Five hundred years of multi-ethnic traditions and colonial influences from all over the world have made it a unique city, perennially "in the balance" between East and West: we are talking about the City of Malacca, not by chance included by UNESCO among the World Heritage Sites in 2008.
Malacca (also known by its original name of Melaka) is an essential stop during your holidays in Malaysia, especially if your destination is Peninsular Malaysia.
Malacca’s architecture and urban design show a mix of styles, shapes and colours, reflecting the succession of sovereign and colonial rule over the last 500 years. Malacca has been occupied over the centuries by various colonial powers who competed for control of commercial traffic. The Portuguese, Dutch and, most recently, the British have all been here. Not only that, but the city was also one of the bases of Chinese Admiral Zheng He, and was one of the first sites in Southeast Asia to have an influx of Chinese, who gave rise to the local Peranakan (or Baba Nyonya) culture.
To get an idea of this rich, eventful history that is open to so many outside influences, just stroll through the streets of the old town.
