Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, then British rule - Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca 1223; Dondang Sayang 01410; Ong Chun/Wangchuan/Wangkang ceremony, rituals and related practices for maintaining the sustainable connection between man and the ocean 01608
What and Why
I have to say there is a bit of a disrespect to both George Town and Melaka that they have to 'share' or 'co-own' a UNESCO WHS when they have so much to offer individually in terms of history and culture compared to many other WHS. Moreover other than the shared fact they have been colonised by Europeans, the two sites offer distinctly different experiences, cultures and history.
Melaka (then Malacca), similar to George Town has a good harbour across the narrow straits, favourable for maritime commerce. Malacca's fortunes soon increased with its official adoption of Islam in the 14th century CE and since then the state was soon attracting Arab traders on spice trades. Then came Chinese Muslim Admiral Zheng He (Chinese: 郑和) in the mid-15th century CE, and contact between China and Malacca intensified. In exchange for protection against Ayutthaya (Thai: อยุธยา), Malacca actually became a powerful vassal state to Ming (Chinese: 明) China, in order to secure Malacca's safety.
Things started to change with the arrival of the Portuguese in the early 16th century CE. The Portuguese turned the city into a massive walled fortress, to withstand the encroachments of other European powers eager for the Asian trade.
In the mid-17th century CE, the Dutch conquered the area and much of the Portuguese city was destroyed. However in the late 18th century CE, Netherlands was conquered by the France in Europe and lost its admiral prowess, and the British were keen to take over Malacca from the Dutch. The Dutch and British governments actually swapped colonies as a result: British Bencoolen in Sumatra for Dutch Malacca. By that time, Malacca had lost most of its former glory, although it still remained as an important part of Asian trade routes.
With these continuous interchanges of being a Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British colony, the city oozes heritage.
Toponymy
The name of Melaka is now mostly attributed to the Hindu Prince Parameswara (Sanskrit: परमेश्वर) who founded the city or state. The legend goes that Parameswara was out on a hunt in the region and had stopped for a rest along the present Malacca River. Standing under the shade of a melaka (Indian gooseberry) tree he was surprised to witness one of his hunting dogs so startled by a chevrotain that it fell into the river. Parameswara took this as a sign of the weak overcoming the powerful and decided to build and name the capital of his new kingdom around where the melaka tree stood. In 2017 CE, the state has decided to eradicate on the old name Malacca and replaced it with Melaka.
See
Given the long history of colonisation, there are mixes of Chinese, peranakan, Dutch, Portuguese and British elements of heritage in everything they visit in Melaka, in fact in a very tiny 2 km radius. This is very unique blend of diaspora unwitnessed in any other city. Observe the blend-in between one monument with another, of different cultures and times.
Stadthuys
The Stadthuys (in Old Dutch meaning city hall) is an iconic historical structure situated in the heart of Melaka. The Stadthuys is well-known for its red exterior and nearby red clocktower. It was built by the Dutch in 1650 CE as the office of the Dutch Governor. A little trivia: The clocktower is called the Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower. It looks Dutch, but it is actually built by Tang's family in 1886 CE to commemorate Tang's monetary contribution to the city.
The Queen Victoria Fountain was built in 1901 CE by the British to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria (née Victoria Hanover). The Queen Victoria Fountain is probably one of the last traces of the British colonial era in Malaysia.
Christ Church (Gereja Christ)
Christ Church (Malay: Gereja Christ) is an 18th-century CE Anglican church in Melaka, as in the top picture. The church was built by the Dutch in 1741 CE and was transferred to the British East India Company in the early 18th century CE. The church was originally white, the church and the neighbouring Stadthuys building was only painted red in the 20th century CE and remained the colour ever since. Together with the Stadthuys, the landmark piazza, nicknamed the 'Red Square', has become the main icon and photospot of Melaka.
