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Melaka in Three Tenses

IIToday

Present tense

Night markets, river walks and a heritage city that is still lived in.

Since 2008 the old town has shared a World Heritage listing with George Town in Penang. These essays are about the city as it is now: what people eat, where they walk, and how six centuries of history feel on an ordinary Friday night.

  1. 2 min read

    Palm sugar, rice balls and devil’s curry

    Melaka’s food is its history in edible form: Malay, Peranakan, Portuguese-Eurasian and everything in between, often on the same table.

    Illustration of Malaysian dishes seen from above: cendol, chicken rice balls and a bowl of curry

  2. 2 min read

    The river that came back

    For decades the Melaka River was something the city turned its back on. Now it is where everyone goes in the evening.

    Illustration of a river at dusk between old riverside buildings, with a small cruise boat and an arched bridge

  3. 2 min read

    Friday night on Jonker Street

    Every weekend a quiet street of antique shops and clan houses becomes the loudest, most crowded and most delicious few hundred metres in the city.

    Illustration of a crowded night market street lined with old shophouses under red lanterns
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