The Melaka River is the most important river to locals during the Melaka Sultanate. The river’s estuary is located in Bandar Hilir, Melaka. During the heyday of the Melaka Empire, this river played a very important role in the development of international trade and became a meeting place for traders who came from the east and west around the 16th century.

The Melaka River was once dubbed the ‘Venice of the East by European seafarers as it was a prominent port of entry for traders from Europe and Asia during the late 16th century. Melaka’s reputation as the Venice of the East came about because of its river canals running through streets lined with beautiful old houses just like Italy.

Today, it is a famous tourist attraction primarily because of the 45-minute River Cruise, which shows the serene sight of buildings, historical buildings, antique shophouses, relic bridges and not to mention, contemporary buildings and decorations around the Historical City of Melaka. You can either take a walk, have a jog, watch the beautiful night view, or lepak-lepak there and take beautiful photos.

Additionally, there are a few other picturesque bridges along the Melaka River worth mentioning like the Chan Koon Cheng Bridge, Kampung Jawa Bridge also known as the ‘Ghost Bridge of Melaka’, and the Old Market Bridge.