KAMPUNG HAILAM IN MELAKA

The Hainanese Village of Melaka

MyKampung 2012-10-09 16:53

The Hainanese people started to emigrate to Melaka about a century ago. Photo courtesy: Guang Ming Daily 1 of 8 Translated by WINNIE CHOOI Guang Ming Daily

MELAKA -- A translucent sunlight makes a perfect timing to explore Hang Tuah's tomb with a wonderful setting of azure sea and blue sky. A complete journey should be accompanied with a search of the Qiongzhou accent omnipresent in the Hainanese Village as well as the unmistakable Hakka Dongjiang cuisine.

Tanjung Kling

Melaka is such a casual and romantic place where the beach could be reached within 30 minutes. One of the popular beaches in Melaka, Tanjung Kling is also the final resting place of national hero Hang Tuah.

Tanjung Kling is located about 10km northwest of the historic city. Along the road are rows of shophouses erected on reclaimed land with the coastline beyond. The beach is easily accessible with a short 10-minute drive from town. Its serene ambience makes it a perfect venue for leisure and recreational activities.

Kampung Hailam

Half way towards Tanjung Kling from the city centre, along the small road leading to Pantai Kundor is a milestone standing next to a shabby Malay shop house marking the entrance to "Hainanese Village, where environment is our common responsibility."

Walking into the alley and not far away lies the sea followed by a few houses at one corner. Some 95% of residents living in the 9-acre Kampung Hailam are Hainanese, with only three Hokkien households.

During the West Han dynasty of China, the Hainanese people began emigrating to Southeast Asia. The Hainanese people started to come to Melaka about a hundred years ago. They came together to form a tiny fishing village rich in the Hainanese culture.

Fishing and cooking

There are about 50 households in the Hainanese Village leading a typically laid-back lifestyle in a strongly bonded society. However, due to the lack of development, most young villagers have moved to the city to make a living.

According to older villagers, their livelihood was mostly dependent on fishing during the colonial days. Many families here boil and dry the salt in their own compounds and almost every vacant plot of land in the village has been turned into salt fields. As fishing is the most primitive skills of the Hainanese people, many villagers have started to make fishing their main source of livelihood.

Records show that during the colonial days back in the 1950s, villagers quit fishing because of inconsistent income and became domestic helps for senior British officers in order to earn more lucrative incomes. In addition, the Hainanese were also known for their cooking skills and almost every Hainanese family has produced at least a chef serving at major restaurants worldwide.

Cherishing freedom

83-year-old villager Lin Jin Luan told Guang Ming Daily she had been living in the Hainanese Village for more than six decades ever since she was married to her husband and relocated here. She said majority of the fishermen in the village used to be Chinese but now there are more and more fishermen from other races.

Having grown accustomed to life by the sea, Lin said she would have problem adapting to the new life if she were to move away from the beach.

"How would you like to live in the city?" When confronted by the question from the Guang Ming Daily reporter, Lin replied, "Urban people lock themselves in the concrete cages; city living is not my cup of tea.

"I would never want to move into a bungalow even if I become rich one day. I would prefer to live by the beach and stare at the open sea."

Lin's daughter Yan Yu Zhuan, a maths teacher in the nearby SMK Bukit Rambai, chooses to remain in the tiny fishing village, unlike her contemporaries.

"If possible, I would like to continue living in the village."

He Ping Hakka Restaurant

Hakka dishes are also known as Dongjiang dishes. Traditional Hakka food is characterised by its heavy taste and is somewhat salty, spiced and fatty. The saltiness is to prolong the preservation period of the food while fat provides the energy for Hakka people who used to be engaged in manual works, while spicy food stimulates the taste buds.

Located at Pantai Kundor about 10 minutes from Tanjung Kling and the Hainanese Village, the restaurant has been in operation for 15 years now. Among the Hakka specialties served are the abacus yam balls, pork with preserved vegetables, steamed duck and stewed bean curd.

Webmaster:

Kampung Hailam is also near to the Malacca Club Rotunda which is Malacca's oldest club which was founded in 1890. Melaka Sailing Club used to be located near Kampung Hailam during the 1970s. Unfortunately, the sailing club is non-existent now.

PRICES AND RENTALS OF HERITAGE SHOPHOUSES RISE IN HISTORIC MELAKA

9th. October 2012

Since the announcement of Malacca and Georgetown as World Heritage Cities in 2008, both cities have seen a rise of local and foreign tourists arrivals. Melaka has seen tourists arrival increase from 8 million in 2008 to about an estimate of 13 million visitors in 2012 or about 15% increase year on year basis. These arrivals have helped Melaka and Malaccans economically and tourism is regarded as one of major source of income despite her small population. Malaccans cannot deny that fact tourism has benefitted them.

