Chinese Immigrants History Of Singapore

Sharing Penang with the world


THE George Town Festival is creating waves up north in Penang. Now in its second year, the month-long event in July celebrates the anniversary of the city making it to the Unesco World Heritage Site list.

With a budget that’s triple that of 2010, this year’s organising committee is holding nothing back in ensuring the festival makes a bang.

From securing coveted international acts and performers to locking down the support of four of the nation’s most famous fashion figures, the committee, led by festival director Joe Sidek, is pushing the bar for the biggest cultural celebration the state has ever seen.

“We have over 80 performing groups lined up for the month and for the first time, four Malaysian fashion icons are coming together to promote Penang,” Joe says.

Yeohlee and Zang Toi, who have made their mark in London and New York, will be featured in Peranakan Penang , the gala opening on July 1. The designers are crafting 13 garments which will tailored especially to highlight the beauty and elegance of Peranakan jewellery worn by the wealthy descendents of 15th- and 16th-century Chinese immigrants.

Global jeweller Mouawad, whose pieces have adorned countless celebrities, from the legendary Elizabeth Taylor to supermodels Adriana Lima and Gisele Bundchen, will bring in RM100mil worth of jems for the event.

“(Antique collector) Peter Soon from the Pinang Peranakan Mansion is also loaning us antique Peranakan jewellery from his private collection and this will be shown alongside those from Mouawad and seven other jewellers from Malaysia and Singapore,” Joe adds.

The show, to be held at the century-old E&O Hotel, will also see Kuala Lumpur-born supermodel Ling Tan in action. Tan and renowned shoe designer Jimmy Choo will be regular faces during the first four days of the festival.

Joe says picking the acts was tricky, given the long-term aim of anchoring the George Town Festival as a calendar event of Asia.

“Our mission is to share Penang with the rest of the world, to give an insight into our best-kept secrets, which are in our homes, our food, our spaces and our history.

“At the same time, we’re trying to tempt people from Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore to fly in for the festival and they’re not going to do so if they’re not familiar with the shows we’re putting up.”

World-class performances

Emphasising that a strong business plan is the only way to keep the event sustainable, Joe says it’s important to marry international acts with local ones.

Chinese Immigrants History Of Singapore - News


Sharing Penang with the world
Sharing Penang with the world

The designers are crafting 13 garments which will tailored especially to highlight the beauty and elegance of Peranakan jewellery worn by the wealthy descendents of 15th- and 16th-century Chinese immigrants. Global jeweller Mouawad, whose pieces have



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Creative Singapore: Looking back to old Singapore for inspiration ...

Owners of The Little Dröm Store, Antoinette Wong and Stanley Tan, have a penchant for the quirky and unique but their latest collection has struck a nostalgic chord.

The Playground Series is a collection of four tiled replicas of the old Housing & Development Board playgrounds back in the 1980s.

What started as a photography exhibition at M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2011 has evolved in whimsical accessories that double as memorabilia.

“We chose to showcase these old school mosaic playgrounds because they have subconsciously became almost like public art installations,” says Wong.

“They were accessible to the hearts of many Singaporeans. We've observed surprise and delight on the faces of our customers when evoked with such nostalgic memories."

"What many people have not known is that they were specially designed by a local architect/designer, inspired by children's nursery rhymes and games. We hope to educate the Singapore public about an intriguing element of our design history as a nation.”

The Little Drom Store, 7 Ann Siang Hill, +65 6225 5441. Photographer Alecia Neo specializes in capturing time, people and disappearing spaces.

Her works aim to preserve a sense of identity in Singaporean families who, like their country, are constantly changing.

“It’s very Singaporean,” says Neo of her latest project. “Things disappear and if you don’t consciously memorise them, they won’t be the same.”

Neo is referring to "Villa Alicia," an installation/photography exhibition with a soundscape, exhibited inside the recently-sold home of Tan Ying Hsien and Dr. Nalla Tan, his mother.

A perfectly preserved example of a typical local home from a bygone era, the house has remained largely unchanged since the 1970s and is filled with the family’s beloved photographs, collections, artworks and even handwriting on the walls -- elements Neo will incorporate into her art in tribute to the importance of memory. Traditional Asian styling (Punjabi harem pants, vintage Chinese silk brocade) is fused with modern fashion touches (mismatched prints, geometric paneled color blocking), extending to her second collection that focuses on the timeless style of cheongsams.

“I want to distinguish myself from the crowd by doing something familiar and close to myself,” says Shunmugam. “The brand has an explicit Asian identity. I wanted to take care of my history, but I don’t want to bastardise the Asian influences.


Chinese Immigrants History Of Singapore - Bookshelf

The History of Singapore

The History of Singapore

In 1930, 242000 Chinese immigrants were allowed; in 1931 that number dropped to ... quotas with fees that immigrants had to pay on arrival in Singapore, ...

Rickshaw coolie, a people's history of Singapore, 1880-1940

Rickshaw coolie, a people's history of Singapore, 1880-1940

This book chronicles the vast movement of coolies between China and the Nanyang, and their efforts to survive in colonial Singapore.

Singapore in Global History

Singapore in Global History

The history of Singapore and its large ethnic Chinese population may be ... Chinese immigration to Singapore can be seen as a continual process since ...

A History of Singapore

A History of Singapore

In the mid-1920s another Chinese political force emerged in Singapore. ... origins of political consciousness among the Chinese immigrants in Singapore can ...

The Economic Growth of Singapore, Trade and Development in the Twentieth Century

The Economic Growth of Singapore, Trade and Development in the Twentieth Century

Singapore's immigration history cannot be separated from Malaya's, but is only a partial reflection of it. First, while most Chinese immigrants entered ...

Perfect Information Directory


New Chinese Immigrants in Singapore - China History Forum ...
Today's Zaobao has one whole big section (2-3 pages) devoted to New Chinese Immigrants (or so-called Xinyimin 新移民). If you ...

Chinese Singaporean - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As of 2010, Chinese Singaporeans constitute 74.1% of Singapore's resident population, or ... One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore. ...

History of Singapore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The history of Singapore dates to the 11th century. The island rose ... The earliest written record of Singapore occurs in a Chinese account from the third ...

A Brief History of Singapore
The Foundation of Singapore. According to legend Singapore was founded centuries ago when ... Meanwhile Chinese immigrants continued to arrive. Then in January ...

Telok Ayer Street
Telok Ayer was designated a Chinese district by Raffles in 1822 and ... The street thus gives a useful insight into the life of early Chinese immigrants. History ...