Chinatown was an enclave for the early Chinese immigrants in Singapore in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Chinese in Singapore are people of Chinese descent who are born in or immigrated to Singapore and have attained citizenship or permanent residence status. As of 2000, Chinese Singaporeans constitute 78% of Singapore's population, or approximately three out of four Singaporeans. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Shortcut: WP:NPOVD Articles that have been linked to this page are the subject of an NPOV dispute (NPOV stands for Neutral Point Of View; see below). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 569 KB) Junction of Smith Street and Trengganu Street. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 569 KB) Junction of Smith Street and Trengganu Street. ... The Chinatown Heritage Centre at Pagoda Street occupies three shophouses in Chinatown, newly restored to house memories and untold stories of Singapore’s early forefathers. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Chinese in Singapore today commonly recognize themselves as Singaporeans rather than Chinese. Many Chinese have married Peranakans, who are Chinese who have married ethnic Malays and have adopted a mix of Chinese and Malay culture, and increasing numbers are marrying outside their ethnic group. Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya () and Straits Chinese (; named after the Straits Settlements) are terms used for the descendants of the very early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java among other places, who have partially adopted Malay... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Dialect Groups

The Chinese in Singapore are Han Chinese with the exception of the Peranakans. The Peranakans are classified as a separate ethnic group whose ancestry is not directly traceable to China (But are still ethnically Chinese). The Chinese forms 70% of the population in Singapore. They belong to several linguistic-cultural dialect groups, originating from mainly the southern parts of China. The Hokkien, Teochew and Hainanese, all of whom belong to the Min-nan group, jointly form more than three-quarters of the Chinese population. The Cantonese and Hakka account for most of the remainder.

Government policies targeted at narrowing dialect-culture and eradicating the subunit orientation differences within the Chinese community, was spearheaded by the Speak Mandarin campaign together with the banning of dialect-medium subjects in schools and the media, have resulted in an entire generation of young Singaporeans distanced from their respective mother tongues and therefore their respective culture and heritage.

Hokkien (Fujian)

Thian Hock Keng is the oldest Hokkien temple in Singapore.

The Hokkiens constitute around 41% of the Chinese Singaporean population. Most came from the southern parts of the Fujian province, primarily Xiamen and Quanzhou. They speak Amoy Hokkien, a Min-nan (閩南) dialect, which is 50.4% comprehensible with Teochew, and less so with Hainanese.[1] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 559 KB) Summary Thian Hock Keng Temple. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 559 KB) Summary Thian Hock Keng Temple. ... Thian Hock Keng Temple Thian Hock Keng Temple (Chinese: 天福宫; Pinyin: Tiānfú Gōng; Temple of Heavenly Happiness) is the oldest and most important Hokkien temple in Singapore. ... Hoklo (Chinese: 福佬人; Pinyin: FúlÇŽo Rén; POJ: Ho̍h-ló-lâng/Hō-ló-lâng) primarily refers to the largest of the four subethnic and ethnic groups in Taiwan. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ...   (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Fu-chien; Postal map spelling: Fukien, Foukien; local transliteration Hokkien from Min Nan Hok-kiàn) is one of the provinces on the southeast coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... A view of the Xiamen University campus Xiamen (Simplified Chinese: 厦门; Traditional Chinese: 廈門; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a coastal sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian province, Peoples Republic of China. ... The characters 泉州 are also used for SenshÅ«, an alternate name for the former Japanese province of Izumi. ... Amoy (Xiamen) is a language/dialect which originally comes from Southern Fujian, in the area centered around the city of Xiamen. ... Min Nan, Minnan, or Min-nan (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; POJ: Bân-lâm-gú; Southern Min or Southern Fujian language) is the Chinese language/dialect spoken in southern Fujian province, China and neighboring areas, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora. ... Hainanese (海南話) or Qiongwen (琼文片) is a variant of the Min Nan group of Chinese spoken in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan. ...

The Hokkien language has somehow became the unofficial working language amongst the majority. It is not surprising that those who do not speak their own mother tongues do speak Hokkien and other ethnic groups such as the Malays and Indians are also able to communicate with the medium.

Early Hokkiens settled around Amoy Street and Telok Ayer Street, enclaving around the Thian Hock Kheng Temple and subsequent clan headquarters Hokkien Huey Kuan, later expanding to Hokien St and the vicinity of China Street. Being most adventure amongst the Chinese, the Hokkiens were the most active in early trading that centered along the Singapore River.

