【Our Native Land | Perak】The Hokkien People in Perak

In their search for the origins of the Hokkien people who landed in Perak, Our Native Land went to Teluk Intan, the third largest town in Perak. Information suggests that the Minnan people were living in Teluk Intan as early as 1845. The strongest evidence of this is the Hock Soon Keong Temple, an ancient temple with more than a century of history. Teluk Intan's unique geographical location made it the administrative center of Lower Perak a century ago. The Perak River, which runs through the center of Teluk Intan, has naturally formed small islands, attracting migratory birds to nest and providing a different landscape for the tourism industry.

Ever heard of Quanzhou Nanyin? Known as the living fossil of Chinese music, Quanzhou Nanyin has a history of more than 1,000 years and has been listed as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Ren Ai Music Club in Taiping, founded in 1964, is the only music club in northern Malaysia still singing the Nanyin. Taking advantage of the 12th day of the 8th lunar month, the birth anniversary of the founder of Quanzhou Nanyin, Meng Chang, the film crew of Our Native Land went to the Ren Ai Music Club and interviewed Nanyin enthusiasts from different generations. The host, Owen Yap, even learned to sing a line or two!

Taiping is also home to a famous local pastry chef who is a passionate advocate of his hometown’s culture. Let's find out how he makes the white-crusted Hokkien Mooncake, or "Mid-Autumn Poah Pia" as it is called, which is not very common in other parts of the country.

Playing the game to win the Scholarly Mooncakes is a traditional mid-autumn activity in Xiamen and Jinmen, and now some of the Hokkien associations in Malaysia have started to organize the game every year, in the hope that more Hokkien children will learn about this special mooncake culture.