Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum located at Bandaraya Melaka.

Credit to : TripAdvisor

INTRODUCTION

     Basically, Baba Nyonya ethnic are very popular in the world especially in Melaka, Malaysia. In terms of origins, Baba Nyonya can be traced back to centuries ago when the Chinese emigrated from China to the British Straits Settlement of Melaka, Singapore, Penang and also Java of Indonesia. Besides that, when the Chinese emigrated to the our country especially in Melaka, automatically they which is Chinese then married the local females and their distinct background, cultures and customs blended together harmoniously and became Baba Nyonya in “Peranakan” culture. Usually, most children Baba Nyonya raised by the way of life and rituals of the Chinese altered by the elements of Malay and other local. The most important things, “Peranakan” means descendent in Malay. It is another local term for them. “Baba” refers to the male while “nyonya” is female. Besides, they are also being known as “Straits-born Chinese”. This is a very unique culture in Melaka where the Chinese culture is assimilated into Malay customs. During the early time, they retained some practices of Chinese cultures but at the same time adapted local Malay traditions in order to minimize the culture shock.   

     Furthermore, in terms of Malay culture, usually they have several similarities with that culture especially in terms of dress, food, language and others. Sometimes, Baba Nyonya culture can make the local people in Malaysia more comfortable, tolerance and has a good cooperation between each other. In fact, most of them are not Muslim and they have their own religious when they came to the Melaka, Malaysia. Sometimes, Nyonya always wearing the traditional dress but they still retained some Chinese customs especially in festival celebrations, marriage, names and ancestral worship. Moreover, in terms of foods, usually Baba Nyonya emphasizes the tastes which is adapt both cultures in cooking that made up of pungent and spices from Malay and Chinese style in food preparing. The most important things is when we  might probably find some cuisines similar to Malay food buat contain pork . In terms of traditions, Baba Nyonya also practices various of traditions that have a combination of Malay culture. 

     Besides that, Baba Nyonya always using a various of language. Sometimes, they using different of dialect between each other. Thus, local people might be surprised by the way they speak in a mixture of Malay language, Hokkien dialect and others. Then, their language is a blend of Chinese, Malay and Eurasian culture because European like Dutch was influential when they dominated Melaka last time and it can show us that unique culture can create another culture that can give harmonious environment between each other.

BABA NYONYA'S CULTURE - Clothings

Baba Nyonya's Clothings

Mostly influenced by malay's cultures. Men in this ethnic called 'Baba' while the females was called 'Nyonya'. Influence Malay in this ethnis can be seen at their clothings that similar with Malay's. Nyonya mostly adapted Malay's in clothing. While Baba still used their origin way in clothing.

 
Kebaya Nyonya is Baba Nyonya's traditional attire that female in this ethnic wear. This Kebaya usually design with symbol or pattern that related with Chinese. It is worn with kain sarong batik.

Baju Panjang or Long Dress was adapted from traditional Malay's clothing Baju Kurung. The difference with Baju kurung is Baju Panjang have three brooches as additional accessories. It is also worn with kain sarong batik.

Lok Chuan or Mandarin Jacket is full attire that Baba wear as their traditional attire. Usually their wear it when formal gathering like Chinese New Year or wedding day.

BABA NYONYA'S CULTURE - Celebration

Chinese New Year

     Many things about Baba Nyonya have big influenced from Malay's culture,however they still worship their ancestor believe and religion. Just like any Chinese, Baba Nyonya also celebrate Chinese New Year

    Chinese New Year is the first day of  the year according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Before the old year ends, it is a custom for Chinese to spring clean or even paint their houses. Actual celebrations starts on the day before the new year, where family members gather for a reunion dinner. The reunion dinner is the a major celebration and gathering for the family - a once a year affair for many who have children working out of town. On Chinese New Year day relatives and friends visit each other to offer their good wishes and it is customary to give mandarin oranges during a visit, as a token of good luck and prosperity. Married couples are obliged to give red packets filled with money (called Angpow in Malaysian Hokkien or Hong bao in Mandarin) to children of relatives or friends.  The New Year celebrations traditionally extend to 15 days, where the 15th day is the Chap Goh Meh festival. The most important festival during the 15 days of the new year, for the Hokkiens in Malaysia and Singapore, is the Festival of the Jade Emperor, celebrated on the 9th day of the new year.

