Malacca: On the third day of our trip, we booked a group tour to the ancient city of Malacca. Malacca is an important historical city due to its location on the Strait of Malacca, an 800 kilometer (500 mile) long waterway connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Vessels passing through the straight still carry about one-fourth of the world's traded goods today.
St. Peter's Church: Our first stop following our 144 kilometer (90 mile) bus ride was at St. Peter's Church. St. Peter's is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia, having been built by the Dutch in 1710. Its architecture is a combination of Eastern and Western styles.
Jalan Tokong: We drove through downtown Malacca and into Chinatown. Located in the heritage quarter of Malacca, the buildings along the narrow streets in this area were built by the Dutch and used to house many blacksmiths. In more modern times, most of the blacksmiths were replaced by "antique" shops. We walked down Jalan Tokong, know as Temple Street or Harmony Street due to the presence of houses of worship from several different religion. Our guide led us to the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia; Kampung Kling Mosque; and Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Malaysia.
At this point, the group split up to continue exploring the area on their own. Continuing down the street, we passed a couple of the remaining blacksmiths before crossing the bridge over Sungai Malacca, or Malacca River, and into the town square. We made a left and continued down Jalan Laksamana (Admiral Street) until we came upon the Church of St. Francis Xavier.
Church of St. Francis Xavier: The Church of St. Francis Xavier was constructed in 1849 by a French Catholic priest. It was dedicated to St. Francis Xavier to commemorate his missionary work in this area as well as throughout the rest of Malaysia, Indonesia and India. St. Francis Xavier was a Spanish Jesuit missionary sent to the Portuguese East Indies by King John III of Portugal, who was concerned the colonists were losing their Christian faith. He spent the rest of his life tirelessly spreading Christianity to the native population of India and Southeast Asia.
Dutch Square: Next, we headed back the way we came, returning to Dutch Square, commonly referred to as Red Square due to the color of all the buildings. The small shophouses along Jalan Laksamana are also painted this same shade of red.
Within Dutch Square there is the Queen Victoria Fountain, built in 1901 by the British, and the Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower, built in 1886 by Chinese immigrants. At the opposite end of the square from the clock tower is the Christ Church Malacca, built in 1753 by the Dutch to commemorate their 100-year occupation of the city. Even tough it was built on the ruins of a Portuguese church, it is still the oldest functioning Protestant church in Malaysia, first as a Dutch Reform Church and later as an Anglican Church. Standing between the clock tower and the church, located behind the fountain, is Stadthuys.
Stadthuys: Stadthuys (Dutch for "town hall") is a large building constructed by the Dutch to house the offices of the Governor and Deputy Governor. Built in 1650, it is the oldest surviving Dutch building in the Orient. Following the handover of control of Malacca to the British, Stadthuys was used as a school. It now houses five museums. Peep and I purchased admission tickets, good for all five museums. However, we were only able to get to two of them, the History & Ethnography Museum and Admiral Cheng Ho’s Gallery, before having to meet back up with our tour group in Dutch Square.
Ruins of St. Paul's Church: Now back together with our group and guide, we proceeded up a steep hill behind Stadthuys until we reached the ruins of St. Paul's Church at the apex. Originally built as a small chapel by the Portuguese and named Our Lady of the Hill, it was later renamed St. Paul's Church by the Dutch, who used it until the completion of Christ Church. St. Francis Xavier was originally interred here following his death before being moved to Goa, India. A statue of St. Francis Xavier is located at the front of the church.
A' Famosa Fort: The hill containing St. Paul's Church was enclosed in a fort erected by the Portuguese in 1511, known as A' Famosa. The fort was severely damaged during the Dutch invasion in 1641 and continued to slowly be dismantled until 1808, when Sir Thomas Raffles, a British official, saved what remains today. We descended the hill to a small gatehouse, the Porta de Santiago, the only remaining structure of A' Famosa.
Hang Li Po's Well: We got back on the bus and headed to a local Chinese restaurant for lunch before proceeding to our final stop in Malacca, Hang Li Po's Well, also known as King's Well. Hang Li Po was a Chinese princess who came to marry the Sultan of Malacca, ensuring good relations between the two countries. Recognizing its strategic importance as the only source of fresh water during great droughts, the Dutch enclosed it with thick walls and protected it with cannons.