The Portuguese Settlement
In Malacca there's a small village where Portuguese descendants carry on their daily life, more than 350 years after the last caravels set sail back to Lisbon.
The Portuguese Settlement (Kampung Portugis) is a small fishing village that is a safe haven for the Malacca Portuguese and their culture. This Malaysian ethnic group had its origin during the Portuguese colonial period, and speaks a Portuguese-based creole know as “Papia Kristang”.
Located near the seaside facing the straits of Malacca, in the village there’s a small museum dedicated to Portuguese history in Malaysia (free entrance), plus plenty of bars and restaurants serving both Portuguese and Malacca Portuguese seafood.
Like many other communities spread around the world with links to Portugal, the village holds a yearly June festival dedicated to Saint John and Saint Peter (the Patron Saint of Fishermen). The festival is attended by about 100,000 visitors from Malaysia and abroad, and features dancers in colourful costumes perform to the rhythm of Malacca Portuguese folk songs.
Know Before You Go
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