Fort Wall, Melaka

Here's the view of Porta de Santiago from the back. Like the front, the insignia of the Dutch company, VOC is stamped somewhere on the stone relief. Can you see where it is?

VOC was a powerful Dutch trading company in the 1600's. So powerful was VOC that she was granted a monopoly of trading in the east and allowed to wage wars with foreign princes!

The biggest misnomer in Melaka must be the old fort gate at the bottom of the hill. To set the record straight, it's name is Porta de Santiago and not A'Farmosa as many folks will tell you. A'Formosa referred to an old portuguese fortress at the mouth of the Melakan River which eventually landed into the hands of the Dutch. Upon seizing the fortress, the Dutch put their stamp on Porta de Santiago. Hell yes, their company logo or to be more precise the (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie) coat of arms above the gates. Can you see it?

VOC was a powerful Dutch trading company in the 1600's. So powerful was VOC that she was granted a monopoly of trading in the east and allowed to wage wars with foreign princes!

Answer: It's on the shield carried by the soldier on your right.

A long time ago, even before the Portuguese and the Dutch came to Melaka, Admiral Cheng-Ho, Commander of the Chinese Imperial fleet, arrived in Melaka in 1409. An alliance was forged and Melaka became a protectorate of China . To seal the deal, a Chinese princess was given in marriage to a Melakan Sultan.

Now, you might wonder who was responsible for the vicious war I told you about right? Well, let me just say that the Dutch trading company , the East Indies Company or the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) had a large say in this. At that time, VOC was so powerful that she was allowed to wage wars and to make treaties with foreign princes! So Melaka was no exempt. Here's the VOC insignia, look at it carefully and read on...

Though Melaka looks like a sleepy little place, her past was full of colour, history and bloodshed. Do you know that in 1600's, the Dutch and Portuguese fought viciously in the area that you see in the picture? 18,000 cannonballs rained on the hill and the fort and somehow the stout fort walls repelled several attacks. In the end, the Dutch chose to starve the people within the walls and more than 7000 people died over here of disease and starvation. Also, there had been accounts of starving mothers who ate their own dead children.