SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES Malay Narratives in Nanyang Travel
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Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 28 (4): 3319 - 3334 (2020) SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES Journal homepage: http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/ Malay Narratives in Nanyang Travel Wue Hiong Ser and Chwee Fang Ng* Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia ABSTRACT “Nanyang” 南洋was a general term used by the Chinese for Southeast Asia before World War II. After the 19th century, the Chinese moved to Nanyang in succession. Located at the centre of “Nanyang”, the Malay Peninsula and Singapore became the gathering place of the Chinese at that time and they unexpectedly encountered the indigenous Malay civilisation, thus arousing cultural interaction and immersion. In the 1920s and 1930s, a large number of Chinese literati came to the south for various purposes such as seeking relatives and friends, travelling, investigating, or settling down for a long time, and they recorded the experiences of what they saw and heard in Nanyang in travel records or books. The “Nanyang Youji” 南洋游记 (Nanyang Travels) mainly recorded the customs and anecdotes of the Nanyang society. It is rich in content, diverse in subject matter, and large in volume. It also has a unique writing style, with great literary, historical, and even cultural anthropology value. Although the content of “Nanyang Youji” is mainly based on Chinese society and culture, many of them also contain records ARTICLE INFO of the Malay customs and culture that the Article history: author personally witnessed which are thus, Received: 23 July 2020 very precious. This article reviews several Accepted: 19 October 2020 Published: 25 December 2020 “Nanyang Youji” travel records to gain an insight into the Malay society and the DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.28.4.45 Chinese-Malay cultural interaction from the E-mail addresses: perspective of the early Nanyang travellers. [email protected] (Wue Hiong Ser) [email protected] (Chwee Fang Ng) *Corresponding author Keywords: Chinese-Malay cultural interaction, Malay narratives, Nanyang travel ISSN: 0128-7702 e-ISSN: 2231-8534 © Universiti Putra Malaysia Press Wue Hiong Ser and Chwee Fang Ng INTRODUCTION structures as well as a developed culture and The term “Nanyang” 南洋 (South Ocean) education. The earliest Nanyang immigrants is a unique feature in Chinese history that were dominated by low-class labourers. In can be traced back to the Song Dynasty as the early twentieth century, they were deeply early as 700 years ago. Initially, the views influenced by China’s political situation, on “Nanyang” based on its geographical especially the Chinese Revolution in 1911 boundaries were unclear and varied. From (Yen, 1976) and the May Fourth New the views of ancient navigators to modern Culture Movement in 1919 (Choi, 2019) folks, the definitions of Nanyang are not which strongly promoted social and cultural exactly the same over the years (Lee, reformation in Nanyang. With the boom of 2006). However, “Nanyang” mainly refers Chinese schools in various places, a large to the southern area of mainland China number of literati and scholars traveled to and it also includes Australia and New the south to live and promote the Nanyang Zealand in a broader sense. Up until the culture (Guo, 2019; Jin, 2013). Many of end of the nineteenth century, the concept these scholars, through the recommendation of “Nanyang” was gradually determined. of their relatives and friends, taught at Conceptually, “Nanyang” specifically Chinese schools and some worked as refers to Southeast Asia (including Hong editors or writers for Chinese newspapers. Kong) and it has a close relationship with Many of them also participated in cultural Chinese history. For instance, “Going to the and educational programmes to promote Nanyang” was a dream of many generations cultural, literary, and artistic creations (Jin, of Chinese immigrants and it constitutes 2013). There were also many people who a collective memory in Chinese history. came to Nanyang for sightseeing and to However, when the Chinese people from explore the area. all parts of China withdrew their native The 1920s and 1930s represented the citizenship and immersed into the local peak period for literati who came to the culture up until the 1950s, the name and south from China (Guo, 2019; Jin, 2013). concept of “Nanyang” gradually faded away Whether it was for long-term settlement and it was eventually replaced by the term or a short trip, Nanyang was always an “Southeast Asia” (Lee, 2006). interesting and new destination for these Nanyang was a world dominated by people due to its different landscape and the Chinese. After the nineteenth century, unique customs that were much varied Nanyang was gradually becoming the place from their home country, China. Many of where the Chinese gathered, which included them fondly wrote about their experience Java Island, Siam, and Malaya. Among of Nanyang and several of these texts these regions, Singapore Island and Malay had been used in travel journals or poems Peninsula have a huge Chinese population published in newspapers and magazines, and boasts some of the most complete social while some were published in books. 