History of "A Famosa, Melaka"

Yes, that's right! Another piece of Melaka history on the ever famous "A Famosa" building of Malacca. Hope you'll love it.

Malacca was ruled by the Portuguese from 1511 till 1641. The first thing they did was to built a fort overlooking the Melaka river and they named the fort as A Famosa. Currently, A Famosa is one of the oldest European architecture present in South East Asia.

Throughout the Portuguese rule, the fort was important to their foothold of the state because the town was constantly under threats from other big foreign parties such as the British and Dutch. The fort consists of houses, food stores, a castle, a meeting room for the Portuguese Councils and 5 churches.

Malacca was attacked by the Dutch in the late 17th century and the fort was badly damaged leaving only the entrance facade and a church structure at the top of the hill.

Then, in the 19th century, Malacca was taken over by the British and they decided to destroy the whole fort. The whole A Famosa was demolished in 1806, leaving only a small part, as what we can see today, the last bit of the once active and important fortress.

From left to right: Chieh Yee, Sok Fon and Me posing in front of the surviving gate of the A Famosa Portuguese fort in Malacca

History of Melaka River

Since I was in Malacca for a day trip with my mum last Monday, I would like to share some history of the Melaka River with you guys.

Melaka River was once dubbed as "Venice of the East" by the European Seafarers. It signifies the emergence of Malay Sultanate of Melaka, it marks the beginning and ending of each war, it was one of the main factors attracted foreign colonizations and it was the place where Melaka bean.

The Melaka River plays a vital role in the development of Melaka. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Hindu prince Parameswara of Sumatra settled and established the Sultanate near the mouth of this river. His palace was built on the east bank of the river, at the foot of St Paul's Hill.

In addition of being an important conduit for trade, the river is also an important source of fresh water. The river enabled access to the interior and provided a means for local produce to be brought down to the market.

Today, the river function as a tourist attraction spot for Malacca, whereby one can board a boat and take a 45-minute cruise down the river. This allows visitors to recall Malacca’s history while enjoying the rustic scene of leftovers from Malacca’s past. Covering a distance of 10 kilometres, the boat ride takes you all the way down to the infamous Kampung Morten (an old local settlement). All you need to do is just pay RM10 for the river cruise.

Night View of Melaka River

Donald & Lily’s Nyonya Food Restaurant

Finally the long awaited Melaka trip was a success. Went there with Jol, Chieh Yee and Sok Fon last Saturday. So, y did we come to Melaka???? For its' food of course.

First stop: Donald and Lily's Nyonya Food Restaurant. Not going to elaborate more. Let the pictures speak for the food there.

Ayam Pongteh...love the sweet gravy accompanying the flavorful chicken. Thumbs up.

Plain rice with some cabbage to eat with Ayam Pongteh


Nyonya Laksa....Find it ok only...

Mee Siam...very wet and nice..must squeeze the lime juice into it to enhance the taste...thumbs up..

The interior of the restaurant. Decorated with lots of nice and beautiful stuffs.

.

.

Address:

Donald & Lily’s Corner – Nyonya Food, Cendol, Pineapple Tarts
Behind of No 31, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren Street),
Melaka, Malaysia.

Telephone : 606-284 8907

Business Hours : 9.30am – 4.00pm
Closed on Mondays.

.