The Portuguese had interests in Melaka (Malacca) in the early 16th century as part of their plans to establish strategic trading posts along the coast of Asia. The Portuguese captured Melaka in 1511 from the ruling Melaka Sultanate and constructed a fortress named A'Formosa around a hill. The Portuguese also built a Catholic church named St Paul's Church on top of the hill. When the Dutch captured Melaka from the Portuguese in the 17th century, they converted the church and the area around it into a burial ground.
Then came the British in 1826, when the Dutch gave up Melaka to the British under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. The British did not have much use for the A'Formosa and destroyed most of the fortress until Sir Stamford Raffles (Governor-General of the British East Indies at the time) stopped further destruction. What remains of the A'Formosa today is just an entrance to the former fortress, which you can pass through very quickly.
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| The A'Famosa |
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| Walking up to St. Paul's Church from the A'Famosa |
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| Street artist along the walk to the A'Famosa |
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