I've been watching a TV series 'Little Nyonya' which is onNTV7 6pm Mon to Friday since i came back for hols. It's not new, released 2 years ago if not mistaken. Because of this movie, we were so attracted to the Peranakan culture that we chose to visit the Peranakan Museum in Penang, above all places of interest there.
30 percent of the series "Little Nyonya" was shot here. It's the Chen family residence in the series. This mansion was built at the end of the 19th century by one of local history's famous personalities, the 'Hai Kee Chan' and had once served as the residence and office of Kapitan Cina Chunf Keng Kwee. He and his wives' portraits are still hanging on the wall of the mansion which was sold by his 3rd generation to the present owner who turned it into a museum.
The mansion has two sections: the front area for the masters and the back part is for the servants. the servants are not allowed to enter the front section. now i wonder how do the servants clean the front area?
The 'tok panjang' where the whole family gather to eat.
The second floor
"cho cho"'(moyang)'s room.i was so excited when i saw it. i was like yes it's her room. exactly like in the movies!
the newlywed's bed.
According to the belief, during the first night during the wedding, a cockeral and a hen will be put under the bed. whichever that comes out from under the bed first sort of predicts the gender of the baby to be born.
Lover's chair.
Maybe last time cannot sit too near, so they sit on the lover's chair and look into each others eyes and maybe kiss each other?
The entrance
Baba Nyonya subscribed to Chinese beliefs: Taoism, Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism, celebrated Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival, while adopting the customs of the land they settled in The Peranakan retained most of their ethnic and religious origins (such as ancestor worship), but assimilated the language and culture of the Malays. The Nyonya's clothing was identical to that of the native Malay's: baju panjang (long dress), batik sarung (batik wrap-around skirt) and kerongsang (brooch).
I think that the movie series has done a great job in introducing the Baba Nyonya culture to the world. This visit to the Pinang Peranakan Mansion is a good one, maybe I can visit the one at Melaka one day!