 Things that must have during Chinese New Year Celebrations

 Reunion Dinner

 Firework to chase off the evil spirits

 Lion Dance Troupe as a Symbolic Ritual

Jade Emperor Ritual

 

BABA NYONYA'S CULTURE - Cuisine

Baba Nyonya's Cuisine

From the Malay influence a unique "Nyonya" cuisine has developed using typical Malay spices. This unique cuisine is also known as the Straits Chinese food  thought to have originated from the Peranakan (Straits Chinese) of Malacca. Besides Malacca, Nyonya food is also native to Penang and Singapore. There are many variety dish and cakes that delicious and have amazing taste.

Chicken Kapitan

 

Kapitan chicken curry is a richer, drier, thicker version of the standard chicken curry, and is immediately recognizable by its distinct Southeast Asian flavor from local spices & herbs such as galangal, candlenuts, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves.  Belacan – a popular local fermented shrimp paste – is also added to give the dish more depth.

Inchi Kabin

Inchi Kabin is the Nyonya version of deep-fried chicken. The main difference of Inchi Kabin compared to other fried chicken is that the chicken is usually twice-fried, so they are extremely crispy. Also, there is a special dipping sauce that goes with it, which is tangy, appetizing, and complements the crispy fried chicken perfectly.

Nyonya Laksa 

Laksa Lemak or known as Laksa Nyonya is a popular spicy noodle soup in the Baba Nyonya(Peranakan) cuisine. Laksa consists of rice noodles or rice vermicelli with chicken, prawn or fish, served in spicy soup; either based on rich and spicy curry coconut milk, or based on sour asam (tamarind or gelugur). This cuisine is so delicious with seafood-rich and creamy coconut milk curry-like gravy with a lingering spice kick, enjoy together with noodles and the rest of the fresh ingredients.

Pongteh

Pongteh is Nyonya dish made with chicken or pork, potato, and flavored taucheo (fermented soy bean sauce) and gula Melaka. Some potatoes and dried shitake mushrooms are added into the dish making the dish look more attractive and giving variety apart from just meat.  Goes well with both rice and noodles.   The sauce should be thick not watery hence spices used (soy bean paste, shallots and garlic) should be pounded (mortar and pestle) instead of blended.

Ang Ku Kue 

Ang Ku Kue also known as red tortoise cake is one of Peranakan traditional cakes. Red tortoise cake is a small round or oval shaped Chinese pastry with soft sticky glutinous rice flour skin wrapped around a sweet filling in the centre.  It is molded to resemble a tortoise shell and is presented resting on a square piece of banana leaf. Shaped like tortoise shells because the Chinese traditionally believed that eating tortoises would bring longevity to those who are eating it and bring about good fortune and prosperity

Kueh Genggang/Kueh Lapis

Steamed layer cake or mostly known as Kueh Lapis have springy texture and rich coconut aroma. A good steamed layered cake is whether or not it can be tore into layers and springy enough and “not sticking to the teeth”. It also often eaten during Chinese New Year to symbolise a ladder of continued prosperity.

Nyonya otak-otak

Otak-otak is a classic Nyonya dish—brightly flavored with various aromatic herbs, exotic spices, and infused with the sweet fragrance of rich coconut milk that steamed as a cake in banana leaf. This cakes includes an assortment of seafood with the secret ingredient in Nyonya version of otak-otak, wild betel leaves or known locally as “daun kaduk.”

Pie Tee

Pie Tee is a thin and crispy pastry tart shell kuih filled with a spicy, sweet mixture of thinly sliced vegetables and prawns. It is a popular Peranakan dish. The shell are made from flour while the main filling is shredded Chinese turnips and carrots.

TRADITIONS OF BABA NYONYA

Childbirth Tradition

     When the baby was born for one full month, also called full lunar, the family will celebrate this day, therefore called the celebration of birth. At this day, family will prepare nasi kunyit (steamed glutinous turmeric rice), chicken curry and also red bean cake in the shape of tortoise as the shape represent longevity and red eggs then they will offered to the ancestors. 

