In this two-day hybrid workshop, 18 speakers share and discuss how China’s culture has transformed – and is transforming – in Southeast Asia. Topics deliberated over included religion, language, literature and performing arts. Revised papers based on this workshop will be eventually published as a book projected for late 2024 release.
REGIONAL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL STUDIES PROGRAMME HYBRID SEMINAR
Thursday, 28 September 2023 and Friday, 29 September 2023 – ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute held a two-day workshop on “Transformation of Chinese Culture in Southeast Asia”. Convened by Professor Leo Suryadinata (Visiting Senior Fellow, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute), the workshop drew approximately 120 participants across both days with enthusiastic participation from both on-site and online attendees. The workshop was split into four large themes – “Religion”, “Performing Arts”, “Language” and “Literature”.
In his opening remarks, Professor Suryadinata remarked that Chinese culture, while introduced through historical waves of Chinese migration into Southeast Asia, is constantly in flux in contemporary Southeast Asia. State policies, family compositions and interactions between local and migrant communities are some of the factors that result in differing levels of cultural assimilation across Southeast Asia. While Chinese culture in Southeast Asia is distinct from that of China, rising China and new Chinese migrants present new challenges for local Chinese culture. He concluded by asking the audience to ponder over the future trajectory of Southeast Asian Chinese culture through the duration of the workshop.
The first two panels focused on the theme of “Religion” and how Chinese religion has assimilated into and adopted unique characteristics in Southeast Asia. The first panel was moderated by Professor Tan Chee Beng. Dr Tan Lee Ooi began the panel by discussing how Chinese Buddhism in Malaysia has adopted trans-ethnic efforts such as volunteering in environmental and humanitarian causes to challenge a racialised Malaysian reality. Dr Jack Chia continued the discussion by exploring the modernisation of Buddhism through ‘Buddhist rock’ to attract younger followers. Finally, Professor Chang-Yau Hoon and Ms Zhao Kaili explored how Chinese religions adapted to local state regulations in Brunei, where the dominant state religion is Islam. The theme of “religion” is sustained through the second panel moderated by Dr Jack Chia. Dr Evi Lina Sutrisno’s presentation assessed how elements of Confucianism were adapted to the Pancasila concept by MATAKIN, the primary Confucius agency in Indonesia. Thereafter, Dr Hew Wai Weng looked at how Hui and Chinese Muslims in Malaysia articulate their identity both as Muslims and as Chinese through food and religious teachings.
The third panel builds upon the theme of “Performing Arts”. Moderated by Professor Eugene Dairianathan, the panel was kicked off by Mr Wang Chenwei, who argued that the integration of Southeast Asian tunes into Chinese orchestra has evolved from simply referencing popular tunes to synthesising musical styles. Subsequently, Dr Chung Yi highlighted the instrumental role that Chinese music education played in developing a distinct Chinese Malaysian music style. Finally, Dr Chua Soo Pong rounded off the presentations by looking at how Chinese opera adapted stories set in Singapore, such as the Tale of Bukit Merah. However, due to declining interest by the newer generation, Dr Chua notes that more could be done to revive the art.
Moderated by Dr Neo Peng Fu, the fourth and final panel of the first day examined the theme of “Language”. Dr Lin Jingxia presented data on how Singaporean Mandarin converged and diverged over the years with PuTongHua, the standard Chinese language, concluding that Singaporean Mandarin is an inclusive and diverse variant of Chinese. Afterward, Dr Khoo Kiak Uei examined the unique features that set Malaysian Mandarin apart from its other “Global Mandarin” family, elaborating on how Malaysian Mandarin was affected by Malaysia’s complex linguistic environment and influences from external variants of Mandarin.
The second day was dominantly focused on the theme of “Literature”. The first panel was moderated by Professor Leo Suryadinata and looked at contemporary Chinese literature in Singapore and Malaysia. Professor Wong Yoon Wah began the panel by noting that present Malaysian Chinese literature borrows influence from diverse communities they reside alongside with in Malaysia, thereby having less emphasis on ‘Chineseness’ compared to Chinese literature in other countries. Dr Tan Chee Lay continued the discussion by tracing the trajectory of Singapore Chinese Literature from realism to modernism, arguing that it eventually merges to form a distinct Singaporean Chinese literary identity.
The second and final panel of the day was on contemporary Chinese literature in Thailand and the Philippines. The panel was moderated by Professor Wong Yoon Wah. Dr Shirley Lua ruminated upon the current position of Philippine Chinese literature and showcased how Filipino Chinese poets negotiated their ‘Chineseness’ through verse-making. Thereafter, Dr Kornphanat Tungkeunkunt and Dr Gritiya Rattanakantadilok examined how Sinophone Thai literature utilised realism to negotiate with the social and political realities of the marginalised Chinese community in Thailand.
Professor Tan Chee Beng closed the workshop by thanking the speakers and audience for an engaging session. Thereafter, he provided a brief assessment of the various topics that the speakers presented. Drawing attention to how there is always a local process of creation and transformation, he leaves the audience to ponder over the potential future transformations that may occur to Chinese culture in Southeast Asia with the rise of China and the influx of new Chinese migrants.