CULTURE & HERITAGE

Having had an interesting past and being a part of the international spice route many hundreds of years ago, Malaysia has turned into a mosaic of cultures. Everything from its people to its architecture reflect a colourful heritage and an amalgamated culture. To understand Malaysian culture, you must first get to know its people.

One of the factors is about the people. Malays, Chinese, Indians and many other ethnic groups have lived together in Malaysia for generations. The largest ethnic groups in Malaysia are the Malays, Chinese and Indians.

Today, Malays is the Malaysia's largest ethnic group, make up more than 50% of the population. In Malaysia, the term Malay refers to a person who practices Islam and Malay traditions, speaks the Malay language and whose ancestors are Malays. The Malays are known for their gentle mannerisms and rich arts heritage.

The second largest ethnic group, the Malaysian Chinese form about 25% of the population. The Chinese are known for their diligence and keen business sense. The three sub-groups who speak a different dialect of the Chinese language are the Hokkien, Cantonese,  and the Mandarin.

The smallest of three main ethnic groups, the Malaysian Indians form about 10% of the population. Most are descendents of Tamil-speaking South Indian immigrants who came to the country during the British colonial rule. They brought with them their colourful culture such as ornate temples, spicy cuisine and exquisite sarees.

The indigenous ethnic group in Malaysia is Orang Asli. Orang Asli is a general term used for any indigenous groups that are found in Peninsular Malaysia. The Dayaks, the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu are the major ethnic groups in the state of Sarawak. Than the largest indigenous ethnic groups of Sabah's population are the Kadazan Dusun, the Bajau and the Murut.

Malaysia's architecture today is a reflection of Asia's many styles, cultures and religions. These influences include Hindu-Indian, Arab-Muslim, Chinese and European. Portuguese, Dutch and British colonization have also have also influenced local architecture.

Traditional Malay architecture employs sophisticated architectural processes ideally suited to tropical conditions such as structures built on stilts, high-pitched roofs and large windows.In Malaysia, Chinese architecture is of two broad types: traditional and Baba-Nyonya. With most of Malaysian Hindus originally from southern India, local Hindu temples exhibit the colourful architecture of that region. Two unique architectural highlights of the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak are longhouses and water villages.

Other than that,Malaysians' strong sense of community is reflected in many of their traditional games and pastimes. Such as Silat, Sepak Takraw, Wau, Gasing, Wayang Kulit, Congkak and many more.

Malaysia boasts a delightful variety of traditional handicrafts. Choices range from priceless authentic antiques to exquisite modern hand-made crafts.As most artisans are Muslims, Malaysian handicraft designs are heavily influenced by Islam. The religion prohibits the depiction of the human form in art. Hence, most designs based on natural elements such as the interlacing of leaves or vines, flowers and animals.Popular items of traditional design include Perak labu sayong, geluk, belanga, Chinese dragon kiln ceramics and Sarawakian tribal motif pottery. Contemporary items include vases, flower pots, decorative pottery, sculpture and kitchenware.

Colourful and captivating, Malaysia's traditional textiles are much sought after worldwide. Varieties include batik, songket, pua kumbu and tekat. These textiles are made into all sorts of decorative items, from haute couture clothes to shoes, colourful curtains and delicate bed linen.From magnificent tribal head-feathers with bark body-covers to antique gold-woven royal songket fabric, the array of Malaysia's traditional costumes and textiles are stunningly diverse and colourful.

In the early days, the aboriginal tribes wore native bark costumes and beads. With the advent of the ancient kingdoms, hand-loomed fine textiles and intricate Malay batik were used by the Malay royalty. As foreign trade flourished, costumes and textiles such as Chinese silk, the Indian pulicat or plaid sarong and the Arabian jubbah a robe with wide sleeves were introduced to the country. Today, traditional attire such as the Malay baju kebaya, Indian saree and Chinese cheongsam are still widely worn.

Malaysia's multi-cultural and multi-racial heritage is most prominently exhibited in its diverse music and dance forms. The dances of the indigenous Malay, Orang Asli and different ethnic peoples of Sabah and Sarawak are truly exotic and enchanting. As the Chinese, Indians and Portuguese settled in Malaysia, the traditional dances of their homelands became a part of Malaysia's culture and heritage.

Malaysia has two traditional orchestras: the gamelan and the nobat. Originally from Indonesia, the gamelan is a traditional orchestra that plays ethereal lilting melodies using an ensemble of gong percussion and stringed instruments. The nobat is a royal orchestra that plays more solemn music for the courts using serunai and nafiri wind instruments.There are a lot of activities which can be done in Malaysia such as diving, golfing, shopping, bird watching, cave exploration, homestay and so many more.

Malaysia's friendly traditional communities have opened up their homes to foreign guests so they can have a taste of the kampung or village lifestyle to cherish for a lifetime. Experiencing a homestay in a traditional village is perhaps one of the fastest and easiest ways to get to know the real Malaysia. You will discover that things here move at a slightly slower pace than in the city, and for those who relish the quiet calm of the rustic life, this is possibly as good as it gets.

Being blessed with beautiful warm weather all year-round, Malaysia is the perfect place to enjoy theme parks and water parks. In the past few years, several exciting new theme parks have sprouted up all over Peninsula Malaysia. Many of these theme parks provide great fun for the whole family, sometimes offering a resort or shopping mall nearby. Although all these parks are very different, they all share state-of-the-art design with fun and safety being priorities. Many of them incorporate sophisticated water parks, zoos, rides-galore and golf courses among other things.These are some of the best theme parks in the region, surrounded by lush greenery and perfect weather. For a fun-filled time for the whole family, the time is now, the place is Malaysia.

Malaysian food is not one particular kind of food but a unique culinary spectrum originating from Malaysia's multi-ethnic population that has melded together sampling tastes, ingredients and cooking methods from each other. Malaysians relish and celebrate their diverse food. It is not uncommon to drive for hours to eat a really good bowl of noodles. As you can imagine, eatery standards are very competitive all over the country.

Each state in Malaysia has something different to offer in terms of culinary delights. Kuala Lumpur has the most diverse offering of foods from all over the world. Indulge in gourmet fusion cuisine created by talented chefs in designer restaurants, or sample an endless amount of goodies found practically bursting out of malls, store fronts and side-street hawker stalls. Melaka is a home to delicious Baba Nyonya food, much of it served in quaint cafes in historical shophouses. Penang is hawker stall haven, where the most delicious food requires you to wait for al fresco tables and costs as little as RM3.50 per dish. Ipoh receives many day trippers who come only to savour local favourites. Kelantan is the cradle of Malay culture and serves exotic Malay food rich in flavour and colour. When trying to decide on what stall or restaurant to visit, the rule of thumb is that the most popular place, especially among the locals, is normally the best.

This multi-cultural array of food has now come to be known all over the world as Malaysian Food. For gastronomic adventures fit for kings, the time is now, the place is Malaysia.