Baba & Nyonya Museum Heritage
This is an interesting place to visit. The reason is that at the Baba Nyonya Museum you will be taken to the past which depicts how the Peranakan family lived in Melaka. Peranakans are the result of marriages between Chinese traders and Malay women, where the boy is called Baba and the girl is called Nyonya.
The Baba Nyonya Museum is a house belonging to the Chan family with two floors and has been inhabited by four generations. Only in 1985, this house was converted into a museum. Please remember that you are prohibited from taking photos while in the museum.
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.
Peranakan Culinary
Overall, Peranakan culture is largely determined by its food. Malaysians consider it to be one of the main culinary and cultural heritages of Melaka. The blend of Malay and Chinese ethnic traditions is depicted through Nyonya cuisine which consists of unusual vegetable dishes, rich curries with coconut milk and spicy sauces.
However, there is something more important than all that, namely the matter of social eating etiquette. Locals use their hands or fingers to eat, not chopsticks. This fact seems to deny the Chinese ancestral roots of always using chopsticks when eating and establishes Nyonya culture as one of Malaysia’s true heritage.
Seeing Past Glory
Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum is located in the old city area on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lok No. 108 Melaka. The front view of this museum has a unique impression, characteristic of luxurious Chinese building architecture. This museum was officially opened in 2012 and consists of two floors.
The museum building dates back to 1896 and was originally owned by a Chinese descendant named Baba Chan. Baba Chan’s family is very interested in buying a house that was previously used as a Dutch heritage site.
Now the general public can see various historical artifacts and unique cultural heritage in this private museum. For generations, this museum has been managed directly by the Babas and Nyonyas. Four generations of the Chan family have lived in this mansion and they continue to operate the museum today.
As soon as you enter, you can feel the elegance and luxury of this museum as you walk across the beautiful ceramic floor. Not to mention the rooms are filled with Chinese antiques. Being in this museum is like being invited back to the era of British rule in Melaka at the end of the 19th century and an interesting view of how the Peranakan people lived richly.
The stairs were made very impressive using chengal wood carved with gold leaf. One of the distinctive features that can be seen from this museum is its large windows and large floor tiles.
The doors use high quality teak wood and have intricate carvings and the internal doors are made sturdier to provide extra security. Framed by Greco-Roman columns, two red lanterns, one bearing a household name and the other a good luck message, hang on either side of the entrance.
Upstairs the house has a short canopy with Chinese tiles over the porch that frames the windows. It really offers eastern charm combined with western charm. The glass windows feature wrought iron grilles as well as fascia roofs covered in floral designs . It’s truly enchanting and depicts the luxury of a Peranakan home.
The best part of the tour at this museum is the tour guide who entertains his guests by telling the story of Baba Nyonya long ago for 45 minutes. Very informative.
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