RELAX
Here Come
the
Cantonese!
In an ongoing series,
we cover the different
Chinese clans in
Singapore and how life
was for them in our
island’s early years. This
month, the Cantonese
people are in the
spotlight!
The third largest Chinese dialect group in Singapore, the Cantonese clan can trace their
historical origins to two main locations – Hong Kong and the Southern region of the
Guangdong province in China, particularly near the Pearl River Delta. In fact, this area
functioned as the economic centre and was an important shipbuilding region; it was also
the largest port in China, which was how the Cantonese clan started making its way to
Singapore in large numbers.
The Cantonese, who were mostly artisans back in China, became carpenters, tailors,
shoemakers, goldsmiths, barbers and builders in Singapore, transferring their skills to
trade instead.
1819
When Sir Stamford Raffles sailed into Singapore in search of a trading post
for the English East India Company, two things greeted him: marshland and
a local population comprising about 100 Malays and 30 Chinese. However,
within a decade, the Chinese comprised the largest group in the island,
outnumbering even the Malays. The community was so large that there were
five distinct subgroups, one of which was the Cantonese.
The first traditional Chinese association, the Ts’ao Clan House, was founded
in 1819 by a Cantonese cook named Ts’ao Ah Chih. Apparently, he was a cook
on board the ship that Raffles sailed in.
1821 - 1822
The Cantonese sailed to Singapore
from the Pearl River Delta port
as well as the port of Macao. The
earliest recorded instance of a
Chinese junk travelling to Singapore
from Macao was in 1821! It was also
during this time – 1822, to be exact
– that another Chinese association
and major Cantonese bang, the Ning
Yeung Wui Kun, was established.
Interestingly, one of the leaders of
the Ghee Hin secret society, which
would go on to be the largest secret
society in Singapore, was also a
council member of the Ning Yeung
Wui Kun. His name was
Zhao Wenbing.
1824 – 1887
Together with the Hakka
community, the Cantonese clan
built the Fu Tak Chi temple on
Telok Ayer Street, dedicating it
to the popular Chinese deity Tua
Pek Kong. It was one of the first
stops for Chinese immigrants who
just arrived in Singapore as they
would come here to offer their
thanksgiving for their safe arrival
in Singapore. The initial structure
of the temple was just a small shed
over the Tua Pek Kong shrine but
as donations poured in, the bricked
temple was finally completed
in 1825. There were further
renovation and redecoration works
in 1869 and 1887.
Similar to Zhao Wenbing, the
Director of the Fu Tak Chi in the
1840s, Deng Xujin, was also a
prominent Ghee Hin leader. Unlike
the modern era, the Chinese
secret societies at that time played
important social and economic roles.
26
Family & Life • May 2014