Peranakan People
This week’s addition of Snapshot Monday ~ Gorgeous Peranakan People – The family in this picture depicts the traditional clothing that was once worn by the Peranakan people of Singapore. The photo is part of many that can be seen at the Peranakan Museum located at 39 Armenian St, Singapore.
The Malay (Malaysian) term ‘peranakan’ means ‘locally born’ and also refers to other communities that developed in Southeast Asia like the Chitty Melaka and Jawi Peranakans. The Peranakan Chinese are descendants of Chinese traders who settled in Malacca and around the coastal areas of Java and Sumatra, as early as the 14th century.
In the 19th century, the Peranakan Chinese, drawn by commerce, migrated to the busy ports of Singapore. The Chitty Melaka, or Peranakan Indians, descended from unions between South Indian Hindu merchants and local women, from the time of the Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century.
The Peranakan culture is a unique mixed culture that is still part of Singapore’s living heritage.
