History & Traditions

Tale of a People’s Love
The Dragon Boat Festival or Double Fifth Day is one of three most mportant annual celebrations in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It commemorates Qu Yuan, a well-loved official who died under tragic circumstances.

In the Beginning …
Qu (approx. 340-278 B.C.) was a minister who served the Zhou Dynasty during the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.). Righteous and articulate, he sought to rid the corruption that plagued the courts and gained widespread respect and love from his people.

An Unexpected Turn
Expectedly, his righteous endeavours did not find favour with corrupt officials who schemed to oust him from the courts.

And it was his attempts to dissuade the Zhou Emperor from attending a conference held by the Qin state that proved to be his undoing. Qu was duly removed from service. Deceived and hurt, Qu went into political exile and started travelling, teaching and writing.

Upon hearing news that his beloved Zhou Dynasty had fallen to the Qin Empire, Qu fell further into despair and decided to drown himself in the Mi Lu River in the Hunan Province.

Birthplace of a Custom
When the dispatch of search parties into the lake proved fruitless, devoted citizens decided to throw dumplings wrapped with bamboo sections into the river to feed the fishes so they would leave Qu’s body intact. Hence the reason for these customs still practiced today.

Today, these practices have become widespread and are practiced everywhere. People regardless of creed or religion take part in the annual Dragon Boat Race, and savour delicious dumplings as part of these festivities.

The roots of Local-born Chinese
The Peranakans have long been part of Singapore’s complex cultural landscape, with their colorful heritage and acculturation of Chinese and Malay traditions. This marriage of traditions gave birth to new customs and beliefs, unique practices and diverse cuisines.

The term Peranakan in Malay literally translates as ‘descendants’, and was used to describe offspring of local Malay women and Chinese businessmen who had settled in the Straits Settlement and Malay Archipelagos during the 19th century.
More specifically, male descendants were called Babas and female descendants Nonyas while senior females were recognized as Bibiks.

Most of these descendants, although retaining their Chinese beliefs, also adopted local indigenous lifestyles. Thus, giving birth to the unique practices of the Peranakans and even their own variation of the Malay language called Baba Malay.

Customs
A large part of Peranakan customs comes from traditional beliefs inherited from their Chinese ancestors. Their strict observance of these beliefs sometimes supplants even the Chinese themselves.

The family unit is an important facet of the Peranakans, and family members within the same tree can usually be found living under one roof much like their Chinese counterparts.

Nevertheless, the true feature that defines the Peranakans is their ability to embrace modern thinking. For instance, unlike the traditional Chinese who in the past, favored male offspring, Peranakans deemed both sons and daughters equal rights to the family fortune.

Thrills for the Taste Buds
Peranakan food is probably the most diverse and distinctive of all local cuisines. A marriage of cooking styles, Nonya cuisines combine the preparation techniques of both traditional Chinese and Malay cooking.

This unusual marriage gives Nonya cuisine its distinctive taste, filled with exciting flavours from the use of local herbs and spices, and more often than not spicier and hotter than Chinese food.

A typical Nonya kitchen would not be without condiments like turmeric, ginger, galangal shallots, chives and shrimp paste. Lemon, limes, tamarinds, green mangoes, citrus leaves and coconut milk are also used to up the epicurean experience.

Blend it like the Peranakans
Rempah, an exciting blend of ingredients pounded together in a mortar and cooked in oil to release its flavour is used for a variety of dishes. It’s this special combination that sets Peranakan food apart from the rest.

And because of their ingenuity to improvise traditional dishes with spices and herbs, Peranakans have produced tasty local treats like achar, curry fish in banana leaves, buah keluak, chendol, nonya kuehs and many other delights.