Portuguese Settlement, Malacca Explained

Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Type3:City
Subdivision Name2:Melaka Tengah
Subdivision Name3:Malacca City
Established Title:Established
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:75050
Settlement Type: Town in Malaysia
Translit Lang1:Other
Translit Lang1 Info1:Malay: Kampung Portugis
Translit Lang1 Type1:Malay
Translit Lang1 Info2:Chinese: 葡萄牙村
Translit Lang1 Type2:Chinese
Translit Lang1 Info3:Portuguese: Aldeia de São João
Translit Lang1 Type3:Portuguese
Coordinates:2.1858°N 102.2658°W
Pushpin Map:Malaysia Malacca#Malaysia West#Malaysia
Pushpin Map Caption:Portuguese Settlement in Malacca, Malay Peninsular and Malaysia
Timezone1:MYT
Utc Offset:+8
Official Name:Portuguese Settlement

The Portuguese Settlement (Saint John's Village; Portuguese: '''Aldeia de São João'''; Malay: '''Kampung St. John''', '''Kampung Portugis''') is an settlement area of Ujong Pasir in Malacca City, Melaka Tengah District, Malacca, Malaysia, which serves as a home for the Kristang people. The Kristang people are a Malaysian ethnic group with mixed Portuguese and Malay heritage, originating from the time of the Portuguese rule in Malacca (16th to 17th century).

In 1933, 11 hectares of land at Malacca were purchased with the purpose of creating a haven for the scattered Kristang people. The swampy land was cleared and 10 wooden houses with earth floors and attap roofs were built. Saint John's village, as that simple fishing village was originally known, soon attracted additional Kristang from other areas of Malacca, and grew to become one of Malacca's main tourist attractions, improving the standard of living of its villagers.

Like many other Portuguese-speaking communities around the world, the Portuguese Settlement holds a yearly "June festival" that opens with Festa de São João ("Feast of Saint John", June 23) and closes with Festa de São Pedro ("Feast of Saint Peter", the fishermen's patron saint, June 29). This festival is attended by about 100,000 visitors from Malaysia and abroad. At the festival one can hear Kristang folk songs and watch dancers in colourful costumes perform to the rhythm of branyu music. An important event in the festival is the blessing of the local fishermen's boats, specially decorated for the occasion, to assure good catch.[1]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Malaccan MCA leaders at the Portuguese Settlement . Ivy Tan . The Guardian . 3 . June 2007 . PDF . Malaysian Chinese Association . 14 . 2007-09-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071021165141/http://www.mca.org.my/Chinese/Guardian%20pdf/GUARDIAN%20june.pdf . 2007-10-21 . dead.