Wedding Tradition

                
     The traditional Peranakan wedding is a 12-days affair which usually carried out in the bride’s house, where ceremonies like the Lap Chai (exchange of gifts) and Cheo Thau (coming of age) are carried out. 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. 
    Next, follows the Chim Pang ceremony which marks the first meeting between the couple where the bride wpuld 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. 
     The third ceremony takes place in the bridal chamber. This is called Chia Sia. Friends and guests of the bridegroom would gather in the room and tease the bride with the hope of inducing laughter from the bride. And if the bride does indeed break out into uncontrollable fits of laughter, the unfortunate groom would have to treat all the guests to dinner. 
     The finale of the wedding ceremony would be the ‘dua belas hari’ or Twelfth Day ceremony, where the marriage would be confirmed and approved by proof of the bride’s virginity. Firstly, the bride’s parents would invite the bridegroom’s mother to inspect a handkerchief (known as Bim Poh) collected from the wedding bed. The handkerchief will be placed on a tray and presented to the bridegroom’s mother for inspection, where she would be invited to perform a test by squeezing lime juice on the handkerchief in hope of ascertaining the authencity of the stain. However, the bridegroom’s mother normally refrain from performing the test as it would also demean the bride. 
    A pair of rooster and hen would also be released under the bridal bed. If the rooster emerged first, the family could expect a male first-born, and a baby girl if the hen took the lead.
    A Pak Chindek and a Sang Kek Um (the wedding masters and mistresses respectively) are most often re quired for the elaborate Peranakan Wedding Ceremony because the traditions become so complex that the weddings need to be orchestrated by wedding specialists 

RELIGION AND TRUST

    Generally Baba and Nyonya retrain to follow Chinese traditional beliefs and Buddha's teaching. However, many of them tend to follow Christianity that are very popular among teens. Just like the Chinese, Baba and Nyonya also celebrate Lunar New Year, Lantern Festival and other Chinese Festivals. At the same time, they still maintaining to practice Malay and English customs. Most of Baba and Nyonya practicing Buddha, as a funeral practice they choose to burn the dead body. But for Baba and Nyonya who is practicing Islam as their religion, they will manage in Islam way.

    Baba and Nyonya practicing a mixture beliefs between Malay and Chinese beliefs. As an example, they still believe in shaman. When a baby can not stop crying, they commonly uses shaman to cure it. The propose is to fight the evil spirits the baby was surrounded with. Most of Baba and Nyonya also tend to practice Buddha's teachings, they believe in gods and whorsipped them. They often visiting temple to pray. 

LANGUAGE

Peranakan Chinese or Straits-born Chinese are the descendants of Chinese immigrants who came to the Malay archipelago including British Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, where they are also referred to as Baba-Nyonya) and Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia, where they're also referred as Kiau-Seng) 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), 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) (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.

The language of the Peranakans, Baba Malay (Bahasa Melayu Baba), is a creole language related to the Malay language (Bahasa Melayu), which contains many Hokkien words. It is a dying language, and its contemporary use is mainly limited to members of the older generation.

The Peranakan Malay spoken by the Malaccan Peranakans community is strongly based on the Malay language as most of them can only speak little to none of the language of their Chinese forebears.^[14] Whereas in the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, the Peranakans are known to not only speak a Hokkien version of their own but also Thai and Kelantanese Malay dialect in Kelantan, and Terengganu Malay dialect in Terengganu respectively. Unlike the rest of the Peranakans in Malaysia, Penang Peranakans in comparison are much heavily influenced by a variant of Hokkien dialect known locally as Penang Hokkien.

In Indonesia, the Peranakan language is mainly based on Bahasa Indonesia and Javanese language that is mixed with elements of Chinese language, mostly Hokkien dialect. Speakers of the Peranakan language can be found scattered along the northern coastline area throughout West Java, Central Java and East Java, and also in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Young Peranakans can still speak this creole language, although its use is limited to informal occasions.

Today, young Peranakans especially have lost much of their traditional language. Therefore, that has resulted in a difference in vocabulary between the older and younger generation especially now that English and Mandarin have replaced Peranakan Malay as the main languages spoken amongst the younger generation.