The first place I ever visited in Malaysia was Malacca, the famous port city for which the adjacent strait is named after.

Malacca has a very mixed background. It used to be a powerful Malay sultanate, but was conquered by the Portuguese in 1511, who in turn were defeated by the Dutch in 1641. In the early 19th century, the British then took Malacca from the Dutch (mirroring what they did with South Africa’s Cape Town and Galle in Sri Lanka) and Malacca became a Straits Settlement, a status shared with Penang. After the British gave up its Malay colonies and settlements, Malacca became part of the Federation of Malaya, which eventually became Malaysia.

Malacca’s main historical colonial sights are Dutch, such as the distinguished Stadthuys and the Christ Church, both of which dominate the Red Square. Malacca also has several streets filled with historical buildings and a small lively Chinatown, also known as Jonkers street. Malacca isn’t very big and the main sights are concentrated in Red Square and the adjacent streets so one or two days is quite enough. As Malacca is over 120 km from Kuala Lumpur and a two-hour bus journey away, I had thought of doing a daytrip from Kuala Lumpur. I decided to stay overnight instead, which turned out to be a good decision.

Red Square features Christ Church and a distinctive red clock tower alongside the Stadthuys, a long, elegant building that was built by the Dutch in 1650 as the governor’s administrative building, then became a school under the British. It now houses Malacca’s history museum and features informative exhibits and paintings of historical events.

Further up from the Stadthuys on a very small hill are small museums highlighting Malaysian literature and democracy as well as the former house of the Dutch governor (all covered by one entry fee). The governor’s house is very exquisite and richly decorated while the democracy museum is worth a short visit. The Malaysian literature museum hardly has any English info for its exhibits so you can give it a miss.

At the top of the hill is the ruins of St Paul’s Church, which still features the graves of several European settlers. The shell of the church remains intact but the roof is missing. Built by the Portuguese and then taken over by the Dutch, the church was abandoned after the Dutch built Christ Church in Red Square. On the other side of the small hill is a surviving gate of A Formosa, a 16th century Portuguese fortress that was torn down by the British.

Jonkers Street is across from Red Square, on the other side of the canal. It’s filled with old buildings, temples, and stores. It was especially festive when I went as it was during Chinese New Year, with Chinese lanterns and umbrellas strung up over the street, but the buildings are the main attraction.

Another good street to visit is Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock or Heeren Street, which also has a lot of historic buildings, including the Baba & Nyonya Museum and mansions. Baba & Nyonya refers to the community of mixed Chinese-Malays, also known as Peranakan, in Malaysia and Singapore and who have a distinct culture and language. This street is parallel to Jonkers Street and a little less quieter with less restaurants but grander buildings such as the Chee Ancestral Mansion (see below).

In the surrounding streets, there are Chinese and Hindu temples, and a mosque. As these three places of worship are close to each other, the street where the mosque is located, Jalan Tukang Emas, is also called Harmony Street. The Chinese temple Cheng Hoon Teng, is a place to worship Buddhism, Taoism and Confucism. It is also Malaysia’s oldest Chinese temple, having been built in 1673.

Near the canal, before you reach the bridge to cross over to Red Square, are some huge murals on the side of buildings, like in the first photo in this post. There are more historical and cultural sights such as the Malay Sultanate Palace museum and Maritime museum so if you have time, check those out too. While my time in Malacca was brief, it was a good introduction to Malaysia with its attractive colonial buildings and laidback (but not dowdy or boring) nature.

Christ Church, behind the clock tower, and the Stadthuys, right, at Red Square

Jonkers Street

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Malaysia’s oldest Chinese temple
St Paul’s Church ruin

Democratic Government Museum, up the hill from the Stadthuys

Doors of a Chinese temple in Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren Street)