Located at No. 48-50 along Jalan Tun Cheng Lock in Malacca,
the Baba-Nyonya Heritage Museum is actually a collection of three beautifully
restored houses arranged to look like a typical 19th-cenutry Baba-Nyonya
residence.
Excellent examples of Chinese-Palladian style, these townhouses, built
in 1896, were transformed into a traditional Peranakan museum in later years,
connected by a common covered footway, the museum features hand-painted tiles,
elaborately carved teakwood outer swing doors and a sturdier internal door
which provides extra security. Framed by Greco-Roman columns, two red lanterns,
one bearing a household name and the other messages of good luck, hang on
either side of the entrance.
The upper level of the house has a short canopy of Chinese
tiles above the portico which frames the almost-Venetian shuttered windows.
Boasting distinctively east-meets-west allure, the glass windows feature
wrought-iron grilles and the eaves and fascias are covered with painted, floral
designs.
Inside the house there’s a collection of gold-leaf fixtures, Chinese-
and Dutch-design black wood furniture inlaid with mother of pearl as well as
skilfully carved lacquer screens and Victorian chandeliers.
The best parts of this tour are the guides who regal guests
with Baba Nyonya tales of yore with noticeable Peranakan wit during the
informative 45-minute tours.
Opening Hours:
10am-12.30pm, 2pm-4.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday
Address:
48-50 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 75200.
Entrance Fee:
RM8.00 for adults, and RM4.00 for children
(5-12 years old)
Tel: (+606) 283 1273
