The Influence of Malay Culture on China Society Culture in Chinatown Semarang

Abstract

The development of Semarang as a trade city started in 1700’s. Its economy growth attracted various ethnics to make a living in Semarang. Some of them settled temporary while others live permanently in a kampong which was formed based on their ethnics. There are some settlements e.g. Pecinan kampong, Melayu kampong, Pekojan kampong etc. The social interaction between Malay and China ethnics influence their cultural activities. This research, using historical and sociological approaches, is an attempt to study the influence of Malay and China culture in Chinatown Semarang. The influence of Malay culture towards the China culture can be seen in the emergence of the Malay-China language, ancestor worship, art, clothes and cuisine. The changes in society culture constitute an inevitable process. The problem happened when the native culture of Malay society as well as China society cannot be traced so that each society seems to be polled out from their culture root