jonker street

City of Malacca, a place well-known for its historical trails. In fact, it has the richest history among all states in Malaysia. Some of the better known tales were of Ang Cheng Ho's and Hang Tuah's.

Fret not, I'm not gonna give a lecture on history lessons here.

Before I go further, here's a brief official introduction on Jonker Street.




The text reads:

"Jonker Walk (鸡场街文化坊）

Jonker Walk, situated in Malacca City Centre, is a heaven for antique collectors. Assortment of artifacts, some dating as far back as 300 years can be found in the antique shops that *something* the street. There are also many entertainment, food and beverage outlets catering for visitors in the area.

Most of the shops in Jonker Walk operate their business from 10a.m. to 8p.m. , whilst Tourist Market is held on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. There are also Chinese Culture Shows held in Jonker Street as one of the ways to further promote the lifestyle and heritage of the Babas and Nynoya (Straits born Chinese) to the tourists.

Another attraction in the Jonker Street is the Hang Kasturi Monument. Hang Kasturi was a famous Malay warrior of the Malacca Sultanate during the 15th century."

The text on the photo is rather blurry, I couldn't really make out what it says there. Hence, the replacement text such as *something*. Pardon me for that.

Apart from the old buildings you usually see on the postcards available, such as the Christ Church, A'Farmosa and Stadhuys Building, Malacca has other attractions. Jonker Street here is one of its kind in this historical state here.

At any given time, Jonker Street is just like any other street across the whole town. It is located near the town center (it used to be the busiest spot in the olden days.), it is about 15-20 minutes walk from Mahkota Parade. Even nights on the weekdays, Jonker Street is still quiet.

But, when Friday night onwards, this street is swarmed by crowd, be it the locasl or the tourists. Every Friday - Sunday nights, Jonker Street will be better known as Jonker Walk. For a moment, you thought it'd be a Malaccan version of Petaling Street of Kuala Lumpur.



Jonker Street offers you a walk of culture in Malacca. You can find a variety of items here, ranging from souvenirs to food. Because of that, you might probably confuse it for a night market.

In Jonker Street, you can find many of the best delicacies in Malacca, e.g. the Babas & Nonyas food, and the chicken rice ball. Also, if you are searching for antique items, here is a place you'd love.



ANTIQUE. A stall displaying a wide range of record disc (What is the right term to call that black disc? those before CD's, or even Laser Disc's era? Anyone?), and its player.. of which I forgot the term again...



A temple, which I believe is converted to Hokkien Huay Kuan (福建会馆). It is the place where everyone of the Hokkien clan gathers. Now, it seems more like a place for old folks to gather around, and to sing karaoke!

Food & Beverage. As mentioned before, there are a variety of choice for visitors when it comes to food & beverage. There is one famous outlet for people to hang around here. I am proud to bring you - the Geographer's Cafe.

Geographer's Cafe is a nice place to hang around primarily because of its environment. Also, it is because of the food and beverage it is offering. You can enjoy nice beer here, while dining. At the mean time, you occasionally get people performing live there. They just serve pleasant oldies. Nice! ;-)




Foreigners love to gather here.

Geographer's Cafe was also chosen to be one of the shooting scene for a then HK movie Summer Mor Mor Tea, starring Sammi Cheng and Richie Ren.

You find just about anything you can name in Jonker Street. Really! Just see for yourself.

We had antiques, food & beverage, and now we have...
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Hand-made shoes (I think..)
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Bags...
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Foot Massage (Look at the foot logo if you can.. weird eh?)
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more nice looking shops.. (minus the passers-by)
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and what more?
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PETS! A hedgehog to be precise! There were many more along the street. This little hedgehog is just one of them.
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Historical town does offer a plenty lots.

And finally..



There seemed to be some events going on that night. Apparently, I missed it. Ah well.. Nevertheless, I managed to walk you through Jonker Street of Malacca.



End Note: Jonker Street is also one of the favourite spot for photography lovers to fire at will. It is a street rich with culture and historic trails. Please load your cam and equip with tripods if you may when you visit this street next time! ;-)