The Cantonese community formed about 15% of the Chinese population in Singapore in the 2000 population census, making it the third-largest Chinese subgroup in the country. The Cantonese have their roots in the Guangdong (Canton) province of China and were among the earliest Chinese immigrants in Singapore. One of the oldest and largest chains of Chinese medical halls in Singapore, Eu Yan Sang, is Cantonese in origin. Each Chinese dialect group has contributed something to the social and religious milieu of the country and the Cantonese are no exception. For example, the Cantonese helped to popularise yu sheng, a dish of raw fish mixed with salad ingredients, usually eaten during the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Background
At its founding in 1819, Singapore had a population of only 150. Around 30 of them were Chinese and the rest Malays. The colony grew very quickly and by 1829, even with the increase in the total population and the number of races, including the Indians and the Europeans, the Chinese were the largest group, outnumbering even the Malays. The Chinese community was large enough for at least five subgroups to be identified, and one of them was the Cantonese.
The Cantonese community in Singapore has its roots in the Guangdong (Canton) province of China, particularly near the Pearl River Delta. Sometimes the Cantonese are called Macaos, in reference to their embarking overseas from the port of Macao before the opening of Hong Kong in 1842. They came to Singapore very early and in large numbers, and the first recorded instance of the arrival of a junk in 1821 indicated that it came from Macao.
Trades
The Cantonese are a hardworking group. They are also said to be enterprising and vocal. They can be found in various trades but many of them work as artisans or craftsmen. Some of the most skilled carpenters, mechanics, goldsmiths, carvers and paperwork craftsmen in Singapore are Cantonese. Many medicine wholesalers and retailers are also Cantonese. A famous example is Eu Kong, the founder of Eu Yan Sang. The company is now one of the largest distributors of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Asia, having survived for over 100 years by modernising and growing its range of medicines, facilities and services.
In the early days, it was unusual for Chinese women to hold jobs outside their homes, but Cantonese women did. Cantonese men were noted for their more liberal treatment of women, so Cantonese women could find work outside their homes and did not necessarily practise foot-binding, unlike their Hokkien, Teochew and Hainanese counterparts. The Cantonese samsui women, for example, are best remembered for their work as earth-carriers and labourers in Singapore's construction industry in the 1950s and 1960s. The more liberal and westernised nature of the Cantonese community might have been due to their exposure to Western culture after the Chinese government opened the port of Guangzhou to foreign trade.
Temples and Associations
In 1824, the Cantonese and Hakka communities built the Fu Tak Chi Temple at Telok Ayer Street in Chinatown. It was dedicated to Tua Pek Kong, a popular Chinese deity. It was one of the first Chinese temples in Singapore, constructed just five years after the founding of the colony by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. The small shrine later also catered to the welfare of the larger Chinese community by functioning as an association. The temple was shut in 1994 and has since been restored and converted into a museum with artefacts on the lives of early Chinese immigrants in Singapore.
The first traditional Chinese association, Ts'ao Clan House, was founded in 1819 by a Cantonese named Ts'ao Ah Chih, who was said to be Raffles' cook on board his ship. The Ning Yeung Wui Kun, a locality-based association established in Singapore in 1822, was also Cantonese in origin.
Practices
Most Chinese dialect groups in Singapore today, including the Cantonese, practise various Chinese customs, rituals and beliefs. For example, during the Lunar New Year celebrations, Mandarin oranges are offered as gifts to friends and relatives because they are called kam which can also mean "gold" in the Cantonese dialect. Like other dialect groups, the Cantonese also follow the tradition of giving hong bao (red packets containing money) as a symbol of luck for the giver as well as the recipient.
The Cantonese helped to popularise yu sheng, a dish of raw fish mixed with salad ingredients. The mixing and tossing of the ingredients with chopsticks is called lo hei and suggests the lifting of one's achievements and success to greater heights. This ritual is now commonly practised among various dialect groups in Singapore. Another contribution by the Cantonese was the prenuptial hair-combing ceremony, but this has since lost its appeal not only among the other dialect groups but also among the younger Cantonese.
Author
Jeanne Louise Conceicao
References
Chinatown: Historic district. (1995). Singapore: Urban Redevelopment Authority.
(Call no.: RSING 363.69095957 CHI)
Eu Yan Sang International Ltd. (n.d.). History: The beginnings. Retrieved March 20, 2009, from http://www.euyansang.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=125&Itemid=55
Leow, B. G. [2001]. Census of population 2000: Demographic characteristics (Statistical release 1). Singapore: Department of Statistics Singapore.
(Call no: RSING 304.6021095957 LEO)
Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. St J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 1). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
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Tan, T. T. W. (Ed.). [1990]. Chinese dialect groups: Traits and trades. Singapore: Opinion Books.
(Call no.: RSING 305.8951095957 CHI)
The information in this article is valid as at 2009 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
