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Thursday, 24th April 2008 (4459 views)

A bridal gown made using gold thread and silk is among the objects on show in a new museum celebrating Peranakan culture in Shanghai.

The S$12 million (£4.47 million) boutique museum features over 1,200 items in all, which celebrate the lifestyle of the Peranakan or Straits Chinese people of South East Asia, according to Shanghai newspaper the Star.

Peranakan society grew when Chinese immigrants in Malacca, Penang and Java adopted local customs and began integrating with the Malay population. The newspaper says their culture came to reflect a mixture of Malay and Chinese lifestyles, "peppered with British and Dutch influences".

It adds that the new museum has the "most comprehensive collection" of Peranakan cultural artefacts in the world, which are arranged in ten themed exhibitions.

Among the other pieces on show are a "grand wedding bed" and a Peranakan beaded tablecloth, which consists of over a million beads.

The relationship between China and the city states located on the Malay peninsula is believed to date back to the 15th century.

 

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