Five centuries of trading-port history
Malacca, or Melaka, was one of Asia's great trading ports, ruled in turn by a Malay sultanate, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. Its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The red-painted Dutch Stadthuys and Christ Church face each other across a square, and the ruins of the Portuguese fortress of A Famosa stand nearby. Jonker Street holds a weekend night market, and Peranakan townhouses and museums preserve the culture of the Straits Chinese, including nyonya cooking.