CYCLAMEN Cottage

The Dutch Square, also known as The Stadthuys, was built in 1650 as the official residence of the Dutch Governor. It now houses the Historic and Ethnography Museum, which has many fine traditional bridal costumes and relics on display.

The red-brick Clock Tower, next to Stadthuys, was built in 1886 in honour of successful Chinese tycoon Tan Beng Swee.

Christ Church (Red Church) was built in 1753 by the Dutch. Christ Church is still currently a functioning Protestant church. There are tombstones incorporated into the floor of the church. The tombstones are written in Portuguese and were originally in St. Paul's Church.

Now a ruin, it was originally built by a Portuguese captain. The chapel was turned by the Dutch into a burial ground for their noble dead and renamed 'St. Paul's Church' from the Portuguese's 'Our Lady of the Hill'. St Francis Xavier was briefly enshrined here in 1553 before being shipped to Goa, India.

Babas and Nyonyas are offspring of inter-racial marriages, generally between a Chinese male and a native non-Muslim female. Also called Peranakan or Straits Chinese, they became a culturally distinct community, from which a unique range of attire, customs, architecture, language and cuisine evolved. The featured museum, a private enterprise housed in a beautifully restored ancestral home dating back to mid 19th century, is a rare treasure which succinctly captures the aura of an interesting culture. At the heart of its charm is an archive of costumes and knick-knacks that once served the Peranakan lifestyle.

Jonker Street is a must visit when you are in Malacca! Once the rich man's street, it is now a living proof of Malacca's rich baba-nyonya heritage. It has some of the oldest houses in the country, dating way back to 17th century; it is therefore known unofficially as the antique street. The buildings are immaculately constructed with elaborate carvings on its pillars and walls. The narrow street is famous amongst the locals for selling antiques and artefacts of different eras. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Jonker Street transforms into a night bazaar offering a variety of home-made cakes and souvenirs.

Built by the Portuguese in 1511 as a fortress to protect the spice trade route, it sustained severe structural damage during the Dutch invasion. The Dutch had set to destroy it but timely intervention by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1808 saved what remains of A' Famosa today, the Porta de Santiago gate.

Prominent in its Sumatran architectural grandeur, the mosque, one of the oldest in the country, is unique and bears testimony to the fact that Islam existed in Malacca almost 600 years ago. The Tranquerah Mosque reflects both Chinese and Indian influences in its architectural design. This is especially evident in the tall, pagoda-shaped minarets and three-layered roofs.

Built in 1645 by Kapitan Lee Wei King with building materials imported from China, Cheng Hoon Teng is the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia. The temple is decorated with beautiful and fine workmanship of mythological figures and carvings. In 2003, Cheng Hoon Teng was awarded a UNESCO award for outstanding architectural restoration.

This was the primary location of congregations of Portuguese Catholics who had it constructed in 1710, during the period of Dutch rule. Now it qualifies as the oldest Catholic Church in Malaysia and still serves resident worshippers of the Catholic faith. They include descendants of the 600 men that Alfonso d'Albuquerque brought ashore after his conquest of Malacca. The existing bell in the belfry states the date and place of manufacture as 1608 - Goa, and was salvaged from an older church the Dutch had burned down. There is also an alabaster statue of the Lord before the Resurrection.