Malacca – A Historic Malaysian City

From a sleepy fishing village on the Malaysian west coast, Malacca rose to become a major center of maritime trade between the East and the West. Within 50 years from its founding in 1409 AD, the city started to flourish rapidly and become the hub of international commerce.

The success in trade brought prosperity to Malacca and drew the greedy attention of newly emerging colonial powers of Europe who were looking for colonies in Asia and America richly endowed with natural resources and thickly populated for marketing finished products. Some of these European powers, and later also neighboring China, chose Malacca to spread their colonial business empire.

The Portuguese were the first to capture the city in 1511, traumatizing its populace with heavy gun and cannon fire. Malacca, however, continued to remain an important commercial hub until the Portuguese gave it up to the Dutch. The new masters of Malacca already had a strong presence in Indonesia and transferred the main trading activities there. The British grabbed the city thereafter and prevented the French from capturing it after they defeated the Dutch following the Revolution. Malacca lost its freedom because of these historical turbulences but it developed a hybrid culture that influenced the lifestyle of its people and the architectural designs of its buildings. Travelers to Malacca marvel at both these colonial phenomenon.

Whereas the European colonial masters have mostly disappeared from Malacca, the Chinese and their distinct influence are prominently evident everywhere. They blended very well with indigenous culture that was responsible for producing a strong and inclusive society comprising of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians.

The impact of colonial and Chinese influences on Malacca produced some fine examples of architectural styles as we can see in many monuments and buildings in the city. One such edifice that is most fascinating is the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum. It was the ancestral home of wealthy Chinese Baba family. It showcases the confluence of Chinese and Malay cultures probably as a result of inter-marriages between early Chinese settlers and local women. The Chinese didn’t fire a single shot, yet they became the dominating business community and left their enduring influence practically everywhere in Malacca. All this could happen because of the foresight of early settlers like the Baba family.While in Malacca don’t miss the son et lumiere show at Padang Pahlwan portraying 600 years of Malacca’s history.

Don’t ever dream of leaving Malacca without visiting some fascinating antique shops on Jonker Street. International collectors love these shops. You are likely to love them too, but don’t finalize the deal without making sure that the artifacts you want to buy are really antique. You won’t find the difference unless you are a connoisseur.

Malacca is a small town but it comes alive at night with a variety of nocturnal activities. If you are the innocuous entertainment type reasonably happy with a late night supper, head for Jonker Street. Melaka Raya is the destination for those who prefer to rock at night clubs.

European colonizers and Chinese entrepreneurs didn’t leave any stone unturned to make their adopted city vibrant and lively. Enjoy it.