As the early settlers come from the southern coast of China, they tended to live off sea trades and worship one of the patron-deities of Taoist pantheon, the Heavenly Mother or "Ma Zhu" who supposedly look out for seafarers. Thian Hock Kheng temple houses "Ma Zhu" and is also known as Ma Zhor Kheng. Another popular patron group of deities being the Nine Emperor Gods, a commemoration of the Emperors who brought peace and prosperity to the people and the prayer to the Jade Emperor on the 9th day of Chinese New Year. Clothed statues of Matsu Matsu (Chinese: 媽祖;; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ma-tsu; literally Mother-Ancestor; POJ: Má-chó·), mortal name Lin Moniang (林默娘), is the Taoist goddess of the Sea who protects fishermen and sailors. ...

An official Taoist practice by a Taoist spiritual medium known as "Tangki" (a phrase derived from Taiwan) is also popular amongst the Chinese. Basically, the spiritual medium goes into a spiritual trance and establish a channel of communication between the mortal and the chosen Deity. It is said that the Taoist Deity transmogrified the spiritual medium and provides a wide range of help to devotees ranging from religious rituals to health, business, domestic queries and request like a talisman to protect their love ones.

Teochew

The Ngee Ann Kongsi is based at the Teochew Building on Tank Road.

The Teochew (also spelt Teochiu) in Singapore constitutes about 21% of the Chinese population in Singapore. Teochews originated from the Chaoshan region in Guangdong Province of China, namely Jieyang, Shantou, Chaozhou, Chaoyang, Puning, Chao'an, Raoping, Huilai, Chenghai and Nan'ao. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x1600, 672 KB) Teochew Building. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x1600, 672 KB) Teochew Building. ... The Ngee Ann Kongsi (义安公司) is a foundation that is actively involved in educational, cultural and welfare activities in Singapore. ... Geographic coordinates: 116º14 - 117º19 E, 23º02 - 23º38 N Area: 234 km² Shantou (also known as Swatow or Suátao) is a city of 1. ... Chaozhou (Chinese: 潮州 lit. ...

The Teochew speak Teochew, a Min-nan dialect, which has an overall 50.4% mutual intelligibility as Hokkien.[2]. However, despite linguistic and cultural similarities, the Teochews and Hokkiens considered themselves distinct and did not got along well during their early settlement in Singapore, especially during the British colonial era. Like the Hokkiens, the Teochews similarly shared the Taoist belief of a Taoist spiritual medium. The Teochew dialect (Diō-jiu-oē, Chinese:潮州话, Hanyu Pinyin: Cháozhōuhuà, Teochiu or Tiuchiu), is a Chinese language and dialect of Minnan spoken in a region of eastern Guangdong refered to as Chaoshan. ... Amoy (Xiamen) is a language/dialect which originally comes from Southern Fujian, in the area centered around the city of Xiamen. ...

The Teochews were the dominant Chinese dialect group for a period of time during the 19th century. Mass immigration of Chinese from Fujian later outnumbered the Teochews, especially in the south. The majority of the Chinese living along the banks of the Straits of Johor were largely Teochew until the HDB initiated mass redevelopment from the 1980s onwards. Geography The Straits of Johor (also known as the Tebrau Strait, Johor Strait, Selat Johor, Selat Tebrau, and Tebrau Reach) is a narrow stretch of water that separates Johor state, Malaysia from Singapore. ... It has been suggested that Public housing in Singapore be merged into this article or section. ...

However, the majority of the Teochew settled along the banks of Singapore River in Chinatown during the 19th and early 20th century. Teochews who settled in Chinatown professed in many commercial sectors as well as fishery. Traditional commercial sector Chinatown, are dominated by Teochews include Circular Road and South Bridge Road. Singapore River The Singapore River is a small river in terms of physical attributes, but of extreme historical importance to the country of Singapore, the political entity which shares its name. ...

Others, mainly businessmen, set up gambier and pepper plantations in the dense forests of Singapore, parts of northern Singapore as well as Johor Bahru. The Chinese first started their plantations with the approval of the Sultan of Johor from the nineteenth century onwards. This attracted more Teochew businessmen to start their plantations in these areas over the years. As such, the "Kangchu" system eventually started to form. The Chinese word "Kang" (江) means river, while "Chu" (厝) means house. However, in this context, "Chu" is the clan name of the first headman in charge of the plantations in the area. The "Kangchus" gave rise to modern place names such as Choa Chu Kang, Lim Chu Kang and Yio Chu Kang, all of which were largely plantation areas prior to urban redevelopment. Gambier may refer to: Uncaria, a genus of flowering plants Gambier Islands (ÃŽles Gambier), in French Polynesia. ... Look up pepper in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A sugarcane plantation at Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, 2005 A plantation is a large tract of monoculture, as a tree plantation, a cotton plantation, a tea plantation or a tobacco plantation. ... This article is about forests as a massing of trees. ... Nickname: Motto: Berkhidmat, Berbudaya, Berwawasan (English: Servicing, cultured, visionary) Location in Malaysia Coordinates: Country Malaysia State Johor Establishment 1855 Granted city status 1994 Government  - Mayor Latiff Yusof Area  - City 185 km²  (72. ... Choa Chu Kang or Chua Chu Kang is a suburban area in the West Region of Singapore. ... Lim Chu Kang is a planning area located in the northwestern part of Singapore. ... Yio Chu Kang is a sub-urban area in the northeast of Singapore, with close proximity to the Ang Mo Kio, Seletar and Serangoon areas. ...

