Hang Li Po's Well

Who is Hang Li Po?

Princess Hang Li Po was believed to be the daughter of Emperor Yong Le from the Ming Dynasty, China.  She was apparently given by the Ming dynasty to become the 5th wife of Sultan Mansur Shah, the Sultan of Malacca in the 1500s.

The story was that Admiral Cheng Ho (Zheng He) brought her to Malacca with an entourage of 500 maids.

The Ming Imperial records contains no records of this princess or the marriage. 

However, Hang Li Po was mentioned  in 2 historical texts: The Malay Annals (Sejarah Melayu) 1612 and the Suma Oriental by Tome Pires 1512-1515. In the Malay Annal, she was referred to as a princess but in the Suma Oriental, she was referred to as a Chinese girl without rank. 

Princess Hang Li Po remains a popular figure in the history of Malacca.

This is a historical well, initially built by the sultan for the exclusive use of his Chinese queen. The well is housed in a small fort which was built by the Dutch to guard the important source of water. The well was said to have never dried up, even in drought season! 

 Poh San Teng Temple was built at the foot of Bukit Cina @ Chinese hill in 1795 as a graveyard temple.  It was built by a Chinese Kapitan by the name of Chua Su Cheong. Hang Li Po's well is right beside this temple. 

 The entrance to Hang Li Po's well

Hang Li Po's well was known as The King's Well. It was the oldest water well in Malacca, built in 1459.  It was the main water source in town at that time. In 1511, the Portuguese secured the well and used it for their main supply. In 1677, the Dutch secured the well with a fort.