Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
al attempts to acquire Bukit China for road widening, land reclamation or development
purposes. Fortunately, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, with strong community support, has
thwarted these attempts.
In the middle of the 15th century the sultan of Melaka imported the Ming emperor's
daughter from China as his bride, in a move to seal relations between the two countries.
She brought with her a vast retinue, including 500 handmaidens, to Bukit China and it has
been a Chinese area ever since.
Poh San Teng Temple
sits at the base of the hill and was built
in 1795. To the right of the temple is the
King's Well
, a 15th-century well built by Sultan
Mansur Shah.
ST PETER'S CHURCH
(Jln Bendahara)
St Peter's Church is the oldest functioning Catholic church in Malaysia, built
in 1710 by descendants of early Portuguese settlers. On Good Friday the church comes
alive when Melakan Christians flock here, many of them making it the occasion for a trip
home from far-flung parts of the country.
CHURCH
KAMPUNG CHITTY
As well as the Baba-Nonya, Melaka also has a small community of Chitty - Straits-born
Indians, offspring of the Indian traders who intermarried with Malay women. Having ar-
rived in the 1400s, the Chitties are regarded as older than the Chinese-Malay Peranakan
community. Their area of town, known as Kampung Chitty, lies west of Jln Gajah Berang,
about 1km northwest of Chinatown; look for the archway with elephant sculptures beside
the Mutamariman Temple. It's a pretty district in which to wander and see Malay-style
houses. The tiny
Chitty Museum
(
NEIGHBOURHOOD
9.30am-5pm Tue-Sun)
is a community effort with
281 1289;
a collection of colourful artefacts.
The best time to visit is in May, during the
Mariamman Festival
(Pesta Datuk Charchar), a
Hindu celebration during which you might also be fortunate enough to witness a tradition-
al Indian wedding ceremony.
LITTLE INDIA
Heading east from Kampung Chitty, past Chinatown and across the river, is Melaka's sur-
prisingly plain Little India. While it's not nearly as charming as the historic centre or Ch-
inatown, this busy area along Jln Bendahara and Jln Temenggong is a worthwhile place
for soaking up some Indian influence and grabbing an excellent banana-leaf meal. During
NEIGHBOURHOOD
