Cambodian Hokkien
 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Cambodia, Vietnam and America | |
| Languages | |
| Khmer language ,Mandarin Chinese and Min nan | |
| Religion | |
| Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese Folk Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Khmer people, Chinese Cambodian, Vietnamese people and Hoklo people |
Cambodian Hokkien commonly known as Khmer Hokkien (Template:Lang-km) is the term used to described the descendants of Hokkien Chinese who settled in Cambodian since the earlier part of 12th century. It links specifically to the Chinese populations of Hokkien ancestry spimly in the entire Cambodia and other neighbouring regions due to the immigration such as Thailand, Vietnam and America who have retain partially to the whole local customs to be consume into their official indiviual family's culture or with local community. The result of native culture emerge in domestic costume, initiative has only adopted by The Hokkien ethnic; parelling to Peranakan in term of culture and idenity of whoes is Chinese or mixed descent who do not speak Chinese yet remain ethnically and culturally Chinese.[1]
Today, There is a slight decrease in originate culture among the significance number of all Chinese Cambodian group , Begin a Hokkien descent obviously the most simply compromise with the local people since its rural past which sometimes resume to sufficience nationality depending on where they live, evidentially for anchieve a own term as Khmer for their pride to be full Cambodian and Hokkien for their preservation toward their ancestors' traditions.
History
Since the discovery of the earliest Kingdom, Funan at 1st century AD, it been attracted a majority of Chinese in Commercial relation which the transportation fulfilled by sea. There once the time when a group of chinese had weeped while were vaguely seeking the shelter in their first arrival in the area which named Poum Chen Yum literally means Crying Chinese Village. The legend demontrated the evidence of Hokkien preceding over centuries. The wave repeated during diplomat Zhou Daguan's envoy journey. One of his description said:"The chinese traveller frequently escape over the area ,yet having individual satisfactory communtity . In contrast, They exceptionally have participated in Cambodian society in purpose such as food supplies, mate, shelter, furniture and business . Centralize with the tradition and law of origin obandone gain less punishment, the free immigration had open for Chinese refugee to settle in Indochina.
Trace to the fleeing Hoklo people after the decline of Tang Dynasty permanently from 8th century to following period in term of inner political crisis and foreign invaderism, it point out a roof that Hokkien ancestry was the first dewalling chinese in Cambodia. It closely to the early of 15th century when Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho), a Muslim Chinese, visited Champa (Today Vietnam) along with a number of Hokkien people whose then grew into the different class such as Peranakan in Malacca and Java as well as Cambodian Hokkien in Cambodia.
In 1884, Hanianese and Hokkien descendents counted the most in Phnom Penh commonly out of the half population were Chinese. During 1880s, Two researcher noticed the different recognition between the two class's broken relation in struggles and fights. As the result, Hokkien race basically expaned to the different place and fatefully assimilate extra thing with local costume over the other classes. In fact, the reason not only the movement in 1880s but given the consequence of Hokkien's least cultural identity, Political demand and heavy compersionable idea to lead their generation spread over around Cambodia even the rural ones. Thus, have got a Cambodian Hokkien seemed not very Chinese or even not Chinese at all.
After the Khmer rouge, Cambodian-Hokkiens in distant area become less mantianable to their ancestry tradition and related themselves more to the term of Cambodian, set out begin call Hokkien while They lack elimination in Phnom Penh , attributed to Teachow people surronding the city.
Culture
Just like the term, Cambodian Hokkien provided the mixture culture between Chinese and Cambodia. Despite those culture development have excessive adoption to the various of Chinese class today, it reveals that this type before only accepted by Hokkien ancestry to envovled in their daily lives since their first reach to Cambodia, left the rest classes to follow partially then.
Unlike Peranakan who divided their fusion culture in isolatable section, All infleuce has merged in one for everykind. In case, Chinese tradition is responsible to male maintainer while the female embrace mostly in shape of Khmer.
Clothing
Costume of Cambodian Hokkien defines the inheritance of the two culture. The earliest female dress was identical to that of Khmer's; a knee lenght blouse called Av Bopock (tube-skirt) likely the most formal outfit for a old Cambodian Hokkien women to worn beside a white chinese shirt and dragged a handkerchief on the shoulder or beneath the pocket. The married women regularly formed this costume in respects of wife, prior to singlehood when every young girl booasted to the long arm shirt in their home and flavoured with body-hugging called Av neang Nor in public area. A long dark tone or flower prints scarf was hang on their two shoulder. From young to old, Sampot Chang Kben became the massive typical skirt while Samloy was the most promising around the young age in more trong colourful and engagig decoration. The Black colour with the front pleat back then accepted by the elders in 1930s. In contrast, The used of Khmer costume was limit for Cambodian Hokkien such as Sabai strictfully banned in all ethnic family in case of naked shoulder. Otherwise, The male fashion focus the heavily ancestry heritage with its Changshan and some development to Chinese pant which after became Seam Cowand shirt which then created Av Chen to fit the climate condition there.
The effect of Chinese has got to be the materials that induce the vietnamese dark tone silk, called Prai Lahn (in vietnamese called Lanh mean cool) which was finely woven, smooth and shiny, transparent the cloth . This type of slippery cloth was among cheaper which the average Hokkien and Cambodian possible to used. The chinese's light elegant silk cloth generally known as Prai Muy A (perhaps based on the brand name or chinese silk name) that was sooth, supple and somewhat thick, imported from Sanghai, China.This type considerded the highest quality as well as price they approraited to label the best for Cambodia Hokkien which mostly began richest and high status. In modern times, Vietnamese Prai Muy A prefered, perhaps tastes has changed and The costume lessly display for the next generations though. There were the addition of excessive type of chinese or vietnamese silk to be participated in making Av Bupock, Samloy or Pants.
During the late of French Colonial, the numberous of european attire introduced, revise the remains in contemporary styles started from 1950s to present. This given the minor consequence of Cambodian Hokkien costume to rival, abandoned some of them to pure Cambodian instead.
Cuisine
The legacy of chinese Stir-fried and local cuisine may be given by Khmer Hokkien which today is the typical cooking for the whole people in the country. While most Chinese desendants acquired with Fish paste Prahok due to its strong smell, Cambodian Hokkien has developed using this spice to be part of their meal's ingredient and familar in eating it. One of their popular dishes known as the fried noodles which commonly place in Lunar New Year's reunion dinner. Its physical appearance share straight with Hokkien Mee which served in mostly Malaysia and Singapore. As the two noodle used Prawn and Fat yellow noodle (sometimes rice noodle and egg noodle), It believe that Hokkien noodle in Cambodia surely derived from ancestry cooking style.