Kampung Hulu Mosque

Kampung Hulu Mosque (Malay: Masjid Kampung Hulu) is an old mosque in Malacca Town, Malacca, Malaysia.

Built in 1728, Masjid Kampung Hulu is the oldest functioning mosque in Malaysia in its original location, at the corner of Jalan Masjid Kampung Hulu and Jalan Masjid in the old commercial district, now dominated by Chinese shop-houses. Commissioned by the Dutch during their colonial occupation, the mosque was a result of a new policy of religious pluralism. Their colonial predecessors, the Portuguese, had destroyed all signs of non-Christian establishments upon their occupation in 1511.

Kampung Hulu Mosque today, with a row of four-and-a-half story shop houses on the left hand side of the picture. The wall has been expanded, and the old door at the entrance is no longer in sight.

This included the tearing down of Malacca's first mosque, which had reputedly stood across from where the Stadhuys, the 1650s Dutch town hall that also served as the offices of the Dutch East India Company stands today. The Dutch assigned coordinating "Kapitans" to head the local populations in the reconstruction of their places of worship. Dato Samsuddin Bin Arom, or Dato Shamsudin, was commissioned to build the Masjid Kampung Hulu. It was later renovated by Wazir Al Sheikh Omar bin Hussain Al-Attas.

" This fascinating and ancient mosque has a multi-tiered "meru" roof, which owes its inspiration to Hindu temples, and a watch-tower minaret typical of early mosques in Sumatera and Java."

Partly due to the Dutch encouragement of cultural cross-pollination, the style of the mosque is reflective of a Javanese mosque. The regionally characteristic roof consists of three ascending layers of flared pyramidal roofs, separated by gaps to allow direct air and light into the building. These tiers are held aloft by four great columns in the center extending to outer columns for the lower, wider roofs. The centralized vertical hierarchy lends the structure to a square plan only disrupted by a small section of the porch area of the iwan, which juts from the front of the mosque. Masjid Kampung Hulu does not employ the Javanese tradition of using timber as the material for the walls, and instead engages stone and brick. The mosque is similarly unique in its elevation from the ground on a low stone perimeter wall.

Like other Malaccan mosques, Chinese ornamentation is revealed in the Masjid Kampung Hulu, including the crown like pinnacle surmounting the roofs and the curved eaves. It further incorporates materials imported from the Chinese Qing Empire, such as ceramic roof and floor tiles. Masjid Kampong Hulu further asserts its distinctiveness in its use of carved sea stones lining the inside of the dome.

Its stone minaret is also distinctly Malaccan in its adherence to a pagoda-form. The Tranquerah mosque was built in Malacca in the same year. 

From another postcard, the Kampung Hulu mosque with a white rooftop could be more recent than the one on the previous postcard. We can see that the roof of the mosque was covered with zinc, and there were vehicles on the road that looked much more modern than the bullock-carts.

You can also see the Melaka River not too far away from the front of the mosque. The building on the left behind has disappeared and changed, whereas some buildings on the right behind the mosque have been demolished.

View the mosque roof.

From the most recent picture, it can be seen that on the left hand side of the river are a row of four-and-a-half storey buildings built about 30 years ago.

Kampung Hulu Mosque's appearance is still pretty much the same today as two centuries ago, only that the surroundings have changed drastically over the years.

The 283-year-old mosque remains an important place for Muslims to visit and offer their prayers.

Address : Jalan Tokong  Melaka
Tel : 06-282 6526

Melaka Duck Tours

Objective Melaka Duck Tours is attracting tourists to experience and witness the beauty of the land and sea of Malacca by visiting the city's use of these two worlds.

There's a yellow kiosk of this Malaccan tour which stands beside Menara Taming Sari opposite Dataran Pahlawan.

This is an amphibious transport truck, developed by the United Stated during WWII, is definitely the most entertaining way to explore Melaka.

Although its Donald Duck-esque mascot is a little cheesy, this more or less one-hour journey will take you to visit all of Malacca’s historic sites in one go.

The tour guide is particularly entertaining as she doles out little details about Malacca’s attractions in a booming TV-show-announcer tone of voice.

