The town of Malacca has several major tourist attractions such as the Dutch Square, Christ Church, Stadthuys, Bell Tower, St. Paul's Church and A' Farmosa. We will explore them one by one.
Holland Square
This is what locals call "red squares." The first thing that catches the eye is the bright red paint on the buildings around the Dutch square. Contrary to popular belief, the Dutch did not paint this place in red. In fact, the buildings were actually built with open-air bricks, but the bricks began to leak, so the Dutch covered them with plaster and painted them white. Later, the British painted them bright squid powder, and now the Malacca Town Council painted them in red.
But the theory of why this place is painted red is still abound. Some are very interesting. Some people say they were painted red to replicate the Dutch red brick house because the Dutch missed their hometown. Another said that the British wanted to separate British buildings from Dutch buildings, so they painted them red. Another reason is that locals hate colonial Dutch people and use betel nuts to discharge red juice to buildings and betel nuts, so buildings must be covered with red paint.
Regardless of its origin, Red has attracted many newlywed Chinese newlyweds in Malaysia who use the Dutch Square as a backdrop for wedding photos. In Chinese culture, red symbolizes prosperity.
There are a lot of colorful tricycles around, which makes the whole place full of energy and prosperity.
The nearby fountain is the Queen Victoria Fountain, built by the British in 1901 to commemorate the Diamond Day. Walk around and even see the Queen's carvings.
Christian church
Christ Church is the grand red building of Malacca and the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia. It is also the oldest Dutch church outside the Netherlands.
After 12 years of construction, it was completed in 1753. The church uses traditional Dutch church buildings; rectangular floor plans, huge walls, red granite blocks and Dutch roof tiles. These bricks are specially imported from Zeeland in the Netherlands. The church was built to commemorate the Dutch rule in Malacca and to provide a place of worship for the Dutch. In fact, the road where the church is located is called Jalan Gereja or Church Street.
People don't miss the striking white cross and the bells on the top of the church. Bell and the weathervane were actually joined by the British after the Dutch temporarily took over Malacca. But there is an unusual fact about the bell - the history of the inscription dates back to 1698, which is 55 years before the church was built, indicating that it can be used for other purposes before it hangs on top of the church.
In the Christian church, pay attention to the handcrafted benches dating back more than 200 years. Don't miss the huge overhead beams on the roof; they are actually cut from a tree without joints. On the wall, you will also see some decorative fan lights and plaques to commemorate those who died in this tropical country. The strange thing about these patches is that they are Catholics but placed in Protestant churches. Historians believe that highly religious Dutch people cannot do this and speculate that they could have been installed by the British. There is a wooden sign to commemorate the local planters who died during the Second World War, many of which have Armenian inscriptions. Two of them read: "Greetings! You are reading the tablet of the grave I am sleeping now. Give me news, the freedom of my compatriots, I have made a lot of crying to them. If there is a good one among them The guardian governs and maintains, vainly thinking about the world seeing a good shepherd to take care of the scattered flock."
Another person wrote: "I, Jacob, the grandson of Shamir, an Armenian of a respected family, my name, born in Persia near Inelli, my parents are now sleeping there forever. Wealth took me to the distant Malacca. My body was bound. On July 7, 1774, I was separated from the world at the age of 29, and my body was stored on the land I bought."
The Brass Bible in the first line of John's Gospel is engraved in the Netherlands. Finally, a replica of the famous "Last Supper" painting will be found.
This church was once attended by the Lutheran Church of the Netherlands and is now attended by Anglicans.
Red House
Standing on the fountain facing the Christian church, on the right is Stadthuys.
After the Dutch seized Malacca from the Portuguese, it was built in 1650 and became the official residence of the Dutch Governor. It mimics the former Stadthuys in the town of Hoorn, the Netherlands, and now no longer exists. Stadthuys is considered to be the oldest Dutch building in the east. Until the end of the Dutch government, the building served as the municipal center of the town. When the British took over, they continued to use it as a civic center. Many important decisions affecting the history of Malaysia were carried out in the four walls of Stadthuys. It now has a museum of history, ethnography and literature.
