“Chinese Baroque”
12-day wedding ft wedding specialists - traditional Peranakan weddings are a 12-day affair
Kitchen God - their secret to ensuring kitchens are harmonious — the Kitchen God, Datok Dapoh or Zao Jun
Empowered girls - When girls were being denied an education in the 1899, a group of Peranakan men set up a school specially for Peranakan girls
Matriarchal household - In traditional households, females call the shots at home by managing the household
Betel nut lovers - sireh-chewing was primarily the activity of the older women, known as the Bibiks
Lee Kuan Yew - Other famous Peranakans include Dr Goh Keng Swee, Dr Tony Tan, Mr Gan Eng Seng and Mr Tan Tock Seng
S’porean man creates Peranakan Rhapsody music video, viral parody of Bohemian Rhapsody
A local Peranakan named Alvin Oon, has produced a parody of the song called Peranakan Rhapsody.
Oon set up Peranakan Sayang as a platform for him to showcase the Peranakan culture, and this video was created for the same purpose. According to Oon, the idea for the parody had been sitting in his head for “quite some time” and the recent release of the Queen biopic pushed him to produce it.
He also said that the toughest part of the parody were the vocals, for which he enlisted the help of his friends.
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Peranakan Sayang 7 November 2016
Hello! Hello! Welcome to the FB Page of the Peranakan Sayang, celebrating the Peranakan culture we love and home to Singapore's premier Peranakan performing singing group. We are all excited with a fresh start to bring you news, information, shows, events, merchandise and all things wonderfully Baba Nyonya! Kamsiah for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you at our next event!
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Pursuing the Peranakans
STRAITS Chinese, Straits-born Chinese, Baba Chinese or simply Baba, and Peranakan are terms which have been used interchangeably. The Straits Settlements, comprising Penang, Malacca and Singapore, formed a historical, political unit which no longer exists. Throughout the period when it did exist, not all the Chinese living in the Straits Settlements were born there. Therefore, strictly, a distinction should be made between a Straits Chinese and a Straits-born Chinese. The latter, however used the term Straits Chinese as a contraction, so there is now no distinction between the two terms. However, those born in the Straits during the time when the Straits Settlements existed regarded this as the only essential qualification needed to be termed Straits Chinese. The expression which the Straits-born Chinese used for those not born in the Straits was Sinkhek or newcomers. The expression Straits(-born) Chinese has always meant those of the historical Straits Settlements, and does not include the Chinese in other states.
The etymology of the term ‘Baba’ has provoked much discussion. The term traveled to the Malay Peninsula when the English East India Company extended its trade influence from its stronghold in India to the Straits of Malacca. The word itself appears to originate from India, and ultimately from West Asia. In northern India where the Hindustani language is greatly influenced by Persian, Baba is a general title of respect; a Pakistani wife addresses her husband as ‘Baba’. The honorific term ‘Baba’ in time came to refer primarily to Straits Chinese men.
The word ‘Nyonya’ for Straits Chinese women is less exclusive, being applied also to the women of Sumatra and Java. In fact, Nyonya, and its variants Nyonyah, Nonya and Nona are traditional forms of Malay address for non-Malay married ladies of some standing, and can probably be traced to the Portuguese word for ‘grandmother’. Decendants of immigrants who were born in Malaya and Indonesia are called Peranakan, a Malay word that applies to those who are native by birth. The term is from the Malay root word anak for child or children. By definition, the Peranakan community encompasses all local-born Indians, Eurasians and Chinese, including those born in communities outside the Straits Settlements, such as the Indonesian Chinese. (There were also important coastal Chinese settlements in Java and Sumatra.) Thus, a Baba is a Peranakan but not all Peranakans are Babas.
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Tapping the Peranakan experience
WE lost a "true" Malaysian last week – Datuk Kenny Chan of Baba Nyonya fame. He was 68 when he passed away in Malacca. Better known as Bibik Kim Neo in TV1's longest-running series, Chan captivated his audience with his skilful acting and wit. He brought much laughter to Malaysians. It is no wonder the series lasted from the late 1980s till the turn of the century with more than 500 episodes aired taking it into the Malaysian Book of Records. His co-actor Chee Hood Siong, who played Bibik Ah Chim, passed away in 2011.
