TRIP TO MELACCA JONKER STREET.

" Jonker Walk" Freely On Jonker Street !
Jonker Street is a very attractive place in Malacca.A street with  many antiques, textile and handicraft stores as well as galleries. On weekend nights the street is closed for traffic and turns into a lively night market.The street starts with more happening on tomorrow night -Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.They are lined with souvenir shops,and restaurants that serve good local delicacies.  Foods and drinks found here that are worth trying include; Chicken rice ball, Hai Nan coffee, cendol, laksa, and so on.
Jalan Hang Jebat, or Jonker Walk is it commonly known, is a street in historical Chinatown of Melaka starting just across the river from the Dutch Square. Jonker Walk is flanked on both sides of the road with heritage houses dating back up to the 17th century. At that time, rich Baba Nonyas (also known as Perankans, descendents of 15th - 16th century Chinese immigrants marrying local Malay women) lived and did their business here.

Opening Hours Jonker Walk Night Market:
Friday, 6-10pm
Saturday & Sunday, 11am-10pm

However, when I visited Jonker Street on 6th July 2013, in conjunction with Malacca Coins and Banknotes Auction, the Malacca government is still firm on opening Jonker Street to traffic during week end.The Malacca government will not budge from its decision to open the streets around Jonker Walk to traffic, in a move to ease congestion in the Bandar Hilir area, until a survey proves otherwise.In the past five years, Chief Minister Idris Haron (right) claimed that the state had received over 1,000 complaints from tourists frustrated at the congestion in the area.
However by opening the streets to traffic would mean the closure of the popular Jonker Walk weekend night market.
The Jonker Street is  an attraction mooted by the previous chief minister Mohd Ali Rustam, and its closure has resulted in traders to cry foul.
Tourism Minister Nazri Aziz had advised the Malacca government to reconsider its decision and he hoped the streets would remain closed to traffic on weekends after the four-week trial period, for the night market to operate.
"Even its name is ‘Jonker Walk', meaning it is for pedestrians to walk on and not be limited to the sidewalks. The people must walk on the street. It is Jonker Walk, not Jonker Drive," the minister had said.
I do hope when I return to attend the next Malacca Coins and Banknotes Auction in December, I will still be able to ‘Jonker Walk' freely on the Jonker Street.

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