Malaysian Houses - The Peranakan Homes

The Peranakans refer to the Chinese who married local Malays. From the mixture of their cultures, a new culture was born - the Peranakan culture. Here's a pic of the traditional Peranakan 'kebaya' worn on top and the sarong ( worn as a skirt) - the fashion follows the Malay style. The clothes are usually embroidered with floral designs. The women also wear beaded slippers. The clothes and shoes are usually hand-made so they can be very expensive.

If you go to Malacca, Penang or Singapore, you can still see examples of typical Peranakan houses. The front part of the house ( the facades) are usually decorated with colourful tiles such as the ones below.

Those who can read Chinese, can you share with us what the Chinese characters on the top mean? See the photo below.

The furniture in the living -room can be expensive. The influence is more Chinese than Malay. There are also some European- style objects such as the  mirrors  as the glass is often imported from Venice, Italy.

Here are two pictures of the bedroom. Can you spot the traditional urinal or potty under the bed?

Here's the kitchen in a Peranakan house. In the old days before gas or electric cookers or micro-wave ovens were used, charcoal or wood provided the fuel for the stoves. Many houses had wells inside the houses near the kitchens. Many Malaysians still enjoy colourful Peranakan dishes and cakes which are as colourful as their houses!

Please share with me the traditional houses in your countries!