Located at No. 48-50 along Jalan Tun Cheng Lock in Malacca, the Baba-Nyonya Heritage Museum is actually a collection of three beautifully restored houses arranged to look like a typical 19th-cenutry Baba-Nyonya residence.




Excellent examples of Chinese-Palladian style, these townhouses, built in 1896, were transformed into a traditional Peranakan museum in later years; connected by a common covered footway, the museum features hand-painted tiles, elaborately carved teakwood outer swing doors and a sturdier internal door which provides extra security.

Framed by Greco-Roman columns, two red lanterns, one bearing a household name and the other messages of good luck, hang on either side of the entrance.





The upper level of the house has a short canopy of Chinese tiles above the portico which frames the almost-Venetian shuttered windows. Boasting distinctively east-meets-west allure, the glass windows feature wrought-iron grilles and the eaves and fascias are covered with painted, floral designs. Inside the house there’s a collection of gold-leaf fixtures, Chinese- and Dutch-design black wood furniture inlaid with mother of pearl as well as skilfully carved lacquer screens and Victorian chandeliers.

The best parts of this tour are the guides who regal guests with Baba Nyonya tales of yore with noticeable Peranakan wit during the informative 45-minute tours.





Touring this traditional Baba-Nonya (Peranakan) townhouse transports you to a time when women peered at guests through decorative partitions and every social situation had its specific location within the house. Built in 1659 by Dutch settlers, it was thoroughly rebuilt by Mr Chan, owner of a rubber plantation, in 1896. It's now owned by the seventh generation of the Chan family.





Guided tours start every 30 minutes to one hour, last 45 minutes and impart lots of information in an entertaining fashion; alternatively, it's possible to take a self-guided audiotour. The last tour of the day is 45 minutes before closing time.



Adults pay RM16 for a tour, children RM11.