Malaysia's oldest well
Dug in 1459.
Rudolph.A.furtado — Public domain · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0
The oldest well in Malaysia, dug in 1459 by the followers of the Chinese princess Hang Li Poh, who according to the Malay Annals married Sultan Mansur Shah of Malacca, and for long the town's main source of water. It is also called the King's Well. Each power that ruled Malacca left its mark: the Portuguese seized the well as their water supply when they took the city in 1511, the Dutch walled it with solid brick in 1677 to protect it, and the British neglected it until it fell into disrepair. Today it is a wishing well where visitors toss coins, and a local tale says whoever drinks from it will return to Malacca. Entry is free and the visit very short; its water is no longer fit to drink. It stands at the foot of Bukit China, the largest old Chinese cemetery outside China, beside a small temple built in honour of Admiral Zheng He. It is a short stop for lovers of history and legend; pair it with the Cheng Ho Cultural Museum to complete the story of the old ties between China and Malacca.
Dug in 1459.
Dug by Princess Hang Li Poh's followers.
The tale of returning to Malacca.
At the foot of Bukit China, about 1 km east of the old town
Melaka Sultanate Palace MuseumBefore the Portuguese arrived in 1511, Malacca was the capital of a Muslim sulta8 minutes walk4.3
Proclamation of Independence MemorialAn elegant museum in a white building crowned by two golden onion domes, built i8 minutes walk
Stadthuys and Dutch SquareEverything around you is red: the Stadthuys, completed by the Dutch around 1650 9 minutes walk4.5
A FamosaAll that remains of the oldest European fortress in Southeast Asia is a single s9 minutes walk4.3
Cheng Ho Cultural MuseumA museum about the life of Admiral Zheng He, the Ming dynasty's Muslim naval com9 minutes walkIt is a very short stop, worth it for lovers of historical tales or if you are passing. On its own it is not worth a special trip.