Like many other dialect groups, early Chinese immigrants (Teochew: Sengkhek) cluster themselves to form clan and dialect associations. These clan associations or Kongsi serves as unions for the mostly illiterate Chinese laborers and their colonial ruler/ employer. Subsequently there was a decamp from colonial bosses when the Kongsi contract their own import/ export, which in the colonialist eyes was considered competition and labelled piracy. And to safeguard their rice bowl, members of certain clans were sworn in with elaborate rites of passage which the colonialist termed as secret societies. Mostly, such associations were formed to look after the religious and welfare needs of Chinese immigrants in Singapore. One of the more prominent clan assosciation for the Teochew include Ngee Ann Kongsi, a Teochew-oriented association formed in 1845, and has established themselves since then. The Ngee Ann Kongsi (义安公司) is a foundation that is actively involved in educational, cultural and welfare activities in Singapore. ...

The Straits Times highlighted that Hougang has a relatively high concentration of Teochew residents. The Straits Times is an English-language broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore, currently owned by the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). ... Hougang Mall Shopping Centre Hougang is an urban planning area and a suburb in the north-eastern region of the city-state of Singapore. ...

Cantonese

The Cantonese makes up 15% of the Chinese Singaporean population. Unlike the Hokkien, Teochew and the Hainanese, the Cantonese speak a dialect belonging to the Yue family. The Cantonese community is also further sub-divided into several sub-dialect groups. Yue Hai is considered to be the purest form of Cantonese because of its close proximity with Guangzhou. Other variants include Luoguang, Seiyap and Gouyeung. The Gwainaam variant is largely based in Guangxi and shares close affinity with Pinghua. As with the Hokkiens and Teochews, the Cantonese equally shares the Taoist belief of a Taoist spiritual medium. Yue can refer to: Yuè ((T: ç²µ S: 粤), an abbreviation for Guangdong province of the Peoples Republic of China, and also: Yue, a subdivision of spoken Chinese spoken in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, and Macau. ... Guangzhou is the capital and the sub-provincial city of Guangdong Province in the southern part of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Guangxi (Zhuang: Gvangjsih; old orthography: ; Simplified Chinese: 广西; Traditional Chinese: 廣西; Pinyin: GuÇŽngxÄ«; Wade-Giles: Kuang-hsi; Postal System Pinyin: Kwangsi), full name Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Zhuang: Gvangjsih Bouxcuengh Swcigih; old orthography: ; Simplified Chinese: 广西壮族自治区; Traditional Chinese: 廣西壯族自治區; Pinyin: GuÇŽngxÄ« Zhuàngzú ZìzhìqÅ«) is a Zhuang autonomous region of... Pinghua (平話/平话), also Guangxi Nanning, is a subdivision of spoken Chinese. ...

The Cantonese mainly worked as goldsmiths, tailors and restaurateurs during the early and mid 20th century. Cantonese businesses predominated along the shophouses of Temple Street, Pagoda Street and Mosque Street.

Many Cantonese women left behind their families in China and came to Singapore to work in construction sites for a living during the 20th century. This group of Cantonese women came from the Samsui district in Guangdong were later known as Samsui women. They are noted for their distinctive navy blue outfits and bright red headgear, which were meant for protecting their hair as they worked. The headgear was first worn by Wang Chao Yun (王朝云 字子霞), a concubine of Su Dongpo, in the Hakka Fui Chiu district of Guangdong province and it eventually became the traditional headgear of Hakkas. Cantonese women who worked alongside with female Hakka labourers and adopted the use of the headgear. To the average person, Samsui women normally evokes the image of a woman clad in blue top and trousers and the invariable headgear. Su Shi (蘇軾) (1037-1101) was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher and statesman of the Song Dynasty, one of the major poets of the Song era. ...

Cantonese women from the Seiyap district in Jiangmen prefecture wear a black headgear similar to the Samsui women. Seiyap women who wear black headgears mainly work in shipyards at the old harbour along Singapore river as well as at Keppel Harbour. The Sino-British Restaurant, a renovated building along Changdi Middle road in the waterfront district. ... Small shipyard in Klaksvík (Faroe Islands), reparing fishing vessels Fish ladder and shipyard in Grave, the Netherlands Construction hall of Schichau Seebeck Shipyard, Bremerhaven Gdynia Shipyard Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. ... A harbor (or harbour) or haven is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. ... Singapore River The Singapore River is a small river in terms of physical attributes, but of extreme historical importance to the country of Singapore, the political entity which shares its name. ... About Keppel Harbor in Singapore is one of the worlds largest container-handling facilities, situated near to the City states Central Business District. ...