Kenny had a passion for all things Peranakan that gave Baba Nyonya its character and huge popularity. He was also a chef promoting Peranakan cuisine at a Malacca restaurant named Big Nyonya. He seemingly inherited his cooking skills from his grandmother making Peranakan cuisine sought after among locals and foreigners. Reportedly he was also advising the Baba and Nyonya Association of Malaysia, and documenting the Peranakan community.
The term "Peranakan" denotes descendant in Bahasa Malaysia. The root word comes from the word "anak", or child, referring to locally-born descendants. Colloquially "Baba" and "Nyonya" are used as honorifics. The former refers to the male gender and the latter, female.
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Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese, or Straits-born Chinese, are the descendants of Chinese immigrants who came to the Malay archipelago including British Malaya (now Malaysia and Singapore, where they are also referred to as Baba-Nyonya) and Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia; where they are also referred as Kiau-Seng) and southern Thailand, primarily in Phuket and Ranong between the 15th and 17th centuries.
Members of this community in Malaysia address themselves as Baba Nyonya. Nyonya is the term for the women and Baba for the men. It applies especially to the Han populations of the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java and other locations, who have adopted Nusantara customs—partially or in full—to be somewhat assimilated into the local communities. Many were the elites of Singapore, more loyal to the British than to China. Most have lived for generations along the straits of Malacca. They were usually traders, the middleman of the British and the Chinese, or the Chinese and Malays, or vice versa because they were mostly English educated. Because of this, they almost always had the ability to speak two or more languages.
While the term Peranakan is most commonly used to refer to those of Chinese descent also known as Straits Chinese (named after the Straits Settlements; 土生華人 in Chinese; Tionghoa-Selat or Tionghoa Peranakan in Indonesian; Phuket Baba, Phuket Yaya or Baba Yaya among Thais in Phuket, Thailand[3]), there are also other, comparatively smaller Peranakan communities, such as Indian Hindu Peranakans (Chitty), Arab/Indian Muslim Peranakans (Jawi Pekan, Jawi being the Javanised Arabic script, Pekan a colloquial contraction of Peranakan) and Eurasian Peranakans (Kristang,) Christians of Portuguese and Asian ancestry). The group has parallels to the Cambodian Hokkien, who are descendants of Hoklo Chinese, and the Pashu of Myanmar, a Burmese word for the Peranakan or Straits Chinese who have settled in Myanmar. They maintained their culture partially despite their native language gradually disappearing a few generations after settlement
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The Peranakans - Bridal Chamber
Unlike modern wedding ceremonies which last only for a day or two, the traditional Peranakan wedding is a twelve day affair which is usually carried out in the bride’s house. We shall now investigate the series of elaborate ceremonies that take place to officiate the marriage.
The Cheo Thau ceremony is one of the most important ceremonies and marks the first occasion when the bride and bridegroom will wear their authentic wedding robes. The actual wedding ceremony will only take place before noon that day, after the Cheo Thau ceremony. This ceremony is one of great fanfare where the groom heads a procession of seronnee (a musical instrument), musicians, men carrying umbrellas, and lanterns. The whole troop will then proceed to the bride’s residence after a series of rituals at his home.
Next, follows the Chin Pang Ceremony which marks the first meeting between the couple where the bride would lead the groom into the bridal chamber where he would unveil her. Together they would be served tea and a bowl of kueh ee – small white and red dumplings in a sweet broth.
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Peranakan
The Peranakan traditional dress for women known as the Nonya Kebaya features beautifully embroidered details. The spicy Malay influenced taste of Peranakan food is probably the most commonly encountered aspect of this ethnic group. The Peranakans, are a fascinating blend of cultures from the region. The term Peranakan refers to people descended from marriages between Chinese or Indian men and local Malay or Indonesian women who can be found throughout Southeast Asia.
The Peranakan Chinese, or Straits Chinese, in Singapore can trace their origins to 15th-century Malacca, where their ancestors were Chinese traders who married local Malay women. There are also Chitty Melaka, or Peranakan Indians, descendants of marriages between South Indian Hindu merchants and local women, and Jawi Peranakans, who trace their ancestry to intermarriage between South Indian-Muslim traders and women of the local community. Many of the early Peranakans were traders and shopkeepers, while others were involved in the real estate, shipping and banking sectors. While many of the Straits Chinese have assimilated into the broader Chinese community, they still retain distinctive cultural traits – most notably in their food and traditional dress. Nonya food, named after the ladies who cook it, features strong Malay and Indonesian influences with its uses of spices and coconut milk.
