Sights and landmarks in Malacca

Sights and landmarks in Malacca

1. See

   Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

   Muzium Warisan Baba Nyonya

   Step back in time with a visit to this museum which is an actual historic Peranakan townhouse complete with the original antique furniture, and a great way to have a glimpse into the life of a wealthy Peranakan family during the colonial era. Mandatory guide-led tour. Photography is forbidden.

   10:00-17:00, closed on Mondays·RM16

2. See

   Bukit China

   Bukit China is one of the largest Chinese cemeteries outside mainland China. Graves can be found here that go back to the late Ming dynasty (mid-17th century). The earliest grave found so far dates to 1622, but many graves were exhumed during the British occupation of Malaysia. Bukit China is a famous jogging spot for the locals and jogging tracks are available all over the hill. When you climb to the top of the hill, you will have a nice view of the town.

3. See

   Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

   Oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia and has an inscription dating 1685 commemorating the deeds of by Kapitan China Li Wei King.

   Morning to 19:00

4. See

   Christ Church

   his church was built between 1741 and 1753. It replaced a Portuguese church, which was shattered. Bricks were shipped from Zeeland in the Netherlands. On the floor of the church you will find Dutch tombstones. It is the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia. On the altar you will see sacramental silverware, still bearing the Dutch coat of arms. Photography is forbidden.

   Mon-Sat 08:30-17:00·Free admission

5. See

   Dutch Square

   Beautiful square around Christ Church and the Stadhuys. On this square you will find the Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower, it looks Dutch, but it is not. It was built in 1886.

6. See

   Geok Hu Keng Temple

   This temple has a history of 130 years. Managed by local communities, the temple was incorporated under the management of Cheng Hoon Teng in 2000. Major celebrations: 3rd day of Chinese New Year, Hien Tian Siong Teh's birthday on 3rd day of 3rd lunar month and the birthday of Geok Hu Tai Chong on 29th day of 6th Lunar Month.

   Closed · opens 8 am·free

7. See

   Jonker, Heeren and adjacent streets

   This is the residential heart of Old Malacca just west of the Malacca River, with its narrow winding streets, beautifully decorated houses, tiny shops, temples and mosques. The whole area is undergoing a renaissance with new shops, restaurants and hotels catering to tourists mushrooming everywhere. However, the area still has a lot of atmosphere and is worth having a look around. One of the streets in this area is Harmony Street (officially Temple street or Jalan Tokong), so called because it contains the prayer houses of Malaysia's three main faiths — the Cheng Hoon Teng Chinese temple, the Sri Poyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Hindu Temple, and the Kampung Kling Mosque.

8. See

   Macau Gallery

   Gallery about Macau housed in a historical 2-story British bungalow.

   Free

9. See

   Malay and Islamic World Museum

   Muzium Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam

   The ground floor hosts temporary exhibits, the first floor showcases Malay history (particularly before the sultanate), the second floor has exhibits on Indonesia. Only a few panels are translated in English.

   RM10

10. See

    Maritime Museum

    Muzium Samudera

    The main historical exhibits are hosted inside a replica of the Flor de la Mar, a 16th-century Portuguese ship. A building includes additional exhibits on modern maritime activity and sea life.

    Closed · opens 9 am·RM26

11. See

    Masjid Kampung Hulu

    Built in 1728, it's one of the oldest functioning mosques in Melaka together with Masjid Kampung Kling and Masjid Tengkera (Tranquerah), Jln Tengkera see the mixed architecture of Chinese, Javanese and Arab on the minarets and the roofs.

12. See

    Melaka Islamic Museum

    Muzium Islam Melaka

    A general introduction to Islam and the Islamic world, with a section on Islam in Malaysia and local scholars.

    RM2

13. See

    Melaka Straits Mosque

    Masjid Selat Melaka

    A mosque built on the man-made island, Pulau Melaka, just off the coast the city. Spectacular at evening and night.

14. See

    Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum

    Muzium Istana Kesultanan Melaka

    Below the hill you will find this museum (Melaka Cultural Museum). It is a reconstruction of the istana of the sultan Mansur Shah. It was built in 1985.

    Sat- Mon Wed Thu 09:00-18:00, Tue Fri 12:15–14:45·RM20

15. See

    Melaka UMNO Museum

    Muzium UMNO Melaka

    Museum about the United Malays National Organisation, the dominant political party of Malaysia for most of its history.

16. See

    Morten Village

    Kampung Morten

    A village of traditional houses, it is on the west bank of the Melaka River.

17. See

    Pantai Kundur

    A small fishing village with a nice beach 2 km away from Tanjung Keling.

