《MELAKA HERITAGE TRAIL》.pdfVIP

MELAKA HERITAGE TRAIL 1. MALACCA TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE Your journey, very appropriately begins here. Centrally located in Old Malacca, the Malacca Tourist Centre lies between Chinatown and Dutch Square. From here your first destination is a bridge across the Malacca River. 2. MALACCA RIVER As you cross the bridge, looks to your left. In the distance is the rivermouth which once welcomed vessels of all shapes and sizes. Imagine, it was then a busy,noisy loading dock, crowded with merchants and their merchandise. Turning into Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, formerly known as Heeren Street, the first thing you will notice is how narrow the street is. There is a standing joke that dogs have to wag their tails from side to side. Like all other streets in Chinatown it was originally built to accommodate oxcarts and rickshaws. 3. BABA NYONYA HERITAGE Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock was Malacca’s “Millionaire Row”. Here you will find some of the most equisite example of Baba Nyonya houses. Most of these houses display an interesting blend of Dutch and Chinese influences. One house definitely worth stopping at is No 117 with its Dutch architecture, courtyard and silver-painted dome. Of course, you must not miss the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, No 48 and 50, for an insight into a way of life that lasted unchanged pretty much until World War II. You will be amazed to discover how the narrow facade belies the airy spaciousness. 4. CHENG HOON TENG TEMPLE On Jalan Hng Lekir, you can see craftsmen constructing traditional Chinese coffins. You might even be able to witness a typical Chinese funeral parlour. Only in Malacca is the ornate teakwood coffin covered with a gaily coloured canopy before it is conveyed to the cemetery. Turn right into Jalan Hang Jebat or Jonker Street, which is known for its many antique and curio shops. You will notice that a number of the shops