[MALAYSIA] Malacca Day 2: Baba Nyonya Heritage and Colonial Ruins

08:00 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

After soaking up the vibrant atmosphere of Jonker Street and the Red Square on Day 1, Day 2 takes us deeper into Malacca's rich historical layers - understanding the unique Baba Nyonya (Peranakan) culture and exploring the remnants of the powerful European empires that once shaped this port city.

A summary of our day 2 in Malacca.

We started our morning by having breakfast at GravyBaby Melaka. The view of river is unbeatable.

Opening hours: 8:00 AM - 12:00 AM (Mon-Thu), 8:00 AM - 1:00 AM (Fri-Sun).

Sixty 3 Heritage is a shop shop selling mainly women's hand-made clothes. They also have a cafe at the back offering Nyonya food with a nice courtyard.

Then we visited the stunning Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum. Located on Malacca's legendary "Millionaire's Row" (Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock), the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum is the definitive centerpiece of Peranakan history. Housed in a beautifully preserved ancestral home of the prominent Chan family, this museum is not a dry display of artifacts, but a stunningly preserved private residence that vividly captures the opulent lifestyle and distinct culture of the Straits Chinese.

The house was acquired by the Chan family in 1861. Four generations of the Chan family lived here before it was opened as a museum in March 1985. Today the family’s descendants are the seventh generation. Every room tells a story of tradition, luxury, and social custom.

Reception Hall.

The Ancestral Altar is central to Peranakan spiritual life, where the family honored their ancestors.

The courtyard.

The dining hall.

The staircase features a magnificent gilt railing and a fascinating 19th-century lockable wooden cover which is an antique security feature!

The Wedding Room was the most private chamber, reserved for the couple.

Surprise, surprisse! The people inside the house can actually see who was the guest visiting the house through a secret hole above the corridor.

The kitchen is big. There's a bell to signal the people in the house about dining time.

The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum is more than just a historical building; it is a meticulously maintained piece of living history that offers the deepest dive into the unique and magnificent culture that flourished in Malacca. It’s a definite must-visit for any traveler exploring the UNESCO World Heritage city.

Tip: Tours are run regularly throughout the day. Check the official website for the latest opening hours and tour schedules to avoid disappointment!

Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum

Opening hours: 10:00am-4:15pm (Weekdays, except Tuesday), 10:00am-4:45pm (Weekends)

* Closed on Tuesday

Admission Fee: RM 25 per adult, RM 15 per child

Note: there will be a surcharge of RM 100 for visitors dressed in costume.

Website: https://www.babanyonyamuseum.com/

We checked out The Royal Press is one of the oldest surviving polyglot letterpress printing houses in the world and now a living museum. Visitors can see and learn about vintage machinery, including a 1956 Glockner-Mercedes and a 1961 Linotype Model 78, some of which are still functional. The museum displays countless printed artifacts, from old bus tickets and liquor labels to newspapers and Peranakan calendars, telling the social history of Melaka.

The Royal Press

Opening Hours: Mon - Thu: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Fri - Sun: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM,

Admission fee: RM15 per Malaysian adult, RM 25 for non-Malaysian, half price for children below age 12 & senior citizen above age 60

For lunch, we grabbed a wonderfully satisfying lunch of Taiwanese noodles at Hinh Loong Taiwanese Noodle (Open: 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM; Closed on Thu). The restaurant is famous for its pork rib noodles. We initially wanted to try the pork satay at the nearby Beh Leh Hainam Satay but we gave up after seeing the long queue.

In the afternoon, we explored the ruins of A Famosa. Porta de Santiago is the remaining gateway of this Portuguese fortress at the base of St. Paul's Hill. The construction of A Famosa started in 1512. After the Dutch captured Melaka from the Portugese in 1641, they renovated and enlarged the fortress. They engraved the coat of arms of the Dutch East India Company 'VOC' and the inscription 'ANNO 1670' on the gate denoting the year this was done.

We gained deeper insight into the local history at the the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum. The museum is a full-scale, magnificent recreation of the 15th-century royal palace of Sultan Mansur Shah. Exhibits showcase replicas of the royal chambers, including the Throne Room (Balairong Seri) and the Sultan's Bedchamber.

The museum also highlights the legendary stories of the Malay warriors, particularly the famous rivalry between Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat, which forms an integral part of Malay folklore.

Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum

Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM, closed on Mon

Admission fee: RM10 per Malaysian adult, RM 5 per Malaysian child, price doubled for non-Malaysian.

We also dropped by Fort of Melaka Heritage Gallery, also known as Galeri Warisan Kota Melaka. It is the latest addition to the vast collection of galleries and museums in Melaka’s old town. Admission is free.

A short walk up the hill behind the A Famosa leads us to the Church of St. Paul on the hill, offering beautiful panoramic views of the city. The original chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Nossa Senhora da Graca), was built by Portuguese nobleman Duarte Coelho, making it the oldest church building in Southeast Asia. After the Dutch conquered Malacca, they reconsecrated the church for their use as a Dutch Reformed church and renamed it St. Paul's Church (or Bovenkerk—'Church on the top'). Once the Dutch completed Christ Church (the iconic red church in Dutch Square), St. Paul's fell into disuse. It was later used by the British as a powder magazine, leading to its eventual ruined state.

A white marble statue of St. Francis Xavier stands in front of the ruins. Notably, the right arm of the statue is missing, a coincidence often linked to the fact that his real right forearm was detached and sent to Rome as a relic in 1614. Entrance is free and it is open all day. It's a definite must-see when visiting Malacca.