Famous ducks who’ve made their names across the world include Donald and Daisy duck, the ugly duckling and the Peking duck. Ride on another famous duck taking the world by storm with today’s deal: RM28.50 instead of RM38 for an adult ticket on the Melaka Duck Tours.

Fun and exciting for all ages, the Melaka Duck Tours allows tourists to experience and view what Melaka has to offer on land and sea by touring the city on this amphibious vehicle. Lasting between 45 to 60 minutes, the tour takes you around Melaka Raya and Pulau Melaka before exploring the Straits of Melaka, giving you a stunning view from the waterfront.

 

Remarks

• Operation Hours : 9am- 6pm
• Duration : 45-60 mins
• Tour subject to change due to weather condition without prior notice.
• The meeting point is at Pahlawan Taming Sari tower, there’s a duck tour kiosk.

The route 

The route would cover sites of interest such as Porta de Santiago (A' Famosa), Sultanate Palace, Independence Memorial Museum, Mahkota Parade and Pulau Melaka.

The Duck Tour will enter the Straits of Melaka from Floating Mosque (Masjid Selat) towards the Great Island (Pulau Besar)before entering back Banda Hilir at Melaka River.

 

 

Duck Tour finally in operation. Because of limited ride, Phone reservations are highly recommended.

 

Melaka Duck Tours
No 1-3 Jalan PM 4,
75000 Plaza Mahkota, Melaka

Tel : 06 - 2818382 

Melaka River Cruise

If you had a chance to visit Malacca, do not forget to ride the Malacca River Cruise.

From its role as a meeting point between the East and West in the 16th Century, the Melaka River has morphed into a tourism destination today. Both locals and foreigners come to soak in its history from the diverse architecture found along its banks. There are old churches, mosques, bridges, clan houses, warehouses, temples and villages that have withstood the test of time.

When I first saw the Melaka River 20 years ago, it was small and murky, with fishing boats crowding the river mouth. It was hard to imagine that this was the same river that attracted the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British to build a port and fortress here. Today, I see a modern waterfront with gardens, a fort, a fountain, performance stages, breezy walkways and a large windmill.

The Melaka River with its cruise is the biggest surprise. The muddy, murky water is now quite clear, with a tinge of emerald green. Clean embankments on both sides stretch for several kilometres. The river has also been widened and a mechanical device has been installed to control the depth of the water. The idea was to make the river completely pollution-free, so as to develop exquisite gardens on its banks, and pave the pedestrian pathways to perfection.

Passengers on the Melaka River cruise get a feel of the multi-cultural and historical fabric of the country. One can even see the Melaka tree, under which Parameswara was so inspired by the sight of a mouse deer kicking a dog that he named the place Melaka.

The 26 fibre-glass boats are named after historic figures such as Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Munshi Abdullah and Tun Perak. Passengers are also serenaded with traditional songs such as dondang sayang. 

         
Ticket Counter
There are two types of cruises. One offers recorded commentaries and the other has a tour guide on board. The approximate touring time for Melaka River Cruise is about 45 minutes (9 KM) from the Quayside Heritage Centre to Taman Rempah, Pangkalan Rama. The boats are available daily at every thirty minute interval between the following times: 9.30am to 5pm and 6pm to 12 midnight.

A must-see on the cruise is Kampung Morten, a living museum showcasing a village that's been around for hundreds of years. There are private museums here where one can get a deeper understanding of the local Malay culture including their costumes and crafts like embroidery work.

The houses are fine examples of Malay architecture, with sweeping staircases in the centre and a verandah where family members can sit in the evenings to enjoy the air.

You can also see the replica of a pirate ship, the Eye On Malaysia ferris wheel, the abandoned Cathay cinema as well as the old express bus terminal. There is also a replica of a royal windmill and a fort, complete with cannons around the walls.

The cruise boat passes under many bridges that had important functions in the old days. The first one, Tan Boon Seng Bridge, marks the strategic place captured by the Portuguese in 1511 in their bid to occupy Melaka. The other bridges are Chan Boon Cheng Bridge, Ghostbridge of Melaka, Old Market Bridge and Jalan Hang Tuah Bridge.

