21st F.A.I.R Conference 2009

Optional Tour

23rd October 2009 - 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Historic Melaka City

A City steeped in ancient history, Melaka was once a trading post for spices with traders arriving from all corners of the world. Melaka has a colorful history with her founder, the Malay Sultans, followed by intervention from the Dutch, Portuguese and even the Chinese, thus creating a very unique potpourri of diverse communities.

Our 150km journey to Melaka passes scenic plantations of rubber and oil palms, dotted with occasional villages. Our tour of Melaka begins at the river mouth, once nicknamed as the “Venice of the East”. The presence of quaint looking old barges and wooden boats laden with mangrove logs and charcoal for barter goods is a reminder of a trade being practiced centuries ago.

We will take a walk through the narrow Heeren Street and view fine old Dutch houses from the 17th century. We will also visit the Baba Nyonya Heritage Private Museum, the only of its kind in the country. A guided tour of its interior portrays the colourful history and heritage of the Peranakans, a unique culture born of a fusion between Chinese and Malay traditions.

After lunch, we will walk along Jonkers Street which is noted for its antique shops. We will then drop by Wah Aik Shoemaker, the only shop in the world that still make shoes for bounded feet.

We continue with a short walk on Harmony Street to see Kampung Kling Mosque, an old mosque with Sumatran architecture. We then move on to Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, founded by Kapitan China Lee Wei King, a fugitive who fled from China during the Ming Dynasty.

Next, we will then drive to see the red-hued Melaka Dutch Square, Christ Church and the unmistakable Studhuys (once used as the home for the Dutch Governor) which serve as reminders of the Dutch influence in Melaka.

We then drive to Padang Merdeka to see the remaining ruins of a Portuguese fort called A Formosa (built in 1511) with Porta De Santiago as the existing gateway of the fort. We get to climb up St. Paul’s Hill to explore St Paul’s Church, a roofless ruin where lays a statue and empty grave of St. Francis Xavier.

Before leaving Melaka, we drive around Bukit China (Chinese Hill) to see the largest ancestral burial ground of the early Chinese of Melaka outside China.

Note :

1. Lunch will be provided.
2. Please wear comfortable walking shoes as part of our tour involves some walking.
3. Subject to change if weather permits.