PANORAMIC VIEW - FROM THE GHOSTGATE BRIDGE, MELAKA TOWN This panoramic shot was taken at 4 pm in the afternoon on the 2nd Aug 2000 on the GhostGate Bridge ("Kwai Moon Kwan" in Cantonese/Chinese) crossing the old Melaka River. This vantage point gives a great view of some of the very old Chinese/Dutch styled buildings that were built on the banks of the Melaka River. In the background, you can see the spires of the Madonna Church, a Roman Catholic church, built in the 18th century. It is tilting slightly ala the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Below the foot of the bridge lies a small street/lane filled with old Chinese shops and traditional craftsmen doing their wares. For the eagle-eyed, you may spot tall TV antennas...these allow the residents to receive TV channels from the country of Singapore which lies 150 miles/240km south of Melaka Town. The eagle-eyed will also spot some laundry left out to dry under the sun along the rails of the bridge. For the inquisitive vultures, the reason why this bridge is called the GhostGate Bridge was because the severed heads of executed people were hung off the bridge during World War 2 when Melaka was occupied by the Japanese. The bridge used to be painted in red, believed to ward off wandering spirits and ghosts. [ Please wait for Java applet and image to load. Click with left mouse button to stop. Hold down left mouse button for manual panning ]. Copyright www.MalaysiaStall.com. |
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