Melaka: a former Dutch and Portugese colony

The city has descended from its status as the capital of pre-colonial trade to a sleepy back water of Malaysian society.

Somewhere along that route, it has become one of the most overlooked and under-rated destinations in Southeast Asia.

Melaka was founded in about 1390 by a Malay prince named Parameswara (pronounced: Pah-rah-ma-swah-rah).

His family had previously ruled on of the most powerful and longest lasting kingdoms in history: Sri Vijaya.

To give you some idea of the strength of this heritage, the Malay Empire of Sri Vijaya has lasted 640 years and ruled much of Southeast Asia.

By comparison, the British Empire lasted only 300 years, China's Han Dynasty 426 years, the Roman Empire 541 years, and the Ottoman Empire 592 years. Many historians consider Melaka to be a continuation or successor to Sri Vijaya.

Sri Vijaya was in decline when Parameswara was driven from his capital in the Sumatran city of Palambang by a Javanese army.

He fled first to Singapore and then moved on to Melaka to re-establish himself.

A Chinese temple in Melaka

Melaka's position on the Straits of Malacca made the port a rich kingdom.

Gujarati and Arab merchants came to buy the products of China and Indonesia and carried them away to sell to the French and Italians. Melaka became powerful and wealthy.

Today a walk through the streets of Melaka constitutes a tour through almost 500 years of colonial history.

Some examples include:

• Stadthuys, the oldest Dutch built structure in Asia. The massive pink marble structure now holds government offices and a museum.
• St. Pauls Church was built by the Portuguese in the 1500's and frequented by the Catholic missionary, Francis Xavier. Xavier's body was placed on display in the church for 9 months in 1553 before it was ships back to Goa. The church is a ruin today; the British used it as a gun powder store.
• St. Peter's Church is the oldest functioning Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia, dating back to 1710.
• Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, founded in 1646, is the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia. It was built entirely by craftsmen brought from China and all the material was imported.
• A 'Famosa' is the old Portuguese fortress built in 1511 and damaged during the Dutch Invasion.

The richness of the city's history is not confined to physical structures like churches and forts.

The Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho made seven trips to Melaka, the first in 1409.

In 1414 Parameswara converted from Hinduism (the predominant religion of the region at the time) to Islam; the Malay world followed him into the new religion.

The Portuguese captured Melaka in 1511; the Dutch took it from the Portuguese in 1641; Britian acquired it in under the Treaty of London in 1824.

Two years after coming under British control, Melaka was incorporated into the Straits Settlements along with Penang and Singapore.

For those not interested in history itself there is still plenty to do in Melaka.

There is a water park, a zoo, a crocodile park, and a butterfly farm in Melaka.

A' Famosa Animal World Safari covers 150 acres and holds over 1000 animals, including Sumatran tigers, orang utans, elephants, chimpanzees, giraffes and numerous bird species.

Melaka Zoo boasts 214 species in thier natural settings.

And the Butterfly farm has an exhibit of over 400 insects and some of the rarer species of butterflies.

For more information on Melaka or for travelling to Malaysia, contact Tourism Malaysia, 1-888-689-6872.