by Wan Azfarozza Wan Athmar
For those who have been to Malacca you may usually head straight down to Jonker Street to experience the night market, merchandise shops and have endless food feasts at the old coffee shops, cafes and restaurants. But is that all there is to this historical city?
While we stand in front of street murals worth our postings on social media, little do we know that we might be standing on a cemetery aging hundreds of years! Isn’t that intriguing and exciting to know? For those looking for more than just a walk on Jonker Street this activity may just be for you.
Known as ‘Melaka After Dark’, it is a tour guided by heritage activists and this night tour covers some of the oldest streets in Melaka City such as the Blacksmith Street, Kampung Kuli Street, Java Lane and many more. From the origins of the street names to the back lanes of old buildings this tour will let you see the side of Melaka that you’ve never seen before.
Among the main attractions of the tour is learning and understanding the town planning methods of these old streets. It seems nothing in Jonker Street or the other older streets were built by accident. From the 9 trees planted at one of the streets to the nicely built Buddhist Temples, everything has a story that will definitely make you in awe of the city.
It is definitely more exciting walking through the streets at night while listening to some folklore and trying to unravel the mysteries of the sites. Other than learning historical facts about these old streets, get yourself captivated with stories about ‘ghosts’ and ‘ghost catchers. If you’re lucky enough you might also see the ‘ghost catchers’ yourself!
So, bring out the historian in you and join in the tour. For more information about the night tour go to https://www.buddyz.co/en/experiences/melaka-after-dark-a-journey-of-rediscovery