At formal events, Peranakan women are also likely to be seen in their traditional dress known as the Nonya Kebaya, which is influenced by the Malay Sarong Kebaya. This intricate outfit features a sheer fabric blouse that is often decorated with embroidered motifs such as roses, orchids or butterflies.
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5 Interesting facts about Peranakan culture
The Peranakan culture is rich and varied. You’ll often hear this term used many times in Malaysia, so it’s good to know some facts about it. Here are 5 things you might not have known about Peranakan culture:
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What is a Peranakan?
Babas, Nyonyas (Sometimes spelt as ‘Nonya’), Bibiks, Straits Chinese, Straits-born Chinese... these terms are commonly used by many to refer to the Peranakan Chinese. Do these terms refer to the same group of people? Let’s look at a typical impression of what a Peranakan couple would look like when dressed in their traditional attire. In reality, this is not always true. A Peranakan can look like practically anyone, and be anyone. Why, some of your friends may be Peranakans, and you may not even be aware of it!
This book explores the world of the Peranakans, so that the richness of the culture and its people can be shared with anyone and everyone. A Baba is a Peranakan, but are all Peranakans Babas? Yes, but not always. ‘Peranakan’ is a Malay word that means ‘local-born’. Therefore, it would be more accurate to describe the children of Chinese immigrants as ‘Peranakan Chinese’, to differentiate them from the members of other locally-born races. However, Singaporeans generally use the term ‘Peranakan’ or ‘Baba’ to refer to the Peranakan Chinese.
In the early days, Bibiks* would indulge in their cherki sessions in the afternoons, while the nyonyas kept a strict eye on their daughters. Their husbands, on the other hand, made their presence known amongst the British rulers and indulged in western pursuits whenever they could.
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Exploring the Peranakan culture: The architecture, crafts, and food
Peranakans, also referred to as Straits Chinese or Baba Nyonya, are descendants of mainly Hokkien Chinese traders from Fujian Province who settled in Melaka and coastal areas of Java and Sumatra as early as the 15th century. They married into local Southeast Asian communities, as Chinese women were then not legally able to leave China.
During the 19th century, many Peranakans relocated to the thriving ports of Penang and Singapore during British colonial expansion. Highly enterprising, many were successful as merchants involved in the spice trade, rubber, and tin mining, or as professionals.
They were also cosmopolitan, drawing upon Chinese, Southeast Asian, and European influences to create a unique cultural aesthetic distinct from the southern Chinese immigrants who migrated to Southeast Asia in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
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A Vanishing Culture – The Intricate World of the Peranakan
Traditional terraced Peranakan townhouses
To most people around the world, the word ‘Peranakan‘ means absolutely nothing, and to some people around the world, it means little more than that. But to others, it conjours up images of elegance, grandeur, intricacy and integration – a way of life, as the movie put it: ‘gone with the wind‘.
I admit to having a personal, if tenuous link to the Peranakan. My paternal grandmother, my grand-aunts, my grand-uncle, my great-grandmother, and my great-great grandmother, and probably going back even more generations than I care to think – were all Peranakan.
Sadly, this was something which was lost on me during the days when I knew my grandmother well. Despite being extremely close to her for many years, when she was still reasonably healthy I was too young to understand, and didn’t have the depth of interest and appreciation of history which I do now, to fully grasp what a unique and minuscule world and culture my grandmother had grown up in.
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The Peranakans - Kitchen
Batu Lesong
The heavy aroma of herbs and spices would fill the air as you step into the cooking area. Traditionally located at the back of the house, the kitchen is the heart of a Peranakan house where food is prepared in the midst of the exchange of gossip and news among the women of the household.
The furniture of the Peranakan kitchen tended to be utilitarian. Wooden meat safes with wire-mesh sides were used to store food and were either suspended from the ceiling or placed in a corner of the kitchen. Stone implements used for grinding and pounding included the batu giling, batu lesong and batu boh. One sight that was familiar in most Peranakan kitchens was the nyiru used to sun-dry spices.