MELAKA RIVER CRUISE
Venue : The Melaka River jetty in front of the Quayside Heritage Centre.
Departs daily from 9am to 11.30pm
Ticket : Adult RM10, child below 12 : RM5
Group Tour : RM100 per boat
Can be arranged by calling Melaka River Cruise at 06-2814322 or cruise guide Bernard Kenneth Gooting at 012-9127210

Nearby Attractions

There are plenty of attractions near the Melaka River Cruise.  A few of them are:

• The Stadthuys
• Christ Church Melaka
• The Maritime Museum
• Jonker Walk

There are also couples of attractions within walking distance (about 15 ~ 20 minutes) :

• Menara Taming Sari (a revolving observation deck from a height of 80 meters)
• St Paul’s Hill (A Famosa)
• Dataran Pahlawan MegaMall
• Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall
• Istana Museum Melaka

So, this ride was so exciting and fun. It is just not a ride, but along the ride, there were a history tells!

So, just enjoy your right. Relax your mind. And take a fresh air and enjoy view of Malacca River.

Cheng Ho's Cultural Museum

Had our simple buffet style breakfast at Cheng Ho Cafe, and follow by a nice tour at Cheng Ho (Zheng He) Cultural Museum (N2.195301 E102.248653) which is located at Lorong Hang Jebat of Melaka.

The Museum was restored from the Original Cheng Ho warehouse complex or Guang Chang where Cheng Ho Treasure Fleet visited Malacca (Melaka) at least 5 times in his the seven voyages to Western Ocean, interesting part was...all the buildings have the Ming architecture style.

Cheng Ho Cultural Museum at Malacca.

The entrance fee is RM20 for adult and RM10 for children. It's reasonable with the rich information Museum.

"Zheng He led seven expeditions to what the Chinese called "the Western Ocean" (Indian Ocean). He brought back to China many trophies and envoys from more than thirty kingdoms – including King Vira Alakeshwara of Ceylon, who came to China as a captive to apologize to the Emperor.

There are speculations that some of Zheng's ships may have traveled beyond the Cape of Good Hope. In particular, the Venetian monk and cartographer Fra Mauro describes in his 1459 Fra Mauro map the travels of a huge "junk from India" 2,000 miles into the Atlantic Ocean in 1420. What Fra Mauro meant by 'India' is not known and some scholars believe he meant an Arab ship. However, Professor Su Ming-Yang thinks "the ship is European, as it is fitted with a crow’s nest, or lookout post, at the masthead, and has sails fitted to the yards, unlike the batten sails of Chinese ships."  Source from Wiki.

The statue of Cheng Ho once you step into the Museum.

The History of Cheng Ho :-
"Zheng, born as Ma He (馬和 / 马和), was the second son of a Muslim family which also had four daughters, from Kunyang, present day Jinning, just south of Kunming near the southwest corner of Lake Dian in Yunnan.

In 1381, the year his father was killed, following the defeat of the Northern Yuan, a Ming army was dispatched to Yunnan to put down the army of the Mongol Yuan loyalist Basalawarmi during the Ming conquest of Yunnan. Ma He, then only eleven years old, was captured by the Ming Muslim troops of Lan Yu and Fu Youde and made a eunuch. He was sent to the court of one the emperor's son, Zhu Di the Prince of Yan, where he was called San Bao (三寶/三宝, or 三保) meaning Three Jewels." If you want to know more about the history, please visit Wiki.

The Cheng Ho Famous Ship name Bao Chuan (Treasure Fleet).

China had the excellent ship expertise during the Ming Dynasty. The Bao-Chuan (Treasure ship of Zheng He) was A large wooden vessel commanded by the Chinese Admiral Zheng He on seven voyages in the early 15th century.

"The purported dimensions of these ships at 137 m (450 ft) long and 55 m (180 ft wide) and a capacity of 2800t are at least twice as long as the largest European ships at the end of the sixteenth century and 40% longer and 65% wider than the largest wooden ships known to have been built at any time anywhere else. These dimensions are disputed on practical engineering grounds with some suggesting they were as short as 61–76 m (200–250 feet) or that they could only have been used on special occasions in the relative safety of the lower Yangtze river." If you like to know more about the Bao-Chuan (Treasure Ship).

