The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum

08/04/2026

Honoring tradition, remembering our roots.

Today, members of the Chan family returned to their ancestral home—now The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum—to offer Qingming 清明 (Cheng Beng) prayers to their beloved ancestors.

This beautifully arranged altar reflects the rich and colourful heritage of Baba & Nyonya, or Peranakan Chinese culture—where food, craftsmanship, and devotion come together in a meaningful tribute to those who came before us.

Every detail tells a story of the family, from the vibrant kueh to the carefully prepared dishes, each placed with respect and love.

06/04/2026

Cheng Beng (Qingming Festival 清明节) is one of the many traditions observed by Chinese communities and Peranakan Chinese alike to honour ancestors and reflect on family heritage.

During this time, families visit ancestral graves to carry out tomb sweeping—cleaning the site, making offerings, and paying respects—commonly referred to by the Peranakan Chinese as “teck chua”. This Hokkien phrase is most likely derived from the act of weighing down joss papers on the grave mound. These practices reflect enduring values of filial piety, remembrance, and cultural continuity.

Today, descendants of the Chan family visited the tombs of their ancestors. Among them is the resting place of the planter and one of the most illustrious figures of the Chan family, Baba Chan Cheng Siew 曾清秀 (JP), alongside his beloved wife, Nyonya Chee Gee Geok Neo 徐如玉娘.

05/04/2026

The Qingming Festival (清明节), also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day or referred to as “Cheng Beng” by the Peranakan Chinese, is a time-honoured observance that reflects the enduring cultural value of filial piety and remembrance. Celebrated in early April, it is a time for families to honour their ancestors by cleaning gravesites, making offerings, and paying respects.

Beyond its rituals, Cheng Beng represents a meaningful connection between past and present—reinforcing family bonds, cultural continuity, and respect for heritage. Occurring during the spring season, it also symbolizes renewal, reflection, and harmony between humanity and nature.

On 8 April at 10:00 AM, members of the Chan family will return to their ancestral home—now the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum—to perform the Cheng Beng prayers before their ancestral altar. Visitors are warmly invited to witness this living tradition, faithfully practiced across generations.

For enquiries:
📞 012-567 1273
📧 [email protected]

Opening Hours:
10.00 AM – 4.45 PM
Monday – Sunday (Closed Tuesday)

29/03/2026

We are pleased to announce our revised operating hours, effective 1 April. Visitors are warmly invited to plan their visit accordingly and enjoy an enriching and immersive experience at the museum. We look forward to welcoming you.

12/03/2026

03/03/2026

The annual procession of Tee Hoo Ong Yah (池府王爷) is a vibrant and deeply rooted tradition in Malacca, held on Chap Goh Mei — the fifteenth and final day of Chinese New Year.

Each year, the sacred entourage makes its way from Banda Hilir, moving through the historic streets and passing along Heeren Street. Devotees and onlookers gather in reverence as the deity’s procession winds through the heart of the old town, bringing blessings, protection, and spiritual reassurance to the community.

21/02/2026

Traditional Fujian-style surname lanterns were once a familiar sight at the entrances of Peranakan Chinese homes. These hand-painted lanterns, bearing the family’s surname — and often their business name — served not merely as decoration, but as a proud marker of identity and lineage.

In the past, such lanterns reflected the strong cultural ties between the Peranakan community and their ancestral roots in southern China. They announced to visitors who lived within, much like a living emblem of the household.

Today, however, these lanterns have become a rare sight. With the dwindling number of skilled craftsmen able to produce them, and the gradual shift in architectural styles and lifestyles, they are no longer easily accessible. What was once a common feature of the Peranakan streetscape now survives mostly in heritage homes and museums — quiet reminders of a time when even the doorway spoke of family, trade, and tradition.

20/02/2026

As the museum reopens today after the Chinese New Year break, Baba Henry Chan, Managing Director of the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum and fourth-generation descendant of the Chan family, together with other members of the Chan family, wishes everyone a Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year! 🧧🏮

May the Year of the Horse gallop in with abundant joy, good health, and success for all!

20/02/2026

It is customary in Peranakan Chinese households that, on the eve of Chinese New Year, a bowl of rice known as Nasi Sambot Taon is placed upon the altar. A spring onion and a small bunch of ixora are gently planted in the centre of the rice.

Left undisturbed until the fourth day of the New Year, the rice is then observed for the mould that forms upon it. It was believed that a beautiful orange bloom signifies auspiciousness — a quiet promise of prosperity, abundance, and good fortune for the year ahead.

20/02/2026

Slamat Taon Baru!!! 🧧✨

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!
May the Year of the Horse gallop in with continued peace, happiness, good health, and prosperity for all. 🐎🍊✨