Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum
Compared to the size of the state of Sarawak or Sabah, Melaka is very small. However, Melaka is not left behind with local cultural heritage. Among them is the Peranakan Community or our people tend to call it the Baba & Nyonya Community. If you want to know more about this Baba & Nyonya community, this is the place for the answer.
This museum is a mansion located on 3 terraced building lots & owned by the Chan family since 1861. After 4 generations have passed, this family decided to make this house a museum in a mission to highlight the history & culture of the Baba & Nyonya community in Melaka . Until now, this museum is still managed by the family & has received many visitors from home and abroad.
The museum has many interesting attractions & interior decorations that reflect the Peranakan culture. You can see everything from carved furniture, personal items, costumes, home furnishings, home decorations & more. In addition, there are also staff on duty who will explain to visitors the story behind the attractions found here.
The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum has been occupied by the Chan family for 4 generations since 1861. Located in the UNESCO Heritage Melaka area, this Peranakan house has been open to the public since 1985. Like other Peranakan buildings, it was once inhabited by a wealthy Chinese-Malay family.
What are the baba nyonya people? Baba nyonya is a Chinese name for the Melakaan population which originates from cross-cultural marriage between Chinese and Malays. Melaka itself was not only inhabited by ethnic Malays, but also ethnic Chinese who came at that time to escape Manchu rule. So it is not surprising that there are many historical buildings in Melaka.
The immigrants from China were mostly traders, who then married local Malay women. This process has been ongoing for more than 400 years since the famous Chinese explorer Admiral Cheng Hoo first brought settlers to Melaka.
The success of these expatriate traders has made their lives increasingly developed. Then they showed off their wealth by buying a Dutch townhouse and turning it into a magnificent palace. The interior of the house is filled with Dutch-influenced furniture and fixtures, including hand-painted tiles and Victorian lamps.
If Penang is famous for the Pinang Peranakan Mansion , in Melaka, the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum is a favorite among travelers and is widely reviewed on world tourism sites. This museum depicts the lives of the descendants of Chinese aristocrats who have adopted much of Malay culture into their own culture.
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