MELAKA: A giant monument and memorial garden will be built in Bukit Cina to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China.
Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the site was chosen as it is steeped in history and legend and held historical significance for Melaka-China ties since the sultanate era.
"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and China Prime Minister Li Qiang will launch the monument and the landscaping in Bukit Cina," he said after visiting the world's largest traditional Chinese wooden sailing ship, 'Fu Ning' at the Tanjung Bruas Port here on Monday (May 6).
Ab Rauf said Melaka has been given the initial greenlight to host the celebrations and the final decision on the venue will be made by Putrajaya and Chinese officials when they meet.
He said the memorial garden will pay tribute to the state's long history of relations with China, which began over 600 years ago.
"Bukit Cina is significant to the bilateral relationship and the state will also extend an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the hillside as he is scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur for the celebration next year," he said, adding that the garden would also lure more tourists from China when open.
Bukit Cina, located in the heart of the historic city, is synonymous with the presence of early Chinese to Melaka and reportedly has over 12,000 ancient graves, the largest outside of China.
In the mid-15th century, Hang Li Po, daughter of the Chinese Ming Emperor, married to Sultan Mansur Shah, a ruler from the Melaka Sultanate and the couple established their home on the hillside.
In 1984, plans to commercially develop the site were met with public outcry, with hundreds coming out to protect the ancestral Bukit Cina.
The plan was eventually scrapped.
Bukit Cina is currently a park and is a popular spot for joggers. It is also the site for several temples and Hang Li Po's well.
