The authentic traditional sense has already vanished. Of the few heritage spots that are left behind, they were also packaged with a fee tag.
The Cries of Malacca
Thanks to the active promotion of our tourism authorities, in addition to its reputation as the World Heritage Site and the place of origin of Malaysian history – Malacca is just like a brand.
I believe everyone should have gone through this experience – whenever there is any public holiday or a three days holiday stretch, Malacca is one of the top choices for many local tourists. It only takes about one and a half hour’s drive from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur to Ayer Keroh toll station – this is an ideal option.
Well, most of my readers may not agree with the above statement. Of course, one and a half hour is achievable provided there is no traffic congestion. In the case of a traffic jam, someone had to endure 4 hours in the journey from the North-South Expressway to the new town and onward to Ayer Keroh toll station. From Ayer Keroh to the Malacca city centre needs another one hour of slow moving traffic. It’s quite terrifying, isn’t it?
Malacca has lots to offer
Let’s take a look at the attractions of Malacca.
1. Of course, the World Heritage Site is a grand status.
2. Location-wise it is reachable within short distance.
3. Nyonya culture/food – still well preserved in a way.
4. Portugese cuisine – impossible whenever there are holidays.
5. Various local cuisines:
• Chicken rice balls – the queue stretches from the shop until the Stadthuys (Red
House).
• Satay celup – apparently in one famous restaurant there are still long queues
even at 1am on Saturdays.
• Cendol, popiah, fried oyster, spare rib noodles, turnip cakes, Hokkaido cake, etc.
6. The culture street on Jonker Street.
7. Day/Night boat cruise
8. Economical consumption
You could easily name a few attractions here. However, I heard that after the honourable Chief Minister visited the ancient city, Lijiang of China, he was so impressed that he hoped to transform Malacca as another Lijiang. It was this that draws complaints from heritage enthusiasts that the ancient city was shrouded in camouflage.
When I walked into Jonker Street, I thought I had entered a time machine – the eye catching colours of the bar, the glittering lights of an empty karaoke, the assortment of merchandise and some so-called specialty crafts seemed like a mass distribution from the same wholesaler. The authentic traditional sense has already vanished. Of the few heritage spots that are left behind, they were also packaged with a fee tag.
Fortunately, there is still authentic handmade artwork in the Orang Utan brand and the San Shu Gong confectionary with a touching story behind it.
It is because we love Malacca that we felt the pain of losing its authenticity. The mayor of Malacca city should be seriously concerned about the traffic situation here. Otherwise, the foreign tourists who travel from thousands of miles away and the local tourists who endured the traffic congestion to be here to escape the hustle of city life would be disappointed with the monotony of the touristy products.
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