3320 Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum.28 (4): 3319 - 3334 (2020) Malay Narratives in Nanyang Travel Although some of these publications were Liang Shaowen’s (1924) 梁绍文 Nanyang research-oriented, they were classified as Lvxing Manji 南洋旅行漫记 (The Travel travel documentaries (Xia, 2010). However, of Nanyang), Song Yunpu’s (1930) 宋蕴璞 this documentary contains information of a Nanyang Yingshu Haixia Zhimindi Zhilve rich cultural heritage, including its history, 南洋英属海峡殖民地志略 (British Straits cultural anthropology, local chronicles, Colony Chorography in Nanyang), Liu literature, and other related content. It has Xunyu’s (1930) 刘薰宇 Nanyang Youji 南 high academic value and contains important 洋游记 (Nanyang Travels), Huang Qiang’s material for studying the Singaporean and 黃強 (1930) Malai Hongxuelu 马来鸿雪录 Malaysian Chinese society before World (The Traces in Malaya), Xu Jie’s (1931) 许 War II. 杰 Nanyang Manji 南洋漫记 (also known The main purpose of this article is to as “Coconut and Durian”), Zheng Jianlu’s investigate the description and perception (1933) 郑健庐 Nanyang Sanyueji 南洋三 of Malays and its culture by Chinese literati 月记 (Nanyang In March), Zhao Guanhai’s in the 1920s from the relevant records in (1933) 招观海 Tiannan Youji 天南游记 Nanyang travel notes. This article will (Tiannan Travels), Liu Renhang’s (1935) examine several aspects such as Nanyang 刘仁航 Nanyang Youji 南洋游记 (Nanyang scenery, the Malay folk culture, the Malay Travels), Xu Han’s (1937) 许瀚Nanyang drama shows and Chinese-Malay cultural Congtan 南洋丛谈 (Nanyang Talks) as well interactions. as many other articles, thus representing a large enough number to form a unique “Nanyang Youji” 南洋游记 (Nanyang LITERATURE REVIEW Travels) documentary. According to the preliminary statistics of “Nanyang Travels” is mainly a Yan (2011), there are at least 262 kinds description of what was seen and heard of Nanyang monographs left in the early during their journey based on the author’s years. Judging from the contents, they distinctive emotions and personal included history, geography, humanities, perspectives. Although the subject is mainly political economy, and natural sciences. If focused on Chinese society, it contains newspapers, magazines and other related records of the lifestyles outside of the articles are included, the number will be Chinese society such as the clothing, food, even more encouraging and impactful. shelter, travel, historical stories, customs, Among these plentiful Nanyang and myths of the Malays, and even the literature, travel documentaries are the indigenous people (Orang Asli). The topics main essential part. Some of the well-known are quite diverse, and it can be used as travel documentaries are Hou Hongjian’s research material for the Malay society and (1920) 侯鸿鉴 Nanyang Lvxingji 南 their culture during the early years. These 洋旅行记 (Travel Notes of Nanyang), records are valuable research materials that Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 28 (4): 3319 - 3334 (2020) 3321 Wue Hiong Ser and Chwee Fang Ng offer insight into their cultural heritage as topics other than the Chinese society based well. on the Nanyang Travels documentary is In the past ten years, the Chinese sufficiently lacking. academic community realised the value of this travel material and started to conduct METHOD more studies on this documentary. However, The purpose of this study is to gain a the results were relatively sparse as it mainly preliminary insight into the Malay social focuses on relevant studies regarding the culture from the perspective of Nanyang Chinese social culture, Nanyang outlook, travellers through the selected Nanyang and Chinese literature. For example, Xia travel records. Jing’s (2010) Yuwang Yu Sikao Zhilv - Content analysis was the main research Zhongguo Xiandai Zuojia De Nanyang Yu method in order to analyze and interpret Yingmei Youji Yanjiu (Journey of Desire the relevant historical documents. By and Contemplation: A Study of Nanyang using content analysis, the data were and England/America Travelogues by systematically collected from relevant Modern Chinese Writers) uses Nanyang and texts. The researchers discussed the related Anglo-American travel notes to compare records of Malays, analyzed and commented their extra-territorial imaginations; Xue on the characteristics of Malays and its Liqing’s (2016) “Cong Danggui Dao culture, as