Multi Cultural Malacca

Malacca City is the oldest Malaysian city on the Strait of Malacca, having become a successful entrepôt in the era of the Malacca Sultanate. The city was founded in 1396 by Parameswara, a Sumatran prince who escaped to the Malay Peninsula.

Renowned as a UNESCO World Heritage site blending Malay, Chinese, and European colonial influences, its key attractions include the red-hued Dutch Square, A Famosa fort, and Jonker Street which is known for its rich Nyonya cuisine.

The city is famous for its Peranakan (Nyonya) culture, a blend of Chinese and Malay traditions, especially evident in street and shop house architecture and food, such as Nonya Laksa and Ayam Pongteh.

Following the establishment of the Malacca Sultanate in 1400, the city drew the attention of traders from the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, as well as the Portuguese, who intended to dominate the trade route in Asia.

After Malacca was conquered by Portugal in 1511, the city became an area of conflict when the sultanates of Aceh and Johor attempted to take control from the Portuguese.

Following a number of wars between these territories, Aceh declined in influence while Johor survived and expanded its influence over territory previously lost to Aceh in Sumatra.

Johor co-operated with the Dutch to take Malacca from the Portuguese, who had come to establish dominance over Java and Maluku Islands. Then the British arrived to establish their presence in the Malay Peninsula. The Dutch, who already felt threatened in the presence of the British, following the signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824.

When the British succeeded in extending their influence over the Malay Peninsula, the city soon became an area of development under the Straits Settlements as part of the expanding British Empire in Asia

In 2008 it was listed, together with George Town of Penang, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site .In 2019 it had a population of 579,000.[1]

The economy of Malacca today is largely based on tourism. The city is located along the Maritime Silk Road, proposed by China in 2013. Among the tourist attractions are Porta de Santiago, Jonker Walk, Little India, the Portuguese Settlement, the Dutch era Stadthuys, the Maritime Museum, the British era Christ Church, and the Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum .

Destination: Malaysia