3.) The Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum. To get a glimpse of how the houses along Tun Tan Cheng Lock look inside, visit the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum. The house belonged to a Chinese merchant named Chan Cheng Siew and his family. The descendants have turned the grand home into a private museum showcasing the distinct Peranakan lifestyle. Centuries-old Chinese needlework, intricately carved wood furniture inlaid with mother of pearl, elegant china dinnerware from England, traditional clothes are but some of the few things on display at the private museum. There is a minimal fee to be paid. The museum opens daily at 10AM. The first guided tour is at 10AM. The Baba and Nyonya Heritage House was definitely one of my favorites. Sadly, no photography/videography allowed.
A bit of trivia: Peranakans (literally meaning "born here" in Malay) are the descendants of early Chinese settlers who inter-married and adopted the local Malay customs. The marriage of cultures resulted in a unique Baba-Nyonya culture. Baba is the term used for the Peranakan male while Nyonya refers to a Peranakan female.
4.) Nyonya cuisine. Philippine cuisine has strong Spanish and Chinese influences. The same can be said of Peranakan cuisine. The intermarriage of Chinese and Malays led to a unique Nyonya (or Peranakan) cuisine. Do try Cafe 1511 just beside the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum. On the way to the museum, we met an uncle who was very proud of his Peranakan heritage. He told us to order the pai tee (tophats), nyonya popiah (which came with a strict order, "Nyonya popiah, okay! Not the Chinese popiah!" Hehe!) and the curry fish head.
5.) The tomb of St. Francis Xavier. At the ruins of St. Paul's church, there is an open tomb. What most people probably do not know is that the remains of St. Francis Xavier was briefly interred there before it was transferred to India. There was no marker to inform people that the tomb is actually a sacred one (to Catholics, at least). As a somewhat practicing Catholic, I was really glad to be able to visit the grave of a saint. A bit more trivia: Quite a number of miracles attributed to St. Francis Xavier took place in Malacca.
An overnight trip turned out to be not enough to explore the city. There was still so much to see - museums, more ancestral houses, dining places we didn't get to try.
Would definitely be back.
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