Hakka

Ying Fo Fui Kun is the first Hakka clan association in Singapore.

The Hakkas constitute 8% of the Chinese Singaporean population. Since their dialect was initially somewhat intelligible to Mandarin, although strongly influenced by Min-nan and Yue, they were believed to have migrated from Northern China between the 16th and the 17th century. Recent genetic studies, however, have shown that the Hakkas originate from Southern China, like the other Chinese dialect groups of Singapore. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 514 KB) Summary Ying Fo Fui Kun, Singapore. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 514 KB) Summary Ying Fo Fui Kun, Singapore. ... Ying Fo Fui Kun Ying Fo Fui Kun (Chinese: 应和会馆) is a Hakka clan association in Singapore. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Association may refer to: A voluntary association (also sometimes called an association) is a group of individuals who voluntarily enter into an agreement, explicit or implicit, to form or act as a body (or organization) to accomplish a purpose. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is on all of the Northern and Southwestern Chinese dialects. ... Min Nan, Minnan, or Min-nan (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; POJ: Bân-lâm-gú; Southern Min or Southern Fujian language) is the Chinese language/dialect spoken in southern Fujian province, China and neighboring areas, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora. ... Yue can refer to: Yuè ((T: 粵 S: 粤), an abbreviation for Guangdong province of the Peoples Republic of China, and also: Yue, a subdivision of spoken Chinese spoken in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, and Macau. ...

Many Hakka women who came to Singapore during the early 20th century. They worked in construction sites wore headgears similar to the Samsui women. Unlike the Samsui women, these Hakka women wore black, rather than red headgears.

Hainanese and Northern Min

This group constitutes 5% of the Chinese Singaporean population. Of them, the majority are Hainanese, from Hainan, speaking Hainanese, a Min-nan dialect with its roots from the Hokkien dialect. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Hainanese is a dialect of the Min Nan group spoken in the southern Chinese province of Hainan. ... A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος, dialektos) is a variety of a language characteristic of a particular group of the languages speakers. ...

The others, who included the Hokchew (Fuzhou), Hokchia and the Hinghwas, who came from Northern Fujian and Southern Zhejiang. They speak various Northern Min dialects. As late-comers to Singapore (late 19th century), most of them worked as shop helpers, chefs, and waiters in the hospitality sector. Hainanese Chicken Rice is a famous dish.   (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Fu-chou; BUC: Hók-ciÅ­; EFEO: Fou-Tcheou; also seen as Foochow or Fuchow) is the capital and the largest prefecture-level city of Fujian (福建) province, Peoples Republic of China. ...   (Chinese: ; pinyin: Fúzhōu; Wade-Giles: Fu-chou; BUC: Hók-ciÅ­; EFEO: Fou-Tcheou; also seen as Foochow or Fuchow) is the provincial seat and the largest prefecture-level city of Fujian province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Hinghwa (兴化話) or Putian (莆田話) is a Chinese dialect. ... Zhejiang (also spelled Chehkiang or Chekiang) is an eastern coastal province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Min Bei (Template:Zh-stp) is a subcategory of Min, which is a Chinese language. ...

Mandarin and Wu

Mandarin speakers from Beijing and other northern provinces, and Wu speakers from Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, constitute only 2% of the Chinese Singaporean population. Most of them immigrated to Singapore much later than the other groups. They can all speak Standard Mandarin Chinese, the lingua franca among all the Chinese dialects, and are able to speak their own dialects as well, though their own dialects are rarely used in daily life even among those from the same region. This article is on all of the Northern and Southwestern Chinese dialects. ... Beijing (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: BÄ›ijÄ«ng; IPA: ;  ), a metropolis in northern China, is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Wu (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is one of the major divisions of the Chinese language. ... Shanghai (Chinese: ; pinyin:  ; Wu (Long-short): ZÃ¥nhae; Shanghainese (IPA): ), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is the largest city of the Peoples Republic of China and the seventh largest in the world. ... Jiangsu (Simplified Chinese: 江苏; Traditional Chinese: 江蘇; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chiang-su; Postal System Pinyin: Kiangsu) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. ... Zhejiang (also spelled Chehkiang or Chekiang) is an eastern coastal province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Standard Mandarin, also known as Standard Chinese, Modern Standard Chinese or Standard spoken Chinese, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used by the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Singapore. ... Lingua franca, literally Frankish language in Italian, was originally a mixed language consisting largely of Italian plus a vocabulary drawn from Turkish, Persian, French, Greek and Arabic and used for communication throughout the Middle East. ...

