Stadthuys
Oldest Dutch colonial building in Southeast Asia, Malacca
Your base for exploring this sight is the historic city of Malacca, in Malaysia. For travel information about Malacca, go to Malacca Travel Guide. To prepare yourself for a trip to Malaysia, read the AsiaExplorers Malaysia Travel Guide. Looking for budget accommodation in Malacca? You can find cheap clean rooms using our Malacca Budget Accommodation Guide
The Stadthuys, which means the Municipal Town Hall in Dutch, is the biggest, most prominent building in the Malacca Town Square, and it is also the oldest and biggest Dutch colonial building in Southeast Asia. Construction of it began around 1641, the year the Dutch pried Malacca from the Portuguese, who ruled since the fall of the Malacca Sultanate in 1511. It covers 49,000 square feet. It took close to twenty years to complete it, with building material imported from the Netherlands.
Wide-angle shot of the Stadthuys.
Throughout the Dutch Administration until 1824, the Stadthuys served as the civic centre of the town. It houses the Dutch governor and his numerous aides. When the British took over Malacca, they continued to use it as a civic centre. After Independence, the Malaysian government also used it as the State Governing Center until 1979. Since then, it was converted into the Ethnography Museum.
Although the interior is now filled with museum exhibits, it is still possible to view much of the interior with its thick masonry walls and heavy wooden beams. The statue of Admiral Cheng Ho (Zheng He) stand incongruously on the courtyard, commemorating the admirals's visit to Malacca during the time of the Malacca Sultanate.
The Stadthuys shares the Town Square with the other major Malacca landmarks, which include the Tan Beng Swee Clock Tower, the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Fountain, and the old General Post Office (nowadays made the Youth Museum).
All the buildings here wear a coat of maroon paint, giving the square a decidedly foreign feel not found anywhere else in Malaysia. Unlike popular perception, however, the buildings were not originally painted maroon as you see today. Instead they were faced with bricks. When the authorities discovered the the brick façade leaks, they covered it with plaster and painted it white. Later, in the 1920s, the British changed the colour to a bright salmon red. The present local authorities darkened the colour further, so now we have the buildings in a maroon colour.
Recent excavation revealed that beneath the Stadthuys there used to be a Portuguese settlement. A Portuguese well and drainage system were discovered. The remains of the A Famosa, the fort that the Portuguese built right after seizing Malacca, is believed to be buried under the Stadthuys car park today.
Today, the Stadthuys houses three museums: the History Museum, the Ethnography Museum and the Literature Museum. These are open to the public from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily except on Fridays when they close from 12.15 p.m. until 2.45 p.m. for lunch and Friday prayers. Admission fee is RM2 at time of writing.
(left picture) Entrance to the Stadthuys. (right picture) Statue of Admiral Cheng Ho (Zheng He)
Statues representing the three colonial powers in Malacca: Portuguese, Dutch and British.
Displays in the museum.
Displays in the museum.
The courtyard, with the statue of Admiral Cheng Ho in the middle.
Inside the History, Ethnography & Literature Museum.
Recent excavation revealed an old Portuguese well that pre-dates the Dutch.
The side façade of the Stadthuys.
The Stadthuys carpark. What's special about this car park is that the original A Famosa fort of the Portuguese could be buried under it.
Behind this wall could be the foundation of the A Famosa.
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