Beside the History of Zheng He (Cheng Ho), the Museum also contain some little notes about the "The Legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang" and "Hang Tuah".

We saw many big and small wells along the way in the Museum...and I believe as long as there's well, that should be the territory of the warehouse complex.

One of the well in the Cheng Ho Cultural Museum.

Zheng He (Cheng Ho) and his Bao-Chuan - Treasure Fleet (which can accommodate about 500 peoples) started the first voyage on year 1405 and the last 7th voyage was on year 1433.

Cheng Ho's Treasure Fleet (partial) on his first voyage on year 1405.

The Bao-Chuan of Cheng Ho (Zheng He) which was not in scale.

The sailing route (sea map) by Cheng Ho Treasure Fleet.

Among all the display and the history corner of the Museum, I like the Miniature of Melaka very much! Photos below...

Miniatures of peoples at Malacca.

Miniatures of Malacca.

Once we finished most of the area in the Museum, we had been directed to a Nice garden with Full of antiques especially the unique building architecture! I called - 'The Time Machine'.

There was a tea garden area for visitors enjoying the tea and also admiring the Cheng Ho History from the Chinese Classical Puppet theater just opposite...

The Chinese Classic Puppet Show theater.

The Tea Garden in Cheng Ho Cultural Museum.

The History of Zheng He (Cheng Ho) in the puppet show.

We spent about an hour in the area and it was not enough time for me to explore every corner of the Museum...really appreciated to the Organizers of 'A Date with Bloggers' at Melaka who arranged the tour.

I will definitely visit back again for every detail of Cheng Ho History, because he was the guy who made a huge influence to Malaysia and also to Singapore...

 

The Stadthuys

At Malacca, the old Dutch colony of Malaysia's historic city, stands the grand and majestic Stadthuys.

This historical edifice dominates Malacca's renowned Dutch Square, or also known as the Red Square because of the crimson coloured old buildings there. Also located at the Square is Christ Church, the former Dutch Reformed Church of Malacca, where the pious Dutch people of the town had long before often congregated.

It is said that the Stadthuys is probably the oldest remaining Dutch colonial building left in Southeast Asia. However, the history of the Stadthuys remains somewhat of a mystery. Records of its construction have now either been lost in time or perhaps still buried in some forgotten archive, yet to be discovered. All that is known about the age of the building is that it was built shortly after Malacca was captured by the Dutch

Malacca came under Portuguese control by capturing the famous Malay trade emporium and ousting its sultan in 1511. Thereafter, the Iberians controlled the trade route in the Straits, much to the annoyance of the Dutch whose trade strength had grown tremendously in the region by the 17th century. Finally, an all-out attack for the capture of Malacca was ordered by Governor-general Antonio van Diemen and his council at Batavia.

The Dutch attack on Portuguese Malacca began in June 1640 with a large number of sails and troops. Fierce fighting erupted as the fort was bombarded by Dutch ships but were replied with the heavy guns of the Portuguese. Dutch and German VOC troops came ashore and pushed the defenders into the confines of their fortress.

Finally, both sides settled down to a long siege as they constantly harassed each other with repeated bombardments. The prolonged siege resulted in the spread of disease, both among the besiegers and the besieged. It was reported that more troops were killed by illness then by the hand of the enemy. Approximately 1,500 Hollanders perished, including 3 successive commanders and the whole of the secret council. However, Malacca finally fell to the hands of the Dutch on 14th January 1641.

When the dust of conflict settled and the Dutch had time to assess their newly acquired possession, they were alarmed to discover that little of the town had survived their relentless bombardments. "It was like the destruction of Jerusalem" they reported to their superiors in Amsterdam. So, the Dutch set about to rebuild Malacca from the ashes of its destruction.

The strong walls of the fort were repaired and defenses were further strengthened. Administrative buildings, commercial buildings, warehouses and private dwellings were built in the town and Asian traders were enticed to return to Malacca.

The first governor appointed to Malacca was Jan van Twist and the Dutch began building the Stadthuys to serve as the residency for the new governor as well as an administration centre and town hall. The Stadthuys was raised on the very same spot where the Portuguese governor’s house had been, which was too badly damaged to be of any use to the Dutch. Its construction was carried out by skilled Javanese and Chinese craftsmen.