Saint Paul's Church (Gereja Saint Paul)
You will be forgiven if this monument makes you mistake it for Macao (Chinese: 澳門, Aomen) and its main icon, the Ruins of Saint Paul (Chinese: 大三巴牌坊, Dasanbapaifang). After all both are ruined church on top of a small hill with similar style. This church, while not huge, is actually the oldest church in Southeast Asia and built by a Portuguese administrator Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude following his escape from a storm in the South China Sea in the early 16th century CE. While being a Portuguese leftover, many of the Dutch tombstone evacuated from nearby are placed inside the church, dating back as early as the 15th century CE.
In the 1950s CE, a statue of Saint Francis Xavier (Latin: Franciscus Xaverius, né Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta) was erected in front of the ruins of the church in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Xavier's sojourn in then Malacca. A day after the statue was consecrated, a large tree fell on it and broke its right arm. Incidentally, the right forearm of Xavier was detached in 1614 CE as a relic, and people resisted to repair the statue and hence the broken arm on the statue.
A Famosa
A Famosa, meaning 'the famous' in Portuguese, is a former Portuguese fortress located at the bottom of the Saint Paul's hill. The main ruin Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, is the only part of the fortress which still remains today, as is famous for being one of those rare European fortresses that remains in Southeast Asia. Archaeological evacuation continues and there are scattered discoveries of other forts nearby. The more recent one is Bastion Middleburg near Stadthuys.
Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum (Muzium Istana Kesultanan Melaka)
Against common belief, this museum is not a former palace but was constructed in the 1980s CE to model former Malay palaces. A very good museum about the history of Malaysia. Just next to A Famosa.
Jonker and Heeren Street (Jalan Jonker, Jalan Heeren)
The main Chinese market streets in Melaka and where the night market (pasar malam) is located. Pretty much you can find anything you want along the street, day and night. Most of the Chinese clanhouses are located along this street. The street architecture is the traditional Chinese qilou (Chinese: 騎樓) style and are reasonably well preserved.
Clanhouses (Rumah keluarga)
Similar to George Town, there are a number of important Chinese clanhouses (Chinese: 會館, huiguan) in Melaka, although they are not as excessively decorated and massive as in George Town, but certainly not because they are less affluent. Unlike the George Town counterpart, they are usually not open for public visit but really serves as the clan's main social or business area. The more prominent ones, all along Jonker Street, are the clanhouses of Fujian (Chinese: 福建), Yongchun (Chinese: 永春), Chaozhou (Chinese: 潮州) and Leizhou (Chinese: 雷州).
Cheng Hoon Teng (Kuil Cheng Hoon Teng)
Cheng Hoon Teng (Kuil Cheng Hoon Teng, Chinese: 青雲亭, qingyunting) is a very ornate Chinese temple practising Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Built in 1645 CE, it is the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia.
The temple is situated along Goldsmith Street (Jalan Tukang Emas), also known as 'Harmony Street' because of its proximity to the Masjid Kampung Kling and Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple, the three main ethnic religions in Malaysia. The street symbolises the harmonious integration of ethnicity and faith in Malaysia, in particular Melaka.
Masjid Kampung Kling
A former Hindu temple, reconstructed to become a mosque by the Indian Muslim community. The temple features multiple architectural styles: the minaret is very Chinese-pagoda like; the interior features Indian decoration and many of the wall decors and motifs are European. It stands next to the Cheng Hoon Teng.
Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum (Muzium Warisan Baba Nyonya)
As a result from the Chinese exchanges in the 16th century CE, Malacca forged a peranakan (descendant) culture. When Chinese settlers came to Malacca as a workforce, they took local brides of Javanese descent and adopted many local customs. Sometimes the reverse happened when the bride came from China to forge marriage of commercial and political interest. This results in an interesting fusion of local and Chinese cultures, especially food, clothing and lifestyle. The men are addressed as baba and the women nyonya by their servants meaning master and mistress at their then local language.
The Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum (Muzium Warisan Baba Nyonya) is a very well organised presentation of the pernanakan lifestyle and culture, of course gauged towards the rich. The museum was built and managed by a real peranakan family and is known for its elaborate woodwork, furniture, and porcelain.
One interesting fact is the squarish block on the roof at the entrance in the picture below. This is the peephole in the olden days, when the residents check out the visitors from the floor of first floor. The museum is absolutely worth a visit and the guide provides a fabulously choreographed description of the peranakan culture in Malaysia.
Portuguese Settlement (Kampung Portugis)
The Portuguese Settlement (Kampung Portugis) is an area of near Melaka which serves as a home for the Malaysian ethnic group with mixed Portuguese and Malay heritage, originating from the time of the Portuguese rule in Melaka during the 16th to 17th century CE. These people are called Kristang, the word coming from the Portuguese creole Kristang meaning Christian. The plot of land was purchased for them in the 1930s CE to help them settle in the country. The creole of the area has since disappeared though.
The Kristang people follows many other Portuguese-speaking communities around the world, and holds a yearly 'June festival' that opens with Feast of Saint John (Portuguese: Festa de São João) on the 24th June and closes with the Feast of San Peter (Portuguese: Festa de São Pedro) on the 29th June every year.
The place is now a bit run-down and presents nothing touristy or developed, except for some Portuguese-spelling signboards.
Buy and Do
Ong Chun Festival (Perayaan Ong Chun)
In 2017 CE, during my umpteenth visit to Melaka, I was fortunate to witness and participate in the Ong Chun Festival (Perayaan Ong Chun, Chinese: 王舡, Wangkang). Ong Chun literally means the vessel of the king, is a Chinese traditional Taoist (Chinese: 道教) event that came from the Hokkien community with the aim of getting rid of evil spirits, especially those harming seafaring, fisheries and the weather.
This particular festival is unusual in the sense that this is not organised regularly like annually or every few years. It is organised irregularly at five to seven years interval since the late 19th century CE. The festival is only held when the deity, Ong Yah (Hokkien: 皇爺), meaning the lord, receives a message from heaven to hold the event to get rid of evil spirits around, probably due to bad weather or epidemic. Scientifically from my academic expertise, this corresponds roughly to the El-Niño Southern Oscillation cycle, or technically La Niña when there is a change in climatic patterns, and hence excessive storms. After all Melaka was a major coastal port and hence the necessity for this blessing with respect to the weather.
The highlight of the festival is the loud procession of a big barge around Melaka to symbolise peaceful seafaring. At the end of the procession, the spirits are 'cremated' by the burning of the ship. The devotees hope this will bring good luck, peace, prosperity and happiness to Melaka and a harmonious relationship between man and the sea.
This grand and costly religious procession was introduced to Melaka by Hokkien community from the Chinese province of Fujian (Chinese: 福建). These migrants worship these folk deities or Ong Yah, as they did in China. This tradition continue until today in Malaysia, much more closely to tradition than in China, as communism forbids superstition and these folk traditions have largely evaporated in China.
This festival bears witness to the inter-cultural dialogues among the Chinese communities between Fujian and Melaka, although there are various forms of similar worships and rituals in other parts of Malaysia, Taiwan, China and Indonesia by the local Chinese clans. This is a recent joint ICH inscription between China and Malaysia.
Dondang Sayang
In various official functions in Melaka, one would be treated with the folk performance of Dondang Sayang, literally meaning a love ballad. The performance originates from Malacca, probably derived from the Chinese mountain song (Chinese: 山歌, shan'ge) during the peranakan era in the 15th century CE, while the music were strongly influenced by the Portuguese. The folk performance is now a recognised icon of Melaka and is the main performance item during official events. The song usually involves a couple reciting various Malay love or kindness stories, one after the other, in a light-hearted or humourous exchanges.
This is now inscribed as an ICH, and while it shows similarity to other traditional operas, this one is more light-hearted and more enjoyable, than many traditional performances.
