Princess Hang Li Poh’s Well

Located at the foothill of Bukit Cina and next to Sam Po Keng Temple, Princess Hang Li Poh’s Well (also known as King’s Well) was built in 1459 by the followers of Princess Hang Li Poh as the main source of water supply in the town. Being the oldest well in Malaysia, it is said that the well will never dried up, not even during times of extreme drought.

Upon conquering Melaka in 1511, the Portuguese secured the well and hence gained total control of the well to serve as one of their main sources of water supply. In retaliation, Sultan Mansur Shah seek help from the Javanese and the well were filled with poison and many who drank from it died of poisoning. According to Portuguese historian, Diogo de Couto, many Portuguese soldiers died from drinking the water from the well.

After the Dutch conquered Malacca in1677, they surrounded the well with solid brick walls in bid to safeguard the well and prevent it from being poisoned again and maintain their rights over it and to. The wall surrounding the well erected by the Dutch is still present today.

Today, Princess Hang Li Poh’s Well functions as a wishing well. It is believed that those who toss coins into the well or drink its water will return to Malacca again.

Princess Hang Li Poh’s History and Myth

According the Malay Annals (Sejarah Melayu), the Chinese Emperor had heard about the greatness of Melaka and hence send a Chinese ship to Melaka, with the ship fully filled with gold needles. A messenger then brought the following message to Sultan Mansur Shah (ruler of the Melaka Sultanate) – “For every gold needle, there is a subject. If you can count the number of needles, you will learn the true extent of my power”.

Unfazed, Sultan Mansur Shah later sent Tun Perpatih Putih as his envoy to China and a ship loaded with sago, and replied with a message that reads: “If you are able to count the sago grains, you will discover the number of my subjects and my true power”.

The Chinese Emperor was so impressed that he sent his daughter, Princess Hang Li Poh to marry the Melaka Sultan. Sultan Mansur Shah ordered Princess Hang Li Poh to be converted to Islam and married her thereafter. Sultan Mansur Shah also ordered to build a palace for Princess Hang Li Poh and the son of minister and five hundred female attendants that followed her from China.

There is controversy over whether Princess Hang Li Poh ever existed since she was never recorded in the Chronicles of Ming Dynasty. A princess was usually bestowed with the title “Gong Zhu” (a title denoting blood-relation to the Emperor) or “Jun Zhu” (indicating a relation to a Duke or a non-royal relation). Neither of the two titles was present in the name of Princess Hang Li Poh. Also, the claim of Princess Hang Li Poh converting to Islam also agree with the above controversy as the royal member of the Ming Dynasty as conversion to a foreign religion or belief was forbidden.

There is also speculation that Hang Li Poh is not a Chinese princess, but a beautiful maid in the imperial house which was selected to assume the role of a princess. This was a common practice in the Chinese history where this type of ‘princess’ was usually sent to kingdom far away that are deemed not significant to the Chinese Emperor in order to maintain relationship with the other kingdom. These princesses are usually not being recorded in the history of China.

Location

Address: Jalan Puteri Hang Li Poh, 75100 Melaka
GPS Coordinate: N 2.195902, E 102.255273

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Admission Fee

Open to public and admission is free.

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