only courtesy of wikipedia's vmenkov.

UNESCO-awarded Cheng Hoon Tieng Temple. This photo only courtesy of juliansi.blogspot.com.

Tan Kim Sieng Bridge - Historically significant.

Up next: Taming Sari Tower, Maritime Museum (Flora del Mar Galleon) and more!

Part 1 - Overview: A Little History of Melaka - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2010/08/melaka-giddy-with-delight-in-new-old.html

Part 2 - Christ Church and Stadthuys - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2010/08/christ-church-and-stadthuys-red-square.html

Part 3 - Roaming along Jalan Merdeka, plus The Maritime Museum - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2010/08/roaming-along-jalan-merdeka-melaka-part.html

Our first ever Melakan visit here - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2007/12/fascinating-malacca-malaysia.html

Acknowledgment: TourMalaysia.com and wikipedia for some of the historical facts provided here!

Map of Melaka's Heritage Trail.

Christ Church and the Stadthuys (Red Square) - Melaka Part 2

Christ Church is Melaka’s number 1 tourist attraction! And the Stadthuys, otherwise known as the “Red Square” is its most visited town square! London has Trafalgar Square, Melaka has Stadthuys! To tourists who don’t know where to start their city visit, this should be your first stop!

From KL, my Delima Bus took 2 hours to reach Melaka Sentral. Upon arrival, I hopped on Town Bus no. 17 (green), and paid my 1.50 ringgit fare ($0.30 or PhP21.50). The terminal is 4 ½ kilometers east of the city center (Heritage Trail). We slid past shops and buildings until we were plying Jalan Laksamana, heading towards the Red Square. I told the bus conductor, “Stadthuys!” And he nodded with disinterest. The shops and convenience stores turned into a row of uniformly painted red buildings. I knew I was close! These newly painted “red” buildings were to harmonize with the Dutch heritage so proudly flaunted in Melaka! After all, the Dutch were their lords for 183 years!

I got the nod from the conductor so when the bus made its stop, I jumped from my bus and into the magnificent Red Square – the Stadthuys! There were multitudes of tourists, and the atmosphere invoked a festive party of anonymous strangers! In spite of myself, I gasped from the scenery before me! It was just beautiful – like trotting ever so gently back in time! And it’s not even my first time here!

Jalan Laksamana

Jalan Laksamana - Once you see the red buildings, its 50 meters ahead from Stadthuys!

To my left was Christ Church, the path leading to it was lined with trishaws gaudily decked with a kaleidoscope of plastic flowers.

Christ Church was built by the ruling Dutch empire in 1741 to commemorate the centenary (100 years) of the capture of Malacca from the Portuguese. This was to take over the Portuguese-constructed St. Paul’s Church (then called Bovenkerk) up the hill as the primary place of worship for the Dutch. Originally painted in white, the building was painted red in 1911 – the distinctive color scheme which has become a hallmark for the Dutch regime!

Photography isn’t allowed inside, but what we see isn’t as spectacular as I’d have expected. The wooden pews and frieze of “The Last Supper” were hand crafted, but the more interesting bits were the tombstones bearing inscriptions from Portuguese as well as Armenian traders. One of which we share here:

“ I, Jacob, grandson of Shamier, an Armenian of a respectable family whose name I keep, was born in Persia near Inefa, where my parents now forever sleep. Fortune brought me to distant Malacca, which my remains in bondage to keep. Separated from the world on 7th July 1774 A.D. at the age of 29, my mortal remains were deposited in this spot of the ground which I purchased.”

With the change of hand, Christ Church was later consecrated as an Anglican Church, as it is now. The weathercock atop the bell tower is a British addition!

Since photography wasn't allowed inside... this photo only courtesy of wongfookyee.com.

There's a stall at the right side of the church hall selling candles and religious items, including a local recording called "Back to You volume 1 - Day by Day". An american lady's exuberant praise recommending this recording called our attention. Though we're not overly religious, we were curious, so for 10 ringgit (or was it 15?) we got ourselves a copy. The CD has 7 tracks, mostly sung in English, and composed by Lawrence Quek and Terence Khoo. One track ("Thank You Jesus For Your Love") was attributed to "the late Tony Khoo", sung in Chinese. Though appreciation of the arts, like music, is a subjective experience, this wouldn't be among my favorites, although it is a decent recording that's heavy on reverb much like a Karaoke number.

Bicycle rickshaws

The Stadthuys (which literally means “town hall”) – or the Red Square – was built 9 years after the Dutch started their rule in 1641. This became the office of the Dutch Governor and his deputy! These days, it is home to the Museum of History and Ethnography – the city’s premier museum. If there is a single museum worth visiting in Melaka, this would be it! However, if you only have a few hours on a day tour, would you rather spend them indoors?

The cobbled lane between Christ Church and Stadthuys have souvenir shops that cater to the wealthy tourists. This isn’t your place for souvenir items – if you’re scrimping! But it’s nevertheless a pleasant stroll to take.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

The Clock Tower

Stadthuys

The Red Square

Souvenirs for sale!

Part 1 - Overview: A Little History of Melaka - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2010/08/melaka-giddy-with-delight-in-new-old.html

Our first ever Melakan visit here - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2007/12/fascinating-malacca-malaysia.html

Up next: Jonker's Street and Melaka River

Map of Central Melaka