Melaka's Gem

Shining diamonds of the lost century

Newsletter #4 :

Current Condition of the Street

Recap

From our previous Newsletters, you would have seen the rich and glorious history that Heeren Street has to offer. In this Newsletter, we will take a dive to look into the current condition of this street.

Heeren Street now has been somewhat modernised to suit the needs of the world now while still maintaining the essence of the street itself. The culture and beautiful architecture of this street are still on display when you enter the street.

Now, many of these houses have been turned into shops, museums, hotels and restaurants for the tourist to come and take a look and also help the building owners to run a living. Most of the businesses on Heeren Street mirror the culture of the Peranakans and serve as good tourist spots.

The following pictures and texts are some examples of buildings that carry the prosperous history of the Peranakans of the Past with them.

Ancestral Homes

There are two heritage hotels Tun Tan Cheng Lock: Hotel Puri , and Heeren House, which are among the various lodging options available to visitors to on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock.

A 50-room boutique hotel is now housed in the 1876 structure that had served as Hotel Puri. This Peranakan house, which was once the ancestral home of philanthropist and successful rubber plantation owner Tan Kim Seng, has been meticulously renovated. Despite the three-story building's unimpressive front, it stretches back about 100 metres from the curb, and beyond the front entry are huge, open, and well-maintained grounds.

There are only six rooms in Heeren House, which is located at number 1 at the top of the street, and each one has an en suite bathroom and the essential air conditioner. All of the accommodations include river views and colonial or vintage furniture. The two-story structure had previously served as a warehouse, Chinese coffee shop, and residence before being transformed into a boutique hotel a few years ago.

Chee Mansion

This beautiful majestic mansion is a grand white building that is owned by Chee Swee Cheng aka Baba Cheng, the 6th generation Peranakan descendent. Baba Cheng's forefather Chee See Sum along with many Chinese left Zhangzhou prefecture in Fujian Province, China to seek his fortune in Malacca. Now, this historical mansion is undergoing the process soon becoming a museum that the public can visit

Not All is Grand

As well kept as most buildings are on Heeren street several buildings aren't well kept and seem to be reaching the end of their life. It's a sad sight to see such treasure slowly meeting its end, however, at the same time these buildings that have worn down have their own sense of beauty and story that is given to us.

WhatsApp Image 2022-09-20 at 18.13.58.jpeg

References

ExpatGo Staff. (2012, August 7). A Street Called Millionaire’s Row in Melaka. ExpatGo. Retrieved September 15, 2022, from https://www.expatgo.com/my/2012/08/07/a-street-called-millionaires-row-in-melaka/

Heeren Street, Malacca Photobook. (2017, December 10). Issuu. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://issuu.com/lisze/docs/chloeteh-asian-architecture-photobo