18. See

    Poh San Teng Temple

    Sam Po Kong

    This temple is at the foot of Bukit China and next to the King's Well, was founded in 1795 by Kapitan China Chua Su Cheong as a graveyard temple. The main deity is Fu-te Zhen Shen. the temple was built to allow the descendants of those buried on Bukit China to conduct prayers to their ancestors away from the heavy rain and strong winds. Next to it, the King's Well. Legends have it that Hang Liu was a Chinese princess from the Ming dynasty who was sent to Malacca to wed Sultan Mansor Shah in the 15th century when the Malacca Sultanate was at its zenith. She had 500 followers who were all settled on Bukit China, which means Chinese Hill, and this well, at the foot of the hill, was where they got their water.

19. See

    Porta de Santiago

    A Famosa

    The remains of the old Portuguese fort A Famosa, what you can see now is a mostly Dutch reconstruction, bearing the VOC coat of arms.

20. See

    Portuguese Settlement

    Here is where the descendants of the Portuguese who conquered Malacca in 1511 live today. The settlement, just southeast of the city centre, consists of tidy rows of mostly wooden houses leading up to the Portuguese Square (Malay: Medan Portugis) and Hotel Lisboa (sorry, unlike its Macau namesake, there is no casino here) on the waterfront. The people here may look Malay, but if you peer into their houses, you'll see the characteristic altar with statues of Jesus and Mary perched high on their walls. Quite a few still speak Cristao (or Cristang), a Portuguese patois. There are also many restaurants for you to sample Portuguese Eurasian fare. The most interesting times to visit are during Intrudu - usually in February - when the you'll get a Songkran-like drenching with buckets of water thrown at you; Festa San Pedro to commemorate the Feast of Saint Peter in June, when there are processions, cultural shows and general merry-making; and Christmas, when the whole settlement is decked in decorative lights.

21. See

    Pulau Besar

    Big Island off the coast of Malacca, about 13 km from the mainland. It has a few resorts, the Tomb of Syarifah Rodziah and the Pulau Besar Museum.

22. See

    Saint Paul's Church

    Gereja St. Paul

    It was built in 1521, by the Portuguese. It became a fortress in 1567, until 1596. After the Dutch siege it became St Paul's, before it was known as Nossa Senhora da Annunciada (Our Lady of Annunciation). It has been used as a burial ground for the Dutch. You can still see the tombstones, along the walls of ruins of the church.

23. See

    Sea-Turtle Sanctuary

    Information center is at the Padang Kemunting beach (28 km away from Melaka Sentral), where they have a few information boards and dozen of the hawksbill turtles living in an aquarium. For a more pristine experience one can opt to go to, this trip should be organised via the Upeh island's resort. Hatching season is from March to September. In order to get to the island one needs to book a ferry ride from the Shahbandar jetty, next the tourist information centre at Jalan Kota.

    Information center works 10:00-16:00, closed on Mon and public holidays·Free admission to the Turtle Information Centre in Padang Kemunting

24. See

    St John's Hill and Fort

    Malacca's other fortress is on top of St John's Hill in Bandar Hilir, south of the city. Pretty views of the surroundings from the top. Malacca Town Bus (green) No. 17 passes by this fort.

25. See

    Stadthuys

    Completed in 1660. It is a reproduction of the former Stadhuis (town hall) of the Frisian town of Hoorn in the Netherlands which existed from 1420 until 1796. Nowadays, it houses the Museums of History and Ethnography. This is one of the oldest Dutch buildings in the east.

    RM10

26. See

    Tanjung Bidara

    One of the Malacca’s most popular white sandy beaches. It has facilities for canoeing, water-skiing and jet-skiing.

27. See

    Tanjung Keling

    The nearest beach from Malacca just 10 km away. Tanjong Keling Mosque and the grave of Hang Tuah, the legendary Malay warrior, are close to the beach. Getting there: take a bus from Jalan Tun Ali bus terminal in Malacca.

28. See

    Youth Museum/Melaka Art Gallery

    The Youth Museum is on the ground floor, the Art Gallery on the second level. You can have a bird's eye view of Dutch Square from a window on the second level.

    Wed-Sun 09:00-17:30·combined ticket RM2

29. See

    A'Famosa Animal World Safari

    Jalan Kemus, Alor Gajah

    09:00–17:30·Adult RM43, child RM32

30. See

    Melaka Stamp Museum

    Muzium Setem Melaka

    Jalan Kota

31. See

    The Shore Oceanarium

    Not a very big aquarium with a quiz program for kids.

    RM35 per adult which includes a 3-D glass and fridge magnet

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Malacca (CC BY-SA 4.0).