These are mainly first and second-generation Chinese Singaporeans who came to Singapore in the 1990s. They tend to be highly paid white-collar workers in multinational corporations or academics in research and educational institutes. Also, there is an increasing number of Chinese teachers from the PRC working in Primary and Secondary schools and Junior Colleges in Singapore. This is because the Ministry of Education in Singapore finds it increasingly difficult to find qualified young Singaporeans to teach Standard Mandarin. A multinational corporation (MNC) is a corporation or enterprise that manages production establishments or delivers services in at least two countries. ... Standard Mandarin, also known as Standard Chinese, Modern Standard Chinese or Standard spoken Chinese, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used by the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Singapore. ...

Peranakan (Ethnic Group)

Peranakans in Singapore were once concentrated in Katong.

The Peranakan, also known as Baba-Nonya are early Chinese immigrants from Malacca, of which many of them later migrated to Singapore. As they contain mix blood of the Chinese and the Malays, the Peranakans are classified as a separate ethnic group from the Han Chinese in Singapor. They embraced a fusion of malay and chinese cultures while still maintaining their chinese ethnicity. The men are known as Baba while the women are known as Bibiks or Nonyas. Peranakans in Singapore were once concentrated in the Geylang and Katong areas. This is because the Peranakans were often intermediaries for businesses and social groups during colonial Singapore owing to their ability to speak English, Malay and Hokkien. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 547 KB) Summary East Coast Road. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 547 KB) Summary East Coast Road. ... Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya () and Straits Chinese (; named after the Straits Settlements) are terms used for the descendants of the very early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java among other places, who have partially adopted Malay... Katong is a residential area in the east of Singapore near the seafront. ... Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya () and Straits Chinese (; named after the Straits Settlements) are terms used for the descendants of the very early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java among other places, who have partially adopted Malay... State motto: Bersatu Teguh State anthem: Melaka Maju Jaya Capital Malacca Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Mohd Khalil Yaakob  - Ketua Menteri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam History    - Malacca Sultanate 13th century   - Portuguese control 24 August 1511   - Dutch control 14 January 1641   - British control 17 March 1824   - Japanese occupation... Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya (峇峇娘惹) and Straits Chinese (土生華人; named after the Straits of Malacca) are terms used for the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the British Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca and Penang and the Dutch-controlled island of Java among other places, who have... Languages Chinese languages Religions Predominantly Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions, and atheism. ... Katong is a residential area in the east of Singapore near the seafront. ...

Many Peranakans and Hokkien Chinese moved out of the congested town of Singapore - now the Central Business District (CBD) - and built seaside mansions and villas along the East Coast in Tanjong Katong ("Turtle Bay" in the Malay language) for their dynasties.

However, they have since dispersed off to other parts of Singapore after 1965. Peranakans in Singapore generally belong to the Hokkien and Teochew dialect groups and spoke Baba Malay and Chinese dialects as mother tongues. Many of them converted to Roman Catholicism during the 18th-century Portuguese colonisation into South-East Asia. Missionaries set up posts in Batavia (Indonesia), Malaya (Malaysia) of which Malacca, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore were parts of before the 1965 independent and separation movement of Singapore city from its Malayan hinterland.

The Peranakans were a transcultural mix of races that blended colonial English style with indigenous Malay languages with Hokkien Chinese customs.

Religion

According the 2000 census, 42.5% of Singapore's population declare themselves to be Buddhist, 8.5% Taoist, 14.6% Christian and 14.8% non-religious. The Chinese form the vast majority in these four groups, due in part to their dominance in Singapore. A silhouette of Buddha at Ayutthaya, Thailand. ... Taoism (Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch...

The majority of the Chinese in Singapore register themselves as Buddhist, and a smaller number claimed to be Taoist. Many Chinese have retained the belief of so called Chinese folk traditions or folk Taoism, an age-old Chinese tradition. Taoism was once the dominant belief system, but younger generations have either switched to Buddhism, Christianity or have become non-religious.

Taoism

The Yueh Hai Ching Temple is the oldest Taoist temple in Singapore.

Taoism is practiced by 8.5% of Singapore's population, which amounts to more than 200,000 individuals. A backbone of Chinese culture, Taoism was once a popular belief held by many Chinese, but Taoist beliefs has witnessed a sharp decline from the 1990s onwards, as most of the younger-generation, Chinese Singaporeans perceive the religion as demoded and draconian. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 685 KB) Yueh Hai Ching Temple. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 685 KB) Yueh Hai Ching Temple. ... Yueh Hai Ching Temple Yueh Hai Ching Temple (Chinese: 粤海清庙) is a Chinese temple in Singapore, and is located at Phillip Street in the Downtown Core, within the Central Area, Singapores central business district. ... Taoism (Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ...