Eat and Drink
Nyonya cuisine (Masakan Baba Nyonya)
Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya cuisine comes from the peranakans. The cuisine combines Chinese, Malay, Indonesian and other influences unique to the region, and Melaka is the best place to sample the cuisine.
The main feature of the cuisine is its strongly tangy, aromatic, spicy taste and aroma. Moreover the cuisine uses a lot of paste during its preparation, and most interestingly pork is not frowned upon in this cuisine in Malaysia. Nyonya desserts include colourful, sweet and sticky cakes (kuih). There are plenty of nyonya restaurants around in Melaka, and one of the best around is Makko. Highly recommended and very affordable!
Satay celup (Sate celup)
The other food that is uniquely Melaka would have to be my personal but favourite choice of satay celup (sate celup), meaning dipping satay. Effectively it is a hybrid of hotpot and satay, in which you cook your skewered raw food by dipping into a thick 'recycled' satay sauce! The whole experience is just ultra gung-ho and the chef keeps on replacing the spicy sauce into the pot. The most famous is the eatery Capitol which apparently is the one who invented this whole trend. Be prepared to wait in the queue for an hour and give a try, but beware of a sore throat.
Stay
Quite a large number of the old clan houses or traditional shop lots have been converted to various types of hostels. They are fairly basic but offers a good cultural experience, especially they are in the smack of all actions. One thing to be aware: Many of these clan houses use timber as construction materials, so walking and talking can be quite noisy and disturbing to neighbours. We stayed in Tang House, not too bad.
Getting There and Around
Most of the sites above can be explored on foot, if you centred yourself around Jonker Street. Melaka is 1.5 h drive away from Kuala Lumpur. As in other parts of Malaysia, public transport is not very convenient and the main bus station is quite far from the main sights. Spend two to three days here.
UNESCO Inscriptions
Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century. Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.
Dondang Sayang is a traditional Malay art still practised in Melaka by four communities: the Malay, Baba Nyonya, Chitty and Portuguese communities. The practice combines elements of music (violins, gongs and tambourines or the tambour), songs and chants, and features beautiful melodious strains of poetry. Also known as love ballads, the songs are used by communities to convey feelings of love and give advice on special topics such as love and kindness. During the Melaka Sultanate era in the fifteenth century, Dondang Sayang was performed at Royal Palace ceremonies and events; subsequently, the performance became widespread among the communities concerned. Based on tradition, Dondang Sayang performances are accompanied by music and sung by two singers of the opposite sex, who sing in quatrains. Typically, Dondang Sayang singers are individuals who are highly competent and skilled in poetry recitation. Dongdang Sayang performances are open to all, irrespective of age, occupation, status or religion, and the art is considered as a means of conveying positive messages and sharing feelings of love, joy and sorrow that strengthen community bonding. Performances are held on a regular basis, especially during gatherings, festivals and parties, and nowadays many cultural programmes, activities and training activities are organized for those interested in participating and improving their singing and performance skills.
The Ong Chun ceremony and related practices are rooted in folk customs of worshipping Ong Yah, a deity believed to protect people and their lands from disasters. Developed in China’s Minnan region between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, the element is now centered in the coastal areas of Xiamen Bay and Quanzhou Bay, as well as in the Chinese communities in Melaka, Malaysia. Those who died at sea are considered as ‘good brothers’ who become lonely, wandering souls. The ceremony begins by people gathering at the seaside to welcome Ong Yah to temples or clan halls, while lamp poles are erected to summon ‘good brothers’ and deliver them from torment. In this way, the element has been celebrated as ‘doing good deeds’. Performances head the procession and clear a path for Ong Yah’s barge (wooden or paper-made models). These performances include gaojia and gezai opera, different dances, comprising dragon and lion dances, and puppet shows, among many others. The element evokes the historical memory of ancestors’ ocean-going, reshapes social connections when confronted with emergencies such as shipwrecks, and honours the harmony between man and the ocean. It also bears witness to the intercultural dialogue among communities.
References
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