With Melaka being world recognised as a heritage city, property prices and rentals within the Heritage city areas have jumped by 30%. Within the Jonker street and Heeren street, heritage freehold shophouses prices are now being offered between 3 to 5 Million Ringgit which are unheard of previously.

Foreigners especially Singaporeans and Australians consider these prices as cheap in relative terms to the exchange rates. Singaporeans in particular are buying up these properties as investments since Melaka is just 3.5 hours drive away from Singapore.

At the same time, property owners within Melaka are also asking for higher rentals for businesses. Some businessmen from KL are also coming in to invest in properties and businesses as they see the potential of Melaka as a popular tourist destination. Similar trends are also seen in Georgetown, Penang.

New developments in international brands and boutique hotels are being constructed in Melaka and shopping malls are being built on reclaimed land around Bandar Hilir and Klebang. Hopefully, with the construction of new roads such as the coastal road at Klebang and expansion of the Ayer Keroh highway (construction of flyovers at strategic interchanges) will end weekend traffic jams.

Melaka Historical City council should undertake and develop a masterplan so that Melaka can benefit from this in years ahead.

MELAKA FESTIVAL 2012 A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

Melaka Art and Performance Festival 2012 a resounding success

Appiah Annan from Ghana performing Sankofa / Photo from melakafestival.com

Sep 28, 2012

MELAKA, Malaysia – The largest and only site specific art and performance festival on a UNESCO World Heritage site ended on a high note today as artists and performers celebrated a successful three-day festival. From September 21-23, Melaka was filled with art installations and performances by more than 50 renowned local and international artists.

Artists from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, France, Ghana, South Korea, Ireland, Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands, Morocco, Canada, Poland, and the USA performed in the streets along St. Paul’s Hill where the asphalt became their canvas.

Running for the fourth year, the Melaka Arts and Performance Festival (MAPFest) is an innovative contemporary festival featuring dance, performance art, visual art, film, and music. The closing of the festival culminated in the gathering of all MAPFest artists and performers as they performed “Eulogy for The Living,” a large-scale performance, which provided a spectacular and soulful finale to the festival. The play was directed by the Founding Creative Director, Tony Yap, accompanied by live music and projections by Khaled Sabsabi.

“We were overwhelmed by the response throughout the festival. These three days has truly shown that Melaka has the potential to be an international hub for arts and performances. We are definitely looking forward for a bigger and better festival next year,” said Andrew Ching, Founder and Producer of the Festival.

As a supporter of the festival, the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) shares the same vision. Zulkefli Sharif, Chief Executive Officer of MyCEB, said, “Our collaboration with MAPFest this year is a successful one as it proves that Malaysia can be a center stage for global events. Melaka, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, was the ideal venue to host such an inspiring showcase of the arts.”

The event attracted over 20,000 attendees, including an estimated 4,000 overseas visitors. Festival goers participated in a dance workshop by Australia's leading Afrocontemporary dance practitioner, Appiah Annan of Asanti Dance Theatre, as he introduced traditional and contemporary approaches to dance from his motherland, Ghana.

Many people also took part in a forum discussion themed, “Melaka intersections: Living space/museum town” by Associate Professor Cheryl Stock, Director of Postgraduate Studies Creative Industries Faculty of the Queensland University of Technology.

MAPFest 2012 was directed by Tony Yap, in his capacity as the Founding Creative Director. He was one of the principle performers with IRAA Theatre (1989-1996) and has worked extensively in Australia and overseas including the Agamemnon Festival Colline Torinese, Italy, and The Trojan Woman, Vienna International Art Festival. As the founding Artistic Director of Mixed Company (now The Tony Yap Company) in 1993, he has made a commitment to the exploration and creation of an individual dance theatre language that is informed by psycho-physical research, Asian shamanistic trance dance, butoh, voice, and visual design.

MAPFest 2012 is produced by Arts & Performance Festival Melaka Sdn Bhd and is supported by Tourism Malaysia, the Melaka State government, together with the efforts of E-Plus Entertainment, Mercatus Plus Malaysia, Badan Warisan Malaysia, Kingdom of the Netherlands, the French and The Netherlands Embassies, the Australian government, the Australian High Commission, Australia Malaysia Institute, Multicultural Arts Victoria, the Embassy of France, The Tony Yap Company, Nyoba Kan, Simone Lourey, and William Randall.

Source: melakafestival.com

MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL THIS SUNDAY

All Chinese around the world will celebrate the mid Autumn Festival on this coming Sunday. This festival is held on the 15th. Day of the eight month of the Chinese calendar where lanterns will be lit and mooncakes will be eaten.

In the old days, people will eat the mooncakes at night and drink tea under the moonlit night and admire the fullmoon. This tradition is still being carried out in some countries. A good excuse to enjoy the different varieties of mooncakes and the peanuts.