A recent excavation showed that there were Portuguese settlements under Stadthuys. I found a drainage system that you can see at the moment you walk in. There are also sea stones and a well, which is said to be from the Portuguese. In fact, if you can find a parking lot in front of Stadthuys, historians believe that the original part of A'Farmosa Fort is below it.
Looking at Stadthuys, it is not difficult to imagine the governor standing on the balcony, and the cleverly dressed Dutch army caught the attention and tribute to them in the square.
Stadthuys is the perfect starting point for learning about the historic city of Malacca. Inside, it shows the glorious past of Malacca, including the influence of Malays and Chinese. One can also see the profound influence of the three main colonialists in Malacca - the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. People can also see the room of the Dutch Governor inside.
Inside Stadthuys is the statue of Admiral Zheng He in the right courtyard. He is a famous seafarer in China and leads China to expeditions all over the world.
Stadthuys is now declared a national heritage.
St. Paul's Church
The climbers will see the white statues of St. Francis Xavier and greet them as they climb to the top. Among his 11-year-old Asian missionaries, St. Francis used to climb the mountain and pray in this church. He is hailed as a miracle, including raising the rights of the deceased in this church. A story tells about St. Francis Xavier, who greeted the locals when he arrived in Malacca and began to shout out the names of the children who surrounded him. Another saying is that when the storm came, he was on a boat in the sea of Malacca. The saint took out his cross and dipped it into the sea, and the storm disappeared immediately. However, the cross slipped from his hand and fell into the sea. The next day, when they arrived safely on the shore, a crab came out of the sea and ran towards his paws in the direction of the saints, standing his cross upright. Before the cross with crustaceans returned to the sea, the saints were kneeling in prayer.
Sharp visitors will notice that the statue's right arm is missing. The statue was recently built in 1952 and was dedicated one morning, but a tree fell on the arm and broke it. To this day, it still stands in front of St. Paul's Church without a right arm.
St. Paul's Church was built in 1521 by the Portuguese captain Duarte Coelho. It used to be called 'Nosa Senhora' or 'Our Lady of the Hill' and was used as a church. When the Dutch took over Malacca from the Portuguese, the church was used as a place of prayer for 112 years until they built the Christian church at the foot of the mountain. The Dutch renamed Nosa Senhora to St. Paul's Church. After the completion of the Christian church, this place no longer needs to be a place of prayer and become a cemetery. When the British took over Malacca in 1824, St. Paul's Church lost its tower. However, the British added a lighthouse in front of it. The church is no longer used as a place of worship, but rather a convenient warehouse for British gun powder.
Inside, there are many tombstones with Dutch lettering. These are the tombstones of many Dutch colonialists who left their homes and settled on this strange tropical land. Many of them are famous Dutch and Portuguese settlers. People will also see an open grave that is now covered by a grille. This was the temporary nine-month burial site of St. Francis Xavier, and his body was taken to Goa, India. It is said that his meat is very fresh. When he was dug out, when he accidentally cut, the blood even flowed out of his fingers. In order for him to be a saint, the church needs a relic, so his right arm is cut off. It is said that when it is cut, fresh blood flows out again.
Now, remember the statue on the road without the right arm? Just a coincidence? I will leave you with the decision.
Around the church, people will see the Straits of Malacca. There have been Indian, Arab, Chinese and other trading vessels vying for space. Later Dutch and Portuguese warships arrived at threat numbers, and today people may see a solitary tanker.
'Famosa
Porta de Santiago, or English, the door of St. James is the only remaining gateway to the large fortress A' Famosa that the Portuguese built after capturing Malacca in 1511.
Using forced labor, as well as the interference of many graves and the flattening of many buildings, A' Famosa took five months to build. The fort originally had four towers and the walls were 2.4 meters thick. There are 70 cannons around...
Orignal From: What you don't know about Malacca Town
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