Taoists in Singapore are generally polytheistic, and worship similar Deities. Many of these Deities are incarnated and thus ancestral and are subject to a complex Taoist heirarchy of veneration. The Chinese also worship some Deities of common origins, notably the Jade Emperor, the Northern Emperor or Xiong Tae Gong, Emperor Guan Yu or Guan Tae, and the Heavenly Empress or Matsu. Other Deities that were venerated and frequently taken as auspicious images include Prosperity (Hock in Teochew/Hokkien, Fok in Cantonese, Fu 福 in Mandarin), Wealth (Lock in Teochew/Hokkien, Luk in Cantonese, Lu 禄 in Mandarin), and Longevity (Siew in Teochew/Hokkien, Sao in Cantonese, Shou 寿 in Mandarin). This includes ancestral gods such as Guan Yu. The God of Fortune is also venerated by many Chinese businessmen all over Singapore as well as Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. Minor Deities, especially ancestral, worshipped by different dialect groups may not share a common origin with other dialect groups. Clothed statues of Matsu Matsu (Chinese: 媽祖;; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ma-tsu; literally Mother-Ancestor; POJ: Má-chó·), mortal name Lin Moniang (林默娘), is the Taoist goddess of the Sea who protects fishermen and sailors. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Guan (é—œ) Guan Yu (關羽) (160-219) was a Chinese military general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. ...

The Hakka are an exception in this case. Unlike other Chinese dialect groups, some Deities worshipped by Hakka are not depicted in the form of statues. Usually a stone or tablet is used to represent the Deity instead, and this is particularly true side-temple Deities that are not placed in the main altar.

Adherents of Taoism would place house altars in their living room. This is more frequently seen among Chinese families, rather than individuals. The family God or Deity would be placed on the top altar, and a spiritual tablet would be placed at the bottom altar, although ancestral tablets are at times incorrectly placed at the top altar as well. Often, urns, usually placed with some joss sticks, are placed in front of the Deity. Oil lamps may also be placed at the sides, and fruit offerings are also placed in front of the Deity as offerings to the deity.

A brazier, often painted red, may also be seen. They are meant for burning joss papers. They also hang a small altar, painted red, with the words "Heaven Bestows Wealth" (天宮賜福) painted on it outside the house or simply a small urn filled with ash where joss sticks are placed. The smoke emitted from burning joss sticks is believed to transmit their devotion and at times requests to the Gods in heaven. Look up brazier in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Traditional Chinese funeral customs is largely Taoist, although nowadays Buddhist monks are often invited to initiate the rituals. Therefore, either Taoist priests or Buddhist monks are called in to chant mantras and prayers. Funerals are usually conducted under the void deck of a HDB flat, condominium, or within the living premises of the deceased's private house. Funeral rituals usually last three to five days. Due to land spatial constraints, families of deceased members would have the deceased cremated in crematoriums and temples inlieu of their custom of a burial. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Taoists in Singapore are influenced by Buddhism and vice versa. There is definitely an unique culture and practice that has developed locally that gave rise to the localized religious flavor in Singapore. Most who declared themselves as Buddhist are also often seen honoring and revering Taoist Gods and Deities; and most Taoists, on the other hand, are also ready to honor Lord Buddha. In fact, the demarcation between Buddhism and Taoism has obscurred and to adherents of either religion, Taoism and Buddhism are actually viewed as a single entity.

The afore-stated reason probably accounted for the steep decline in the number of adherents of Taoism, from 30% in 1980 to 22.4% in 1990, and then down to 8.5% in 2000 whilst Buddhism rise from 31.2% in 1990 to 42.5% in 2000. Proposition that economic affluence and changes in lifestyles have led younger-generation Chinese Singaporeans to embrace evangelical Christianity may well be overstated as the percentage rise in Christianity between 1990 (12.7%) to 2000 (14.6%) is merely less than 2%.

Buddhism

The Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple on Race Course Road is often referred to as the Temple of 1,000 Lights.

Buddhism is practiced by 42.5% of Singapore's population, or more than half of the Chinese in Singapore. The growth of Buddhism and Buddhist teachings in Singapore is not a recent development. Overseas missionaries from Taiwan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan and to a lesser extent, Tibet, have introduced Theravada, Mahayana Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism to Singaporeans. The Buddhists in Singapore are not exclusively ethnic Chinese, they include Japanese expatriates, Europeans, Americans, and Eurasians who have converted from Christianity. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 440 KB) Sakaya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 440 KB) Sakaya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple. ... Sakaya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple on Race Course Road. ... Theravada (Pāli: theravāda; Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद sthaviravāda; literally, the Way of the Elders) is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (about 70% of the population[1]) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand). ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Guan Yin from Mt. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ...

