The Chinese fishing nets along the Vasco Da Gama Square are erected on teak wood and the bamboo poles used in it, work on the principle of balance. Records say they were first set up here between AD 1350 and 1450. The Square parallels the beach, & is the best place to watch the nets being lowered and pulled out of the sea. Located near to these nets, are an array of restaurants which serves fresh seafood. The Dutch palace or Mattancherry palace was originally built by the Portuguese and presented to the Raja of Cochin, Veera Kerala Varma in 1555. It was later taken over by the Dutch who improved it through extensions and repairs in 1663. Since then it came to be called the Dutch Palace though at no time did the Portuguese nor the Dutch stayed there. Today it is a portrait gallery of the Cochin Rajas. The Synagogue at Mattancherry built in 1568. The Great Scrolls of the Old Testament, the Copper Plates on which the grants of privilege made by the Cochin rulers were recorded and the exquisite Chinese hand-painted tiles are of interest, it is the oldest Synagogue in the Common Wealth Countries. It was partially destroyed in the war of 1662, but was rebuilt by Dutch. In the mid 18th century a clock tower was added to the structure. St. Francis Church, the oldest church in India built by the Europeans (The Protestant church was built originally by the Portuguese in AD 1510 and is believed to be the first church built by Europeans in India). Vasco Da Gama the Governor of Portuguese territories in India was buried in here before his mortal remains were taken to Portugal, fourteen years after his death. But the original tablet still remains here. One of the must visit places of Ernakulam is the Cherai Beach. Bordering the nearby Vypeen Island, which is also an ideal location for swimming. The long stretch of golden sand on the shore, make it one of the cleanest beach in Kerala. The tourism department have taken various steps to cater to the requirement of the visitors. Sports activities like Skiing, Para-gliding etc are arranged here, under guidance of experts. Kalady is the birth place of Adi Sankaracharaya the great Indian Philosopher who lived in the 8th century is 45 Kms from Cochin. It is situated on the banks of river Periyar and there are two shrines in memory of Sree Sankaracharaya. One dedicated to him as Dakshina Moorthi and the other to the Goddess Sharada. Adi Sankara's Shrined in Kalady are open to all pilgrims irrespective of Religion and caste. Kodungalloor, 50 kms north of Kochi, was the ancient port town of Muziris or Crangannore. Goddess Bhagavathi is the presiding deity of the ancient temple here. Cheraman Perumal, the last of the Perumals who were the earlier rulers of Kerala, embraced Islam in 826 AD. After renouncing Hinduism and partitioning his kingdom among his companions and relatives, he left on a pilgrimage to Mecca. The first Mosque in India is situated here.