The Portuguese Settlement in Melaka

"History is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books..." - Dan Brown

(Kampung Portugis Melaka)

The Portuguese Settlement or Kampung Portugis is an area of Ujong Pasir in Melaka Tengah District which serves as a home for the Kristang people. The Kristang people are a Malaysian ethnic group with mixed Portuguese and Malay heritage, originating from the time of the Portuguese rule in Malacca in the 16th to 17th century.

 

(The junction to the Portuguese Settlement)

In 1933, 11 hectares of land at Malacca were purchased with the purpose of creating a haven for the scattered Kristang people. The swampy land was cleared and 10 wooden houses with earth floors and attap roofs were built. Saint John's village, as that simple fishing village was originally known, soon attracted additional Kristang from other areas of Malacca, and grew to become one of Malacca's main tourist attractions, improving the standard of living of its villagers.

(Portuguese Square and Foodcourt)

(A brief description of the village)

Like many other Portuguese-speaking communities around the world, the Portuguese Settlement holds a yearly "June festival" that opens with Festa de São João on June 23 and closes with Festa de São Pedro on June 29. This festival is attended by about 100,000 visitors from Malaysia and abroad. At the festival one can hear Kristang folk songs and watch dancers in colourful costumes perform to the rhythm of branyu music. An important event in the festival is the blessing of the local fishermen's boats, specially decorated for the occasion, to assure good catch.

(Christ the Redeemer, a smaller version)

When we were in Brazil in 2017, we visited the huge statue of  Christ the Redeemer. The statue weighs 635 metric tons, and is located at the peak of the 700-metre Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca National Park overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro. This statue is the largest Art Deco style sculpture in the world.  The statue has also become a cultural icon of both Rio de Janeiro and Brazil and was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Read about my travel in my blog: munmus.blogspot.com

(2017 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)