The Melaka River

This is my first post in a series on my hometown, Melaka, in Malaysia.


Melaka (or Malacca) is a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site. Certain parts of Melaka have been designated as being part of the world's heritage sites. These sites are The Melaka River, St. Paul's Hill, The Dutch Stadhuys buildings, Jonker Street, Jalan Tukang Besi, and Kampung Morten.


The Melaka River has played a significant role in the history of Malaysia, ever since Melaka was founded by Parameswara in 1402. This river was where the Malacca Sultanate grew and extended its Empire in the region. The Portuguese and later the Dutch fought for power and trade on the banks of the river. In its heyday, the river dubbed the "Venice of the East" was the meeting place of traders from the East and West. Even during  the English colonialisation and the Japanese occupation, the river flowing  into the Straits of Melaka had a strategic feature which was most sought after. Today visitors to Melaka can take a river cruise and enjoy a different perspective of  the river.

A sign post  with names of places in the Malay language, and one sign in English!

Here's the river and the boardless 'boardwalk' beside it.

You will love the old village look of kampung houses.

One of the many bridges along the river.

For My World Tuesday, Signs Signs.

 

Portraits

The true mark of a place is much more than the architecture, the clime or the geography but the people who live in that place. 




     These are the happy faces of people you see at work,
     or on a holiday just like you.

Visitors at Yuantong Temple, Changshan Mountain and Stone Forest, and a tea-promoter at Kunming.

      Sometimes you catch them off-guard ...
      the serious expressions of people at work.

A souvenir stall owner who does her own embroidery of souvenir items, lady buggy-drivers at the Stone Forest.

       The faces  of actors  with make-up on, acting out
       stories of their customs:

A Bai minority bride in shades at a mock wedding, and scenes from the studios of the television series, Tianlongbabu.

        The faces of children in their own happy world: 

City girls in the top row, country boys in the bottom row.

         I see the faces in the park,  and wonder what their lives 

         are like...

These ladies from the Naxi minority are deep in conversation, oblivious of the shutterbugs giving them the celebrity treatment.

All smiles...so they were aware after all, that they were the centre of attraction.

    For Mosaic Monday and That's MY World Tuesday, click on the links below:

                                                   

http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/                                       http://showyourworld.blogspot.com