Babas and Nyonya are Chinese of noble descendants that have adopted much of the Malay culture into theirs. They are also known as ‘Straits-born Chinese’ or ‘Peranakans’. Visitor to Melaka now can view their heritage at the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum (a private museum) run by the Babas and Nyonyas of Melaka.
The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum located at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, or better known as the Millionaire’s Row. This heritage was a residence built during the Dutch occupancy and bought by the Peranakans in Melaka. The design of these houses clearly shows the mixture of culture between the east and the west.
The house was built in 1896, the Baba-Nyonya Heritage Museum presents the way of life of the Peranakans in Melaka at the end of the 19th century.
Visitors can see the beauty and uniqueness of the Baba-Nyonya traditional costume, antique furnitures and wood-work art. The western influence can also be seen clearly from the antique furnitures made in Italy, Britain and Dutch. Western influence did not end here as there are many more items in this museum, from Victorian-era chandelier to floor tiles, all has its own story to tell.
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