The Stadthuys of Malacca is a reproduction of the former Stadhuis (town hall) of the Frisian town of Hoorn in the Netherlands. However, the former Stadhuis of Hoorn only existed from 1420 until 1796. Hoorn's former Stadhuis was replaced in 1796 by a building that is now known as het oude stadhuis (the old town hall), which is still found there. However, Hoorn's het oude stadhuis was in use until 1977 and at this moment the city hall of Hoorn is a modern building.

Therefore, anybody who wishes to see what the former Stadhuis of Hoorn looked like in the 15th to 18th centuries, only the Stadthuys of Malacca can give an excellent representation of the now extinct Frisian building.

In its heydays, the Stadthuys was situated within the walls of Malacca fort and located opposite the northern gateway into the fortified town, across the river. The fort itself encompassed a considerable area surrounding the hill of St. Paul’s, which accommodated offices and warehouses for the VOC and all the amenities needed by its colony. The fort walls no longer exist today thanks to the folly and vandalism of the British who maliciously ordered its destruction while safeguarding Dutch possessions in Asia from the French, during the Napoleonic wars.

A' Famosa

A' Famosa is a place that all visitors must visit while travel to Melaka.

A Famosa (Malay language: Kota A Famosa), or "The Famous" in Portuguese, is a fortress located in Malacca, Malaysia. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia. Only a tiny gate (called the Porta de Santiago) is all that is left of a once-mighty fortress.

Only remaining entrance only.

The name is often mispronounced as /eɪ/ Famosa, even among Malaysians (as though the Portuguese definite article "a" were the letter "A" in the English alphabet). A more accurate pronunciation would be /ɑ/ Famosa (approximating 'ah').

I am not sure if it was built without a roof or the roof collapsed.

The British in Penang were temporary caretakers of the then Dutch-controlled Malacca during the Napoleonic Wars. However, they were reluctant to hand Malacca back because they feared it might jeopardize the development of their new settlement in Penang. Hence they decided to destroy the regional influence of Malacca by diverting trade away from Malacca to Penang, the British planned to destroy the Malacca Fort and its city and move the 15,000 people to Penang. It was envisaged that Malacca would not rival Penang in terms of trade when the Kew treaty of 1975 expires which orders the returning of Malacca back to Dutch hands if the city was demolished and depopulated.

A Famosa history dates back to 1511 when the Portuguese
conquered Melaka. After establishing outposts like Macau and Goa,
the Portuguese fleet commanded by Alfonso de Albuquerque
attacked and defeated the armies of the Malacca Sultanate.

The Governor of Penang ordered Captain William Farquhar to have the respective fort demolished in 1807. However during this time, Stamford Raffles who hails from Penang arrived in Malacca for his sick leave. He managed to rescind the demolition and depopulation process with the consent of Lord Minto, the Governor General of India. Raffles managed to save the archway of the Malacca Fort which can be seen to this day. The destruction of the Malacca Fort cost 70,000 sterling pounds and involved several hundred workers.

HISTORY

In 1511 a Portuguese fleet arrived under the command of Alfonso de Albuquerque. His forces attacked and successfully defeated the armies of the Malacca Sultanate. Moving quickly to consolidate his gains, Albuquerque had the fortress built around a natural hill near the sea. Albuquerque believed that Melaka would become an important port linking Portugal to the spice trade from China. At this time other Portuguese were establishing outposts in such places as Macau, China and Goa, India in order to create a string of friendly ports for ships heading to China and returning home to Portugal.

As we entered the “gate” and this is the view from behind.
Once a gate to a fortress, it is now used by local artists
to sell their art work. As hot as the weather was when we were
visiting, these bricks of ancient times seemed to be able to shield
the heat so that people “staying” within these walls,
do not feel hot at all.

The fortress once consisted of long ramparts and four major towers. One was a four-story keep, while the others held an ammunition storage room, the residence of the captain, and an officers' quarters. Most of the village clustered in town houses inside the fortress walls. As Melaka's population expanded it outgrew the original fort and extensions were added around 1586. The fort changed hands in 1641 when the Dutch successfully drove the Portuguese out of Melaka. The Dutch renovated the gate in 1670, which explains the logo "ANNO 1670" inscribed on the gate's arch. Above the arch is a bas-relief logo of the Dutch East India Company.

