Fah Thai Magazine May-June 2017

KL MALACCA PENANG
Clockwise
from Top Right
Homes sit with a view
of Malacca River.
Villa Sentosa is a
living museum with
household members
who welcome guests
and point out family
mementos.
Decorated rickshaws
carry visitors
around town.
Bottom, clockwise
Cheng Hook Teng,
a Taoist temple, was
founded in 1645 with
a design rooted in
the principles of
feng shui.
Christ Church, an
Anglican Church from
the 18th century, is
the oldest functioning
Protestant church in
the country.
People enjoy
the shopping
extravaganza that
defines Jonker Street.
MALACCA CITY
From the bustling city of George
Town, I headed to Malacca city, the
historical place which earned the
title of World Heritage Site in the
same year as George Town. Even
though my morning started in
Malacca quite early and I wandered
around the historic sites, I saw
a group of tourists already. This
fact alone can confirm the city’s
popularity.
Besides, the city shares quite
a similar diverse culture with
Penang. You can easily spot a
Chinese temple located near an
Islam mosque while seeing Indian
ladies in colourful saris walking
around the streets with local
Chinese people.
One of the impressive
landmarks of the city is Malacca
River. Cruising along the river at
night is quite a celebrated activity
among visitors. However, I opted
to explore the dynamic lives of
Malacca by foot instead. There is a
pathway along the river where you
can see the art murals sprawled
across the facades or even on
the hotel buildings. The murals
generally depict the stories of
Malay cultures such as traditional
dances, food and art.
Searching for Malacca’s art murals requires
a meandering walk amidst diversity. The
scenery ranges from a Malay village on the
riverside, or a Chinese temple near an Islam
mosque.
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The river path stretches all the
way to Morten Village, my next
destination. Morten Village is a
traditional Malay village situated
on the riverside with modern high
buildings in its background. It is
such a contrasting scene to see
where the past meets the modern
and how they can live harmoniously
together.
This place is preserved as
a heritage village of Malay. It
is possible to walk around and
explore the village where you can
find a unique traditional Malay
architecture, and local people are
still living in it. I stopped at the
place called Villa Sentosa. A local
told me that it is a kind of living
museum where you can enter and
see inside a home.
Entering someone’s house
without knowing them felt like it
might be an awkward experience.
Patima, an older lady living in a
1920s house and whose family
lived there for generations just
simply called me to come inside
and shared her warm hospitality.
It seemed like she was alone. She
kindly showed me around the
house and explained the stories
behind treasures such as family
photographs and wedding clothes.
The picturesque place welcomes
visitors free of charge but a
donation is encouraged. I spent
time inside the house for almost an
hour before saying goodbye to the
kind lady.
It seems like the traditional
Malay village is not that popular
among tourists, unlike any other
places since I noticed only a
handful of visitors here. But I
definitely rate this place as one of
the highlights of Malacca City apart
from other historic attractions such
as Jonker Street, Melaka Church,
Porta de Santiago, etc.
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