Perigi Raja, Bukit Cina, Malacca

Perigi Raja, Malacca (10 July, 2005)


Perigi Raja (GPS: 2.19585, 102.25536) is a well at the foot of Bukit Cina in Malacca. It is located to the right of the entrance to the Poh San Teng Temple. It is believed that this is the oldest existing well in the country, and was dug by the orders of Sultan Mansur Shah (1458-1477), purportedly for his consort, the Princess Hang Li Poh. Thus, the well is also called the Hang Li Poh Well. However, there is no documented evidence suggesting that Puteri Hang Li Poh existed in Chinese imperial records, and there is great likelihood that she is not of royal blood.

After Malacca was overthrown by the Portuguese, the Sultan of Malacca fled to Johore, where he launched a counterattack by poisoning this well, resulting in the death of 200 Portuguese soldiers. History repeated itself in 1606 when the Dutch poisoned the well, and in 1628-1629, it was the turn of the Acheenese to do the same.

Realising the importance of this well, the Dutch built a wall around the well, complete with cannons and a guard post to protect it from sabotage. When Malacca was ceded to the British, the well was neglected and consequently fell into disrepair.

Interpretive plaque at Perigi Raja, Malacca (10 July, 2005)

Perigi Raja is on the Map of Malacca

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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