All the three mainstream Buddhist traditions, namely Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana are well represented in Singapore and they unanimously celebrate the festival Vesak. Vesak Day is a festive that commemorates the birth, Enlightenment and the Nirvana of Lord Buddha Gautama. Theravada (Pāli: theravāda; Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद sthaviravāda; literally, the Way of the Elders) is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (about 70% of the population[1]) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand). ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

In recent decades, atop of the inherent Buddhist-Taoist culture, Buddhist missionaries from other parts of Asia have cause large number of converts throughout the region. Valued and learned writings translated into books are one of many factors responsible for the success of Buddhism. Other factors include Singaporeans' relations with Buddhist organizations overseas.

Buddhists in Singapore normally pay frequent visits to Temples for prayers, Dharma Centers of Monasteries for dharma activities like Dharma Talks or discussions, Meditation, Chanting as well as many other activities especially for the youth.

Christianity

Charismatic churches in Singapore such as City Harvest and New Creation have been especially successful in attracting many Chinese youth.

Christianity is practiced by 14.6% of Singapore's population, the great majority of whom are ethnic Chinese. Most Christians in Singapore are either Roman Catholic or Protestant, with Orthodox Christians forming a minuscule minority. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1342 × 1004 pixel, file size: 257 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): City Harvest Church Chinese in Singapore... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1342 × 1004 pixel, file size: 257 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): City Harvest Church Chinese in Singapore... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Eastern Orthodox Church (including Bulgarian...

Protestants in Singapore include Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Baptists. Non-sectarian Churches such as Pentecostals, Charismatics have made large numbers of converts in the recent years, notably among youths. The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Presbyterianism is a form of church government which is most prevalent within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The charismatic movement began...

Ancestor worship is permitted among Roman Catholics but is considered taboo among Protestant denominations. However, the continuation of ancestor worship persists according to individuals, especially during the Cheng Meng festival. Ancestor worship, also ancestor veneration, is a religious practice based on the belief that ones ancestors possess supernatural powers. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Ancestor worship, also ancestor veneration, is a religious practice based on the belief that ones ancestors possess supernatural powers. ... Burning paper gifts for the departed. ...

Christian church services are mainly held in English, though some churches have services in different languages, notably Mandarin, Tamil, Tagalog and even in Chinese dialects. Latin services are occasionally conducted in Catholic churches. It has been suggested that Ecclesia (Church) be merged into this article or section. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... Tagalog (pronunciation: ) is one of the major languages of the Republic of the Philippines. ...

The Christian population in Singapore grew from 10% in the 1980s to 18% in 1988 before taking a dip to 14.6%.

Other

Another 13% of the Chinese Singaporean are non-religious adherents and they call themselves "free thinkers". In Singapore, this term simply means that the person does not adhere to any single religion. However, most perpetuate the Chinese traditions and practices. Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that beliefs should be formed on the basis of science and logical principles and not be comprised by authority, tradition, or any other dogma. ...

A small minority of the Singapore Chinese follow either Islam or Hinduism. Most are converts who have married Malay Muslims or Indian Hindus. Some may be raised by Malays or Indians whilst some are simply a matter of personal choice. For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

History

There are records of the Chinese presence in Singapore as early as the 14th-century. Imperial Chinese sources state that there was a significant amount of Chinese inhabitants in the region. According to the Chinese explorer Wang Dayuan, the Chinese inhabitants of Singapore were dressed in local traditional costume and were largely intermarried with the local South-East Asian women, following an amalgam of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. These were the earliest Peranakans of Singapore. This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... China is the worlds oldest continuous major civilization, with written records dating back about 3,500 years and with 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization. ... Wang Dayuan (1328-1339) was a traveller from Quanzhou, China during the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th century. ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... A silhouette of Buddha at Ayutthaya, Thailand. ... Taoism (Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ... Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya (峇峇娘惹) and Straits Chinese (土生華人; named after the Straits of Malacca) are terms used for the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the British Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca and Penang and the Dutch-controlled island of Java among other places, who have...

After Singapore became the capital of the British Straits Settlements in 1832, the free trade policy attracted many Chinese from mainland China to trade, and many settled down in Singapore. The large influx of Chinese to Singapore led to the establishment of a large number of Chinese associations, schools, and temples in Singapore and within a century, the Chinese immigrants exceeded the population of the Malays. During this period, Christian missionaries from Europe began to evangelize the Asians, especially the Chinese. By 1849, the Chinese formed half of Singapore's population. The Straits Settlements were a collection of territories of the British East India Company in Southeast Asia, which were given collective administration in 1826. ... Year 1832 (MDCCCXXXII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

During WWII

The Lim Bo Seng Memorial at Esplanade Park commemorates Lim Bo Seng, a World War II anti-Japanese Resistance fighter who was based in Singapore and Malaya.

