Five ways to explore Singapore’s Peranakan culture, from food to architecture, homewares and hand stitched slippers
Descendants of the city’s Straits-born Chinese left their mark, even if only traces remain today of a rich creole culture
Today only traces remain in Singapore of one of the world’s most precious creole cultures, but the city state is at last making efforts to preserve and showcase what’s left.
Straits-born Chinese – the Peranakan (which means “born of”) – are largely the descendants of Chinese immigrants who came to Singapore in the 17th century and married local women. The Peranakan culture, a hybrid southeast Asian culture of Chinese, Malay and Indian influences, also has esoteric Portuguese, Dutch and Indonesian traces.
Assimilation may have dulled its character as a distinct modern culture, but there are Peranakan touches all over Singapore, particularly in its food and architecture – as long as you know where to look.
