A Place Worth Visit.

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.