Here's why this charming neighbourhood is so popular
Unique Peranakan architecture & built environment
Just five years ago, the neighbourhood looks vastly different from how it does today. Apart from the new MRT stations and some of the older buildings being taken down (the iconic Marine Parade CC will always have a spot in my heart), I now see a surge in the expatriate community and cafe scene. The usage of these traditional spaces is changing too, especially the Peranakan-style architecture that Joo Chiat is probably most known for.
Characterised by brightly-coloured facades and intricate tiles, these spaces offer a glimpse into the life of the Perankans living in yesteryear Singapore. For any foreigners reading this, Peranakan is colloquially referred to as someone who has a blend of Malay and Chinese heritage. While the Peranakan men are known as ‘baba’, the women are known as ‘nonya’. They are distinguished by their love for deep vibrant colours, patterns and drama. This can be observed through their colourful beading, and elaborate clothes and transcends even to the bounds of their wonderful homes.
Combining Chinese, Malay and European elements, the shophouses found in the Joo Chiat and Katong neighbourhood lean towards the:
- Late Shophouse Style,
- Transitional Shophouse Style
- Art Deco Shophouse Style
Peranakan (Straits Chinese) community
Singapore today, the term “Peranakan” generally refers to a person of mixed Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage. Many Singapore Peranakans trace their origins to 15th-century Malacca, where their ancestors were thought to be Chinese traders who married local women. Peranakan men are known as baba, while the women are known as nonya (or nyonya). From the second half of the 19th century to the mid-20th century, Peranakans were also known as the Straits Chinese, as they were born in the Straits Settlements. While some Peranakans have retained their cultural practices, many have assimilated into the larger Chinese community today.
Historical background - Peranakan in Indonesian and Malay means the uterus or womb, or someone from a mixed marriage between a local and a foreigner. Not all Peranakans are of Chinese ancestry. Non-Chinese Peranakans in the early 20th century include the Bugis Peranakans, Arab Peranakans and Java Peranakans. In the Straits Settlements, there was also a small but significant community of Peranakan Indians known as Chitty Melaka. The origins of the Peranakan Indians were said to have traced to around the same time as the Peranakan Chinese, when Tamil merchants began marrying local women. The Jawi Peranakan community was another notable Peranakan group of non-Chinese descent, comprising Straits-born Muslims of mixed Indian (especially Tamil) and Malay parentage.
While the origins of Singapore’s Chinese Peranakans are hard to pin down, some scholars and writers believe them to be descendants of Chinese immigrant traders who married local Malay women or Bataks from Sumatra. But it has been pointed out that such intermarriages took place up to only the mid-19th century, when women in China did not migrate overseas. These Peranakans were known as Straits Chinese, as they were usually born in the British-controlled Straits Settlements of Singapore, Penang and Malacca. During colonial times, they were also known as the King’s Chinese in reference to their status as British subjects after the Straits Settlements became a Crown colony in 1867.
Peranakan Dressings
