The entrance of Peranakan Museum at Armenian Street
Last weekend, as I was out on an errand, I chanced upon the Peranakan Museum, which is located at Armenian Street, next to an open air carpark and after the Bible House on the left hand side. It is just before Timbre and the Substation, and the building was formerly the Tao Nan school and has been conserved for purposes in the public interest.
Painted in azure blue, the museum houses 3 floors of Peranakan artifacts, mostly donated by Peranakans over the decades.The word Peranakan means Straits born Chinese people, Straits meaning Straits of Malacca. The Peranakans first came over during the 17th century, mainly as odd job labourers and businessmen and settled here. The 'sons of the soil' or 'bumiputra' people are the indigenous Malay people hence the word Malay Archipelago where the island of Singapore is at the very bottom end of it. Some Chinese married the locals over the centuries, while others went back to China and brought back to Malaya and Singapore their wives and over the last 2 centuries developed their own Peranakan or Baba Chinese culture which was initially Chinese but infused with some Malay influences.
Sarong Kebaya uniform of Singapore Airlines
Many dishes of the Peranakan Chinese are still around today, some famous ones are the Babi Ponteh (Pork curry), the Itek Tim (Duck vegetable soup) and Ayam Buak Keluak (Chicken masala curry with local spice nut). They are very tasty but extremely high in oil and animal fat. The entry fee for Singaporeans and PRs is S$ 4 while that for foreigners is $10.
The embroidery of the Peranakan Chinese is fascinating and can be seen by the painstaking efforts they use to embroider their sarong kebayas, tableclothes, wedding clothes, tea cosy and bed linen.
Ayam (chicken) Bua Keluak (the tamarind nut) curry
a side note ; the keluak black nut is naturally found in mangrove swamps of SE Asia. Its latin name is called Pangium Edule and the raw fruit is naturally poisonous, containing hydrogen cynaide inside it. it is rendered harmless and edible by steaming, boiling or fermentation.
The trademark Sarong Kebaya worn by the Singapore girl air stewardess is inspired from the dress of the same name !
The building housing the museum once was the Tao Nan school which moved to the East Coast in 1982
Wedding Bed
The museum is open for 7 days each week from 10 am - 7pm. Its well worth a visit and I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in Singapore's history, particularly of the local born Chinese to pay a visit. The above wedding chamber bed is made of 2 sections, one is the double bed, presumably for the couple to conceive and the outer bed is a single bed, presumably for the person to change up before he steps onto the ground.
Peranakan weddings are an elaborate affair lasting up to 12 days (in the past). The customs of the Peranakans of yesteryear was that if the couple wanted to conceive a son, a rooster would pop up from under the bed (placed by anxious relatives of course!). If they wanted a girl then a hen would pop up !
Imagine trying to have an intimate time with a rooster and hens underneath the bed !