The Second Sino-Japanese War, started in 1937, revived a perceived sense of patriotism in the local Chinese to China and soon the Singaporean Chinese imposed an embargo against Japanese goods and products in Singapore. During the war, fearing for the safety of their relatives in China, some of the immigrants returned to China to fight the Japanese, while established entrepreneurs sent economic aid or military equipment to China. After the Japanese took Singapore in 1942, the Kempeitai tracked down many Chinese who aided the Chinese war effort against Japan. However, the Kempeitai's Sook Ching Operation was simply a massacre designed to drive fear into the local populace, so the Kempeitai simply picked out people based on accounts of masked informers, which in many cases are false accounts based on personal vendettas. There were also active anti-Japanese resistance during the war, such as Force 136, headed by Lim Bo Seng. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 780 KB) Lim Bo Seng Memorial. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 780 KB) Lim Bo Seng Memorial. ... Esplanade Park, Singapore. ... Lim Bo Seng (April 27, 1909 - June 29, 1944) was a World War II anti-Japanese Resistance fighter who was based in Singapore and Malaya. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ... Combatants China Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai Hirohito, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio, Yasuji Okamura, Umezu Yoshijiro, Fumimaro Konoe Strength 58,600,000 4,100,000... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Malaya Command: Indian III Corps Australian 8th Div. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... The Kempeitai (憲兵隊, Corps of Law Soldiers) was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945. ... The Sook Ching massacre (肅清大屠殺) was a systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among ethnic Chinese Singaporeans by the Japanese military administration during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, after the British colony surrendered in the Battle of Singapore on 15 February 1942 during World War II. Sook Ching was later extended... Force 136 was the general cover name for a branch of the British World War II organisation, the Special Operations Executive. ... Lim Bo Seng (April 27, 1909 - June 29, 1944) was a World War II anti-Japanese Resistance fighter who was based in Singapore and Malaya. ...

Racial Tensions

Race riots were common during the early post-war period, predominantly the period between self-governance and independence in 1965. One major riot took place during birthday celebrations in honour of Muhammad, on 21 July 1964. There were records of high casualties (23 killed and 454 injured). There were claims that the riot was politically motivated to oust then Prime Minister (Lee Kuan Yew) and his cabinet, to prevent the ideology of a Malaysian Malaysia to spread north towards Peninsular Malaysia. A race riot is any riot which occurs due to real or perceived inequality or oppression between members of different races. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... The start of the July riot on Prophet Muhammads birthday, that would later injure hundreds and kill 23 people. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is 李 (Li) Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; born September 16, 1923; also spelled Lee Kwan-Yew), was the Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. ... The sometimes tumultous relationship between the Peoples Action Party and United Malays National Organisation, which were, and still are, the ruling parties respectively of Singapore and Malaysia, has impacted the recent history of both States. ... Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (or Semenanjung Malaysia in the Malay language) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ...

See also

• Overseas Chinese
• British Chinese
• Buddhism in Singapore
• Taoism in Singapore
• Singlish
• Malaysian Chinese
• Jook-sing
• List of common Chinese surnames in Singapore
• Chinese language romanisation in Singapore

Languages various Religions Predominantly Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions, and atheism. ... Alternate name Traditional Chinese: Simplified Chinese: British Chinese, also Chinese British, Chinese Britons or British-born Chinese, are people of Chinese ancestry who were born in or have immigrated to the United Kingdom. ... As of 2006, 56% of the Singaporeans register themselves as Buddhist by religion. ... Thian Hock Keng is the one of the oldest Taoist temples in Singapore. ... Singlish is an English-based creole language native to Singapore. ... Malaysian name Malay: Orang Cina Malaysia A Malaysian Chinese is an overseas Chinese who is a citizen or long-term resident of Malaysia. ... The following is a list of the most common Chinese surnames amongst the ethnic Chinese population in Singapore in the year 2000. ... The romanisation of the Chinese language in Singapore is not dictated by a single policy, nor is policy implimentation consistent, as the local Chinese community is composed of a myriad of dialect groups. ...

References

• Statistics of adherents of different religions in Singapore
• http://weecheng.com/singapore/9eg/index.htm
• The Straits Times, April 28, 2006, pg 15, Prime section
• Profile of the Singapore Chinese Dialect Groups

The Straits Times is an English-language broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore, currently owned by the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). ...

External links

• Thai Theravada Buddhist Shop in Singapore
• The Peranakan Resource Library - A resource website for all things Peranakan
• The Online Peranakan Antiques Boutique - An online exclusive boutique to buy exquisite & rare Peranakan antiques
• Peranakan For Kids - A Peranakan educational site for both kids & teens
• Festival of the Nine Emperor Gods
• 2003 speech by Lee Hsien Loong on Teochews
• Spoken Cantonese in Singapore