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History

The city of Melaka is known for its connection with the history of the Malay Sultanate of Melaka which traced its origin back to some 600 years ago. During the 16th Century, Melaka became famous due to its strategic location as a major regional commercial port.

This has made Melaka a coveted possession among the western powers of that era and was subsequently seized by the Portugese, Dutch and English. Presently, the Melaka State Government has taken initiatives to preserve buildings and artifacts left by the colonisers and transform these as major historical sites that will attract both domestic and international tourists.

Jonker Walk

Jonker Walk is well known for its art galleries, antique shops and traders, among them goldsmiths, watch repairers, clog makers and beaded shoemakers, blacksmiths, rattan and bamboo weavers, Chinese traditional medicine merchants and food outlets.

The area has the reputation for supplying authentic antiques and objects d'arts dating back to the early fifties when Malaysians joined the urge to shop for memorabilia of the past. Two well known pioneer antique dealers in Melaka were T.K. Kutty and Hj Abu Bakar. Worth a visit are the antique and second hand shops found at Nos 25, 26 and 55, Jalan Hang Jebat. An enticing display of curios confronts the customer in these outlets and be it after a gentle browse or a methodical search, you may just be rewarded with authentic artefacts such as charcoal burning irons or porcelain and ceramic pieces that can date as far back as 300 years. Victorian memorabilia, furniture and clocks too can be obtained in some of these outlets.

Location/Route
Jonker Walk is a pedestrian walkway along Jalan Hang Jebat (previously known as Jonker Street) and along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (previously known as Heeren Street), in the heart of Melaka town.

Public Transport 
Town Bus No 17
Roving taxis provide cab service or contact the taxi terminal at +606 284 7164 as there are no taxi stands in these narrow bustling streets.

Operating Hours 
Opening hours for different shops vary but generally from Monday to Thursday most open from 10am to 6pm, and from Friday to Sunday, many stay open until 10pm. Eateries open daily from 10am to 11pm. The street becomes a marketplace every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6pm to midnight.

Clock Tower

The Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower outside the Stadthuys was given to the people of Malacca in 1886 by Mr Tan Jiak Kim to fulfil the wishes of his father, Tan Beng Swee, who was a third generation of a Chinese philantrophic millionaire family. Tan Beng Swee, was the son of Tan Kim Seng who donated both the bridge adjacent to the clocktower and land for the Chinese cemetery. The original clock was imported from England. When the clock was replaced by one from Seiko in 1982, it caused an uproar among the senior citizens of Malacca who still recall the harsh treatment they suffered during Japan occupation. This Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower, it looks Dutch, but it is not.

A' Famosa

The hallmark of Melaka and perhaps the most photographed subject next to the Stadthuys. Built by the Portuguese in year 1511 as a fortress it sustained severe structural damage during the Dutch Invasion. The British had set to destroy it but timely intervention by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1808 saved what remains of A' Famosa today.