October 2000 - Melaka, Malaysia - Part II

While in Melaka, we visited the People's Museum, a unique museum dedicated to a wide variety of bizarre "beautification" practices ranging from tattooing, piercing and scarring to body stretching, headshaping, modern cosmetic surgery and footbinding.  We found the detailed exhibit on footbinding to be the most intriguing and followed up our tour of the museum with a visit to a shopkeeper who hand makes bound foot shoes.  We were lucky enough to be able to speak to Mr. Yeo Sing Guat, the proprietor of the shop who has been making these shoes for over thirty years.  Mr. Guat's grandfather came to Malaysia in the early 1900's where he learned his craft from an old Chinese Hokkien man and then passed his knowledge to his son and grandson.  At present, Mr. Guat is one of only a handful of people in Malaysia practicing this ancient artform.  Mr. Guat was a friendly and generous man who told us a very sad story.  His shop had been located on the main street of Chinatown for thirty years in a historic Perenakan (Chinese Malays) building.  Mr. Guat was recently forced from his location to the outskirts of Chinatown, an area little visisted by tourists, to make way for a new, modern hotel.  We signed a petition to stop the destruction of his original shop but he believes and we tend to believe him that this measure may be too late, for as we later saw, the
Mr. Guat at his new store outside of the historic Chinatown district.  Despite his relocation, Mr. Guat is still an upbeat and inspirational artisan.
destruction (some might say construction) was well under way.  The city of Melaka is currently trying to attain UNESCO World Heritage status for the historic district of Chinatown.  Being listed with UNESCO would help prevent the future destruction of other historic buildings in Chinatown and around the city.  Melaka is one of the most important living historic legacies in Southeast Asia and hopefully, it will remain that way.
A dilapitated yet still architecturally important building along the river that flows through Melaka.
A line of becaks looking for tourists along the streets of Chinatown.
The back of houses and shops located in Chinatown.
An ornate lion atop one of the many Chinese Buddhist temples located in Melaka.
Whatever you need, Kedai Sum Hoe Seng has it, guaranteed.
Colorfully decorated becaks add to the charm of this historic and friendly city.
One of the estimated 12,000 graves located in Bukit China (China Hill), the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China.  For centuries, the Chinese have built cemeteries on hillsides for two reasons: as protection for the deceased from evil winds that blow and as a good vantage point from which the deceased can look after their descendants.  Bukit China is over 25 acres and is a popular place for walking and watching the sunset over Melaka.
Melaka, Malaysia - Part I
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