From the Fortress and looking out to the
sea to watch out for incoming enemies.

The fortress changed hands again in the early 19th century when the Dutch handed it over to the British to prevent it from falling into the hands of Napoleon's expansionist France. The English were wary of maintaining the fortification and ordered its destruction in 1806. The fort was almost totally demolished but for the timely intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, who happened to visit Melaka in 1810. Because of his passion for history, this small gate was spared from destruction.

MENARA TAMING SARI

Welcome to Menara Taming Sari Melaka

From a height of 80 metres, the ride offers you a spectacular and panoramic view of Melaka UNESCO World Heritage City and a far with a host of interesting sights such as St.Paul’s Hill, Independence Memorial Building,Samudra Museum and the ship, Flor De La Mar, Dataran Pahlawan, Pulau Selat Mosque, Pulau Besar and the Straits of Melaka. That apart you will also see the fast and rapid development taking place in the state.

How to get there
By Foot / Trishaw / Taxi

Menara Taming Sari lies in the center of the Lower Banda, Malacca and is easy to get to from wherever you MIGHT be staying.

Accommodation Overview
Melaka has a wide range of accommodation available, from basic backpacker's Hostels to 5-star hotels.

In addition to the opportunity to get a bird’s-eye view of Malacca, this attraction is also fitted with a tourist information centre and several commercial outlets consisting of a café, a restaurant and souvenir shops.


Tower Specifications

1. Tower Name: Menara Taming Sari (360 degree viewing tower)
2. Cost: RM24 million together with support Building (Melaka house)
3. Height: 110 meter
4. Passenger capacity: 66 passengers
5. Made/Technology: Switzerland
6. Ride Duration: 7 minutes

CONTACT INFO
Address : Jalan Merdeka Banda Hilir, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia.
Tel : 06-2881100 / 06-2813366
Fax : 06-2881551
GPS Coordinates : 2.1908, 102.2472
Operating hours : 10 am to 10 pm

Sungai Rambai River Cruise

New Tourism Attractions

Mention Rambai River Consumers may not recognize the area from the Lower City which houses a variety of tourism products to attract local and foreign tourists to come to Malacca.

MOHD. Ali Rustam with a pair of newlyweds who celebrated with
Kesang down the River at the opening of River Square Rambai
River Kesang on the River Recreation Rambai, Jasin.

But now, the Legislative Assembly (DUN) Rambai River is located about 40 kilometers south border at the gate of Muar is now able to put in the tourism map.

Recently, River Rambai River Cruise introduced the latest tourism products in the area to make the district was also visited members of the public on weekends or public holidays.

If the Melaka River Cruise boat in the Garden of spices, you can enjoy views of historical buildings. However, by using services Rambai River Cruise River, visitors can enjoy a mangrove from various species.

Member of Legislative Assembly (Assembly) River thermal Hasan Rahman said, by taking the Rambai River Cruise River, people can enjoy the village atmosphere and see the flora and fauna as well as a unique mangrove forests along the route.

THE youth of the Club Viva make auto show.

"Route challenging because of the numerous turns and time-consuming travel for an hour down the river as far as 7 kilometers from Castle Cove Recreation Square to the mouth of the River Rambai Kuala Kesang.

'' In addition, visitors can see the port barter trade that still exist here in the business of bartering with the traders from Bukit Tinggi and Dumai in Indonesia carried out, "he said.

He was speaking to reporters after the opening of the River Rambai River Cruise which was launched by Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd. Ali Rustam Rambai Square Recreational River near here yesterday.

He said the boat that uses 115-horsepower engine can accommodate eight to 10 passengers at a time.

'' Right now, we provide two services Rambai River Cruise River which runs every day with a fee of RM8 and RM10 on weekdays, especially on weekends and public holidays, "he said.

In this regard Hasan said, the existence of new products it can generate the local community to increase their daily earnings.

Effort to add value to tourism in the area, he said, to respond to the recommendations of the state government to each assembly in the state also introduced tourism products to attract the tourists from home and abroad.