About Me

Who Am I?

My name is Jien Tionghua (pseudonym), and I am a 5th Generation Malaysian Chinese from Malaysia. I am of Hokkien and Teochew ancestry. Currently, I am a university student, but I am also very passionate about the history and culture of the Southeast Asian (Nanyang) Chinese.

I speak 3 languages mainly; English, Chinese and Malay. But I grew up hearing Hokkien and Teochew, in which I learnt both dialects with ease. I had friends whom mainly spoke Cantonese, and as a result I had to learn Cantonese too.

I am a Buddho-Taoist, that means I am a Buddhist while also worshipping my ancestors other Chinese deities.

What are my interests and what are my goals?

I've always been fascinated about Chinese culture, but Southeast Asian Chinese culture is something that I realised is not often discussed nor researched heavily. When we think of "Asian Diasporas" or "Chinese Diasporas", rarely would we think of the Chinese in Southeast Asia, let alone Chinese people in Southeast Asia, and so my passion to learn more about my own people sparked from there. Peranakan Culture formed the core of my interest- things such as food, architecture and prominent figures are what I usually research on during my free time.

My goals with this TikTok account is to share knowledge on the Southeast Asian Chinese people, how their relations are with the Southeast Asian natives, and what contributions they have given to their respective countries. I want to create a space where people of Chinese ancestry in Southeast Asia can relate to one another and a common idea- being a Southeast Asian Chinese. We have a unique culture, a unique history, and unique languages, we should be proud of our Southeast Asian Chinese heritage. No matter if you are Chinese Singaporean, Chinese Indonesian (Chindo), Chinese Filipino (Chinoy) or any other types of Chinese in Southeast Asia, you are part of the Southeast Asian Chinese diaspora.

I hope that my TikTok page can help others regardless of they are Chinese or not to gain interest and insight!!