- Open Access
Constructing New Meanings of Chinese Architectural Heritage in the World Heritage Sites of Malacca Straits
Built Heritage volume 1, pages 26–35 (2017)
This paper aims to construct new meanings of Chinese architectural heritage in the World Heritage sites of Malacca and Penang in the Malacca Straits. Inscribed in 2008, both sites have a history of more than 600 years of migrating trades and cultural exchanges with China. The influence of Chinese culture has given them diverse urban and architectural assets as tangible heritage, and different life styles of different groups of people as intangible heritage. Starting with a survey of the varied Chinese architectural heritage in the two World Heritage sites of the Malacca Straits, this study presents Chinese temples, huiguans, and shop-houses in the surviving historic city centres where various cultures and religions met and coexisted. These sites bear testimony to a living multi-cultural heritage and the tradition of Malay Archipelago, historic China and India, and modern Europe up to nowadays. Setting the two Wold Heritage sites in the full context of China, India and Southeast Asia which were part of the Maritime Silk Roads in ancient times, the study establishes a broader view to understand heritage as a cultural entity, explores the Chinese contribution to heritage, and calls for awareness towards heritage renovation and adaptive reuse throughout history. Furthermore, through an investigation of the architectural and cultural heritage in Southeast Asia from the 15th to the 19th century, the study intends to achieve a better understanding of the vernacular architecture and craftsmanship in southern China and the vernacular Chinese culture and art in Southeast Asia. It means to explore how Chinese cultural heritage was transplanted to the non-Chinese contexts in the Malacca Straits
Andaya, B.W., and L.Y. Andaya. 1982. A History of Malaysia. Macmillan Press Ltd.
Benedict, Anderson. 1998. The Spectre of Comparisons: Nationalism, Southeast Asia and the World. London: Verso.
Coe, M.D. 1961. “Social Typology and Tropical Forest Civilizations.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 4 (1): 65–85.
Dohrs and Sommers. 1967. Cultural Geography: Selected Readings. McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Fu, I-ling. 1956. Mingqing Shidai Shangren ji Shangye Ziben [Merchants in Ming and Qing Dynasty and Commercial Capitals]. Beijing: People’s Publishing House.
Hoyt, Sarnia, Hayes. 1993. Old Malacca. Oxford University Press.
Lim, Heng, Kow. 1978. The Evolution of the Urban System in Malaya. Kuala Lumpur: Penerbit University Malaya.
Lynn, Pan, ed. 1998. The Encyclopaedia of the Chinese Overseas. Singapore: Archipelago Press.
Lzikowitz, K.G., and Sorensen, P., ed. 1982. The House in East and Southeast Asia: Anthropological and Architectural Aspects. London: Curzon Press.
Macmillan, Allister, eds. 1923. Seaports of the Far East. Reprint. Originally published: London: W. H.& L. Collingridge.
Malacca Historical Society. 1936. Historical Guide of Malacca. Malacca: Malacca Historical Society.
McGee, T. G. 1967. The Southeast Asian City: A Social Geography of the Primate Cities of Southeast Asia. London: G Bell and Sons, Ltd.
Purcell, Victor. 1948. The Chinese in Malaya. Singapore: Oxford University Press.
RCM (Rotary Club of Malacca). 1984. The Illustrated Historical Guide to Malacca. Malacca: A Rotary Club of Malacca Community Service Project.
Wheatley, Paul. 1961. The Golden Khersonese: Studies in the Historical Geography of the Malay Peninsula before A.D. 1500. Kuala Lumpur, University of Malaya Press, 1961.
Yang, Lien-sheng. 1970. “Government Control of Urban Merchants in Traditional China.” Tsing-hua Journal of Chinese Studies, new series, 8: 1–2.
About this article
Cite this article
Mei, Q. Constructing New Meanings of Chinese Architectural Heritage in the World Heritage Sites of Malacca Straits. Built Heritage 1, 26–35 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03545667
- Chinese architectural heritage