Church of Saint Paul, Malacca(Church of our Lady of the Mount)

一直在路上的猫

4.0/5

Excellent

St. Paul's Hill is located in the heart of the Malacca Old Town World Heritage Site, near the Dutch Stadthuys and the Santiago Gate. It was once an important high ground of the Sultanate, and Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty designated it as the "National Mountain." The hill is not high; a short walk of about ten minutes up the steps leads to the summit. The view from the top is excellent, overlooking Malacca city, the Malacca River, and the Straits, making it a popular spot for sunset photography. Several small museums and the remains of a Dutch cemetery are also located nearby. At the top is St. Paul's Church (Gereja St. Paul), originally built by the Portuguese in 1521 as a church for Our Lady. In 1548, it was handed over to the Jesuits, where St. Francis Xavier preached. His body was temporarily buried here in 1553. After the Dutch occupation in 1641, it was renamed St. Paul's Church, later used as a cemetery and fortress; bullet holes are still visible in the outer walls. It is now a magnificent, roofless stone ruin. There is a white statue of Xavier in front of the church (missing his right hand); inside are scattered ancient tombstones inscribed with Portuguese/Latin; admission is free, and opening hours are the same as in the old town; the building itself is one of the oldest European colonial relics in Southeast Asia.