Children enjoy walking around their neighbourhood with their lanterns brightly lit by candles or by modern LED lights which are safer. All good fun for the kids and their parents.

In multicultural Malaysia, this festival is being celebrated by all races especially in the lantern festival or commonly called the Tung Lung festival. Good fun as the children mingle among each other for a night of fun and celebration. Hopefully, this unique Malaysian celebration will continue in years to come.

HAPPY MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL and ENJOY

MELAKA FEST STARTS TOMORROW

Email    Print 20 September 2012 | last updated at 10:34PM

Taking arts to Malacca streets

THE largest and only site specific art and performance festival on a Unesco heritage site returns to Malacca for the fourth time from tomorrow to Sunday.

The Mapfest 2012 team

The Melaka Art And Performance Festival or Mapfest 2012, held daily at 10am, has performances by more than 50 local and international artistes from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, France, Ghana, South Korea, Ireland, Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands, Morocco, Canada, Poland and the United States. They will perform on the streets along St Paul’s Hill and the asphalt will become their canvas.

Mapfest 2012 draws from Malacca’s famous heritage sites to create a space for contemporary culture and artistic practice. It will have components such as Cerita Pendek (Short Stories) 1 and 2, visual arts, discussions and workshops. Cerita Pendek brings together dance, music and performances from all participating artistes in short works over two nights at St Paul’s Church.

On Sunday night, they will all perform Eulogy For The Living, a spectacular finale directed by Tony Yap and accompanied by live music, and projections by Khaled Sabsabi. Producer Andrew Ching says: “The festival provides an avenue for up-coming performers to showcase their talents and collaborate with international artistes.”

Festival supporter the Malaysia Convention And Exhibition Bureau chief executive officer Zulkefli Sharif says that as a heritage site, Malacca has always been a popular tourist attraction and the festival enhances its offerings.

  The event is set to attract more than 4,000 international attendees who can join a dance workshop by Australia’s leading dancer Appiah Annan of Asanti Dance Theatre who will introduce traditional and contemporary approaches to dance from his motherland, Ghana.

Mapfest 2012 is produced by Arts And Performance Festival Melaka and is supported by the Tourism Ministry, E-Plus Entertainment, Mercatus Plus, Badan Warisan Malaysia and the governments of the Netherlands, Australia and France among others.

Admission is free.

Details at www.melakafestival.com.   Leave Your Comment

KANCIL OF TOURISM MELAKA VISITED HERITAGE SITES OF SIEM REAP

Kancil, the mascot of Tourism Melaka, visited the heritage sites of Siem Reap recently.

The world heritage sites of Angkor Wat, Wat Bayon and other sites of the Angkor Heritage Complex were indeed impressive, peaceful, educational and majestic to say the least.

Bayon Heritage site of Siem Reap

Kancil also visited the heritage site made famous by Angelina Joley in her movie as Lara Croft in "Tomb Raiders". The giant trees growing on the heritage site are impressive but at the same time destructive. Restoration works are continuously being carried out world restoration experts to preserve the sites for future generations to come.

If you can, all must visit the Heritage Sites of Angkor in Cambodia. Not to be missed in your lifetime.

The other wonderful and natural wonder is the boat cruise along Tonle Sap, the largest fresh water lake nearby. During the dry season, Tonle Sap lake is only about 2,700km square in area BUT during the rainy seasons from April to end September, the area increases to more than 10,000 sq.km in size!!!.

Boat people stays on floating houses around the lake and moves according to the water levels. Also, another beautiful and breezy view of this enormous fresh water lake not to be missed.

INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY TO BE SET UP IN MELAKA

12 September 2012 | last updated at 08:46AM Malacca to set up archaeology institute

KUALA LUMPUR:

Heritage-rich Malacca plans to set up an institute of archaeology, with the help of the Institute for Conservation and Restoration (ICR) of Rome, in an effort to produce skilled manpower in the restoration of museum artefact.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the institute would be allocated an initial grant of RM2 million from the Heritage Fund to carry out its operations. "In Malaysia, we have yet to have such an institute to train skilled workers in repair work and restoration of museum artefact. It is time that Malacca set up this institute with the help of the ICR.

"For a start, the institute will operate as an academy before being upgraded to a skills institute in repair work and restoration of artefact, painting and pottery for public display," he said after visiting the ICR in Rome on Friday.

ICR director Giseela Capponi was on hand to brief the Malaysian entourage, led by Malacca Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

Other members of the entourage included Malacca Tourism, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Wira Latiff Tamby Chik and Malacca Museum Corporation general manager Datuk Khamis Abas.

After visiting the Vatican City, Khalil and Ali had a discussion with Professor Leigh Robinson of Scotland's Stirling University on sports development.

Ali also attended a product update event organised by Tourism Melaka. Bernama