This museum was set up in
honour of a Chinese Ming
Dynasty admiral called Cheng
Ho or Zheng He.
This famed explorer made seven
voyages of exploration,
leaving his mark in the Middle
East, Africa and South East
Asia between 1405 and 1433.
Five of these voyages brought
him through Melaka, a port he
is said to have founded.
These voyages made a
significant impact on Melaka's
regionally important role in
history. As a confidante to
the third Emperor of the Ming
Dynasty, Cheng Ho had a
weighty influence on Chinese
International Relations of the
day.
In the mid-15th Century, he
was entrusted to bring the
Emperor's daughter, Princess
Hang Li Po to marry the Sultan
of Melaka. The Princess'
entourage consisted of several
hundred sons of ministers and
handmaidens, a group of people
who eventually intermarried
with locals in Melaka,
creating the Baba Nyonya
culture.
Lately, some interest has been
generated about a belief that
Cheng Ho kept a warehouse in
Melaka. One of the dilapidated
buildings in the old part of
Melaka town, showing remnants
of Ming style architecture, is
thought to be the old
warehouse in question and is
now the site of the Cheng Ho
Museum.
The exhibition space displays
the life and times of the
historic Admiral. Rooms like
Tea House and Treasure Ship
Living Cabin will take you
back in time, and offer you a
glimpse of Cheng Ho's
lifestyle.
Studies of the adventures of
this Muslim eunuch are
fascinating and the social
impact of his voyages can
still be felt to this day.
Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, Melaka
The 'Straits Chinese', also
called the Baba and Nyonya,
are Chinese of noble descent
who have adopted much of the
Malay culture into theirs.
This has been a gradual
process lasting over 400 years
since the great Chinese
explorer Admiral Cheng Ho
first brought Chinese settlers
to Melaka. Over the centuries,
the Baba Nyonya have developed
a distinct and highly
interesting culture that is
unique to Malaysia's west
coast, particularly
Melaka.
The public can now view the
historical artefacts unique to
this heritage at a captivating
private museum run by the
Babas and Nyonyas of Melaka.
Within the walls of this
heritage building, you can
learn everything there is to
know about this unique
culture.
The Heritage Museum offers
guided tours (by appointment),
research facilities and audio
visuals. Well worth a visit!
Central Market
Located in the heart of Kuala
Lumpur, a few minutes away
from Petaling Street, Central
Market is a famous landmark
for Malaysian culture and
heritage.
The building was built in
1888
and originally functioned as
a
wet market. It has since been
classified as a Heritage Site.
Tourists flock to Central
Market for its variety of
handicrafts, art, kebaya,
songket, batik and authentic
Malaysian souvenirs. A Batik
Emporium houses well-known
designer labels, with the
best
Malaysian-made batik items
ranging from clothes, shoes,
bags to home furnishing.
The Central Market Outdoor
Stage is where visitors can
catch colourful arts and
cultural events. During the
country’s main festivals, the
area will be lit up in theme,
reflecting the multiracial
diversity of Malaysians.
For a more contemporary take
on the local arts scene, The
Annexe Gallery, located at
the
back of Central Market, is a
popular venue for events such
as film screenings, art
exhibitions and public
discourses.
Islamic Arts Museum
Interest in the Islamic arts
has grown tremendously in
recent years. Reflecting this
awareness, in December 1998
Malaysia became home to
Southeast Asia’s largest
museum of Islamic art. The
building occupies 30,000
sq.m., situated amid the
leafy
surroundings of Kuala
Lumpur’s
Perdana Botanical Gardens.
The Islamic Arts Museum
Malaysia houses more than
seven thousand artefacts, as
well as an exceptional
library
of Islamic art books.
The art objects on display
range from the tiniest pieces
of jewellery to one of the
world’s largest scale models
of the Masjid al-Haram in
Mecca. The aim is to create a
collection that is truly
representative of the Islamic
world.
Instead of concentrating on
works from the heartlands of
Persia and the Middle East,
IAMM also puts the emphasis
on
Asia. China and Southeast
Asia
are especially well
represented. The third
component of the Malaysian
melting pot is India, which
is
also given special status.
India, China and the Malay
world are in an exclusive
category.
Other parts of the collection
are displayed according to
type of artefact rather than
geographical origins in the
museum’s 12 galleries.
