Tourists are crazy about Malacca! I can attest to that because on my last visit here, the moment I got off the local bus at the historical center I was startled by its heavy uproar. It was a jam-packed weekend and faceless crowd swarmed Jonker Walk. It may be another tourist trap but the beautiful blend of mixed cultural heritage makes it a worthy stop over before crossing to Singapore.
Malacca (also called Melaka) is one of the UNESCO World Heritage site in peninsular Malaysia. It was one of the richest kingdoms in the world back then due to its spices and textiles. Malacca has rich Malay cultural roots and was involved in the Asian maritime trade. The Malay sultanate was invaded by the Portuguese sometime in 1511 but only little memories of Portuguese colonization remains today, unlike those of the Dutch.
The historical city center of the state is dominated by the Dutch Square where the red-painted thick-wall Christ Church, colonial buildings and museums stand. A graceful old fashioned fountain dedicated to the crowning of England's Queen Victoria stands at the center of the sprawling Dutch Square dotted with lovely vivid flowers. And one can't help but notice drivers enticing tourists with their charming flower-covered rickshaws.
Malacca is saturated by over 900 historical establishments! And I have seen a lot in the rushing Chinatown alone which is mobbed by curious tourists. There is also that crazy queue outside Jonkers88, antique shoppers, and food vendors by the sidewalk. Chinese red lanterns hanging on the streets, restaurants serving Asian dishes, bakeries, jewelry stores, and old colonial shop houses offering lustful bargains oddly blending with Chinese temples, mosques and Old Catholic churches are testaments to the diverse cultural make up of Malacca.
The rich history of this province that was once colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and British is one good reason why many tourists are obviously crazy about this quintessential state.
FROM YAHOO! SINGAPORE-TRAVEL
*back into the abyss of death*
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