One of the most important features of a Peranakan kitchen is the shrine of the Kitchen God, usually set up near the stove. The deity was represented by a slip of symbolic red paper or a wooden plague inscribed with the name of the deity. The Peranakans believe that the Kitchen God observes the ongoing activities in the household and ascends to heaven to report the behaviour of the family to the Heavenly Emperor at the advent of Chinese New Year. To ensure favourable reports, the household will offer sticky cakes such as kueh bakul and huat kueh to the Kitchen God, hoping to inspire him to give a favourable report.
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Spice Peranakan
Ok, I admit it, I was one of thousands that have been mesmerized by the Little Nonya. Granted that Yue Niang is an attractive lady who is very easy on the eyes, but the scene that I remember most vividly was the one of Matriach Chen Lao Tai in ecstasy after taking a bite of the Rempah Udang. (Here’s the clip if you don’t know what I am talking about) Doesn’t it just make you want to go and eat some Rempah Udang? Speaking of which, I am on a quest to find the best Rempah Udang in Singapore, so if you have any leads, let me know.
Anyway, the Little Nonya series has really ignited a lot of interest in Peranakan culture. This is great, as I reckon the number of Nonyas still wearing Kebayas is much less than the number of Pandas in the wild. Fortunately, Nonya food culture still burns warmly in many Peranakan families. They might have given up on the clothes and the beading of slippers, but there are still many Peranakan families who laboriously pound their spices in stone crucibles and spend countless hours over a simmering pot to prepare their Nonya dishes.
I guess when it comes to Perankan food, a lot of Peranakans would probably tell you that the best Peranakan food is cooked by their Grandmothers. That is really unfortunate for the rest of us Non-Peranakans who can only rely on other people’s Grandmothers in order to get to eat really nice Peranakan food. So the next best thing is to find a small family Peranakan restaurant that serves “home cooked” Peranakan food and hope that they will serve you the stuff that is prepared to impress the Matriach.
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Peranakan Museum in Singapore: Straits-born Culture
Beaded slippers, sarong kebaya and ornate furniture. These are some of the objects closely associated with the Peranakans that you can view at the Peranakan Museum in Singapore.
Peranakans trace their ancestry to the marriage of Chinese men who came to the Malaya archipelago in search of work and the local women. This mixed parentage resulted in a blend of cultures and their descendants are the Peranakan or Straits-born Chinese.
At the three-storey Peranakan Museum, the culture, customs and traditions of Peranakans are presented through various galleries, each serving as a window into different aspects of the local, Peranakan culture.
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50 influential Peranakans featured in showcase
The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew may never have publicly declared his Peranakan roots, but Singapore’s 1st Prime Minister, who was of Hakka and Chinese Peranakan descent, will be one of the 50 Babas and Nyonyas lauded at a new exhibition at the Peranakan Museum.
Great Peranakans: Fifty Remarkable Lives, which will open on Saturday (May 23), shines the spotlight on individuals who have been influential in Singapore’s development.
Divided into 3 historical periods, spanning from 1819 to 1965, the exhibition includes early pioneers such as businessman Cheang Hong Lim, who dealt in opium, but was responsible for what would become Hong Lim Park; philanthropist Tan Tock Seng, who founded the 1st hospital for poor Chinese; and See Tiong Wah, founder of Bukit Brown Cemetery.
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Here’s Your Chance To Be A Little Nyonya
If the only thing you know about Peranakan culture is everything you saw in The Little Nyonya (that starred our November cover girl Jeanette Aw!), it’s probably time to get schooled.
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The Little Nyonya and Singapore’s national self: reflections on aesthetics, ethnicity and post-colonial state formation
Singapore’s postcolonial state formation process has combined the appeal/distress of a multiracial society with the nationalistic pride of economic development. In recent years, the city-state has witnessed a revival of Peranakan culture and history, referring to the descendants of early Chinese immigrants who integrated into Indigenous societies before becoming prized mediators for British colonisers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
We question how these references are strategically deployed as part of the process of postcolonial state formation and how their aesthetic representations support public discussions and debates about what defines contemporary (Chinese) Singaporean identity. By examining Peranakan representations in the television series The Little Nyonya from a Deleuzian perspective, it will be argued that Peranakan history and culture are mobilised to de-territorialise previous meanings of national ethnic markers, specifically Chineseness, and to re-territorialise a local sense of Indigeneity.
