WHEN we go abroad, we can’t help but compare the things we see, do and experience with similar things in our beloved Malaysia.
Making comparisons is good as it gives us ideas on what’s lacking in Malaysia and how to improve.
Recently, I visited Hoi An, an ancient city near Danang in central Vietnam. Like Melaka, it too is a world heritage site. It has the same character and essence as Melaka, with a laidback atmosphere and timeless appeal.
True to its world heritage status, the old quarters of the ancient town are well preserved and live up to the expectation of tourists who want to travel back in time.
Melaka too has this appeal, allowing people to walk down memory lane to different worlds — Portuguese, Dutch, Baba-Nyonya, chetttiars, British Malaya and Malay-Nusantara. On these offerings, I believe Melaka, as one of the oldest cities in the Orient, has an edge over Hoi An, and many other cities like it.
What impresses me about Hoi An is the cultural charm. While the built architecture is old and intact, so too is its culture, despite the winds of change.
Trishaws are aplenty in Hoi An, but Melaka’s beca has undergone “generational change” — three periods of decorative change.
Although evolving with the times means progress, it should not be at the expense of losing our identity and patriotism. It won’t do to have garish Pokémon or Hello Kitty-themed trishaws with speakers blaring Camilla Cabello’s Havana on the streets of Melaka.
Melaka’s trishaw must preserve its old look, traditional decor and identity, in line with its world heritage site status. Perhaps, there can be two options: the old school style and the modern ones that are instant hits with the young.
In Hoi An, things are simple. The trishaw decor is minimalist. The good thing is, trishaw riders are in uniform. The bicycles for rent there are done old school, unlike in Melaka, which uses advanced bicycle renting apps, which can be a bane for some.
In this age of social media, Melaka and Hoi An have one thing in common — both are Instagrammable places. Many things today are presented visually and every activity needs to be photographed or videoed in the hopes of going viral or gaining ‘likes’.
Travel has changed — it’s now called “experiential tourism”. Many tourists are venturing out on their own, with all the information they need at their fingertips. While we must keep up with progress in technology, the irony is, in tourism, the old is new again and the past is highly sought-after.
AZHARI MAHMOOD
Petaling Jaya, Selangor