In reaction to concerns over Mainlander identity, representations of Peranakan culture and history in The Little Nyonya support the indigenisation of a specific Chinese identity that is accessible to all Singaporeans, offering an aesthetic framework in which the ongoing process of negotiating between Singapore’s national self and other unfolds.
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Amek Gambar: Peranakans and Photography: Space, time, and memories
The first commercially viable form of photography was invented in France in 1839, and it quickly made its way to Southeast Asia. Peranakans were among the first subjects captured by photographers arriving from Europe. Amek Gambar (“taking pictures”): Peranakans and Photography presents early photographs of the community, including the oldest example in Singapore’s National Collection: a portrait of a Peranakan family taken in 1857 or 1858.
European photographers established the earliest commercial studios in Asia, and almost immediately enterprising Asians learned the new technology and started studios of their own. Many Peranakans were among those intrigued by this fledgling art. They captured their own likenesses and dress, their cities and their rituals.
The exhibition includes studio and amateur photographs of Peranakans in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar. In celebration of a donation by Mr and Mrs Lee Kip Lee of 2535 photographs to the Peranakan Museum, Amek Gambar explores the multifaceted role of photography in the lives of Peranakans.
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The Little Nyonya
The Little Nyonya (Chinese: 小娘惹) is a 2008 drama serial on Singapore's free-to-air MediaCorp TV Channel 8. It stars Jeanette Aw , Qi Yuwu , Pierre Png , Joanne Peh & Xiang Yun as the casts of the series. The storyline, which circles around the biographical flashback of an extended Peranakan family in Malacca, is set in the 1930s and spans to over 70 years and several generations of three families.
The series was partly sponsored by the Media Development Authority of Singapore. It debuted on November 25, 2008 and concluded its run on January 5, 2009. It is shown on weekdays at 9pm.
Produced by MediaCorp in commemoration of the channel's 45-year anniversary (45载光芒·8方贺台庆), the series has been acclaimed by viewers and critics, and raked the highest viewership in the country in 14 years. The success of The Little Nyonya has led to the show being broadcast internationally. The series became the first ever Singaporean Chinese drama to be dubbed in Malay and aired on Malay-language channel Suria.
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The Little Nonya 小娘惹
A critically acclaimed series by both viewers and critics alike, the little nonya aired in Nov 2008 and raked the highest viewership in Singapore in 14 years. The story centers around an extended Peranakan family in Malacca in 34 episodes and had a notable cultural impact in Singapore where a Peranakan trend / wave followed which still can be felt till this day.
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Peranakan Museum
Amek Gambar presents over a century of photographs, tracing the emergence, adoption and evolution of photography in Southeast Asia
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Peranakan jewelry: Kerongsang
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The Peranakan Bridal Bed
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The Peranakan Chinese Home
Who are the Peranakan Chinese?
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The Peranakan Home
Peranakan necklace, earrings, belt, rings, and the three ‘kerongsang’ on their chain.
Nyonya belt, with a pair of antique keyholders clipped onto it.
Antique Peranakan tiffin carriers (three on the right) are immediately distinguishable because of their bright colours, and floral decorations.
Antique wooden ang ku kueh moulds (modern ones are made of plastic). The mould was filled with flour, knocked empty, filled with the prepared balls of dough-and-filling, pressed, and then knocked empty once more, impressing the decorations onto the outside of each dumpling
Peranakan ‘kamcheng’ – the knobs and holes on the sides are so that you can attach a handle (usually made of wire or rope) to the body of the kamcheng and lift it without gripping the smooth sides and accidentally dropping it.
Peranakan tea-tray, complete with pot, and four teacups.
A Peranakan beaded tablecloth at the Peranakan Museum of Singapore. Tens of thousands of minuscule glass beads were woven together to make this exquisite piece of artwork. The entire thing is made of beads – even the tassels on the edges are thousands of tiny beads, all sewn together.
My great-grandmother’s betel-nut box. The nuts (sliced, for convenience of chewing) are in the middle compartment.
read moreEmily of Emerald Hill
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Peranakan Christmas Goodies
Main Wayang CD
Chinchalok
Kerosang
Buah Keluak
Cherki
Gula Melaka
Belacan
Kasot Manek
Kain Sarong
Otah Otah
Cangkak
Ondeh Ondeh
Peranakan Dressings
