Cambodian Hokkien in common known as Khmer Hokkien (Khmer: ខែ្មរ​ ចិនហុកគៀន) is the terms used to described The long descendants of Hokkien Chinese ethnic settle in the Cambodian. It links specific to the ethnic Chinese populations of the Hokkien ancestry spimly in the entire Cambodia and Other neighbouring region due to the following immigration such as Thailand, Vietnam and America who have retain partially, sometimes the whole local customs to be consume into their official indiviual family's culture or with local community espically its mother touge due to indigence after the few of generation. The result of native culture emerge in domestic costume, earlier has only adopted by The Hokkien ethnic; parelling to Peranakan whoes is Chinese or mixed descent who do not speak Chinese yet remain ethnically Chinese. Otherwise, it not yet the separate ethnic from regular chinese, just it develop partially of their identity, prevent to be the same with other.

While Today, There are the slightly decrease in originate culture among the significance number of Chinese Cambodian, Begin a Hokkien descent obviously the most easy going ethnic to lay with the local people since its rural past which sometimes resume to sufficience nationality depend on where they live, evidentially for anchieve a own term as Khmer for pride to be full Cambodian and Hokkien for their preserve toward the ancetry culture.

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It really promising for me to dig through my own root, about my ancestry which reveal we from Hokkien. Reflection to my current family costume, i relized something different from some chinese descent in common. My grand father also said it not chang at all from past 100 years in my family culture. Generally, we see a lot of chinese not only hokkien, are adopted khmer culture and chinese merged in one, respresent their lifestyle a similarity.But what going in on if we go back to 20 century, the time of french colonial and pre-war period (1957-1970. The result simply show the number of Hokkien descendant settlement in Cambodia here already develop some of their culture with the local costume in partially and full depend on how they get along. Such a strong similar identity with peranakan at that time as well. Refer to my own ancestry trace, i also found other thing harmoniously between my hokkien descendant and peranakan (from the same hokkien ancestry) in term of clothing. Nyonya, the female term to describe peranakan lady prefer the malay influenced costume over the chinese specific to their daily dress such as kebaya, baju krung, sarong. Evidence to my great grandmother shooting around 1930s, I predominately how much influenced in hokkien lady clothing from cambodia except the hairstyle is different.some look like is cambodia also had the clothes similar to baju krung which old bibi worn just like old khmer hokkien lady likely to worn.
[img width=600 height=800]http://samnangeng.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/dsc017502.jpg[/img]
while the man (sorry for no photo, i forget to scan it as well as it too old) hold the different identity to the lady with their preservation of ancestry as my great-great grandfather (the photo about over 100 years old) worn a  blue Changshan, some photo had a big lord's hat and my another great grandfather (from my father root, the previous is from mother) worn the chinese pants and regular white shirt in chinese elements.

The architecture give another similarity especially concentrate to the living in city. For my family previously living in Kantaing house style before khmer rouge. Kantaing house in contrast is the invention of Cantoes people and Vietnamese. however, Hokkien people and Cantoes is othe group who only live in town but create their community in province (My family community before is in kampong thom province, Stung district, kampong chen village meaing chinese river bank village) thus it got that they share the same architecture for housing. To be kantaing house required the wall in chinese carving style, had a large door infront the monastry and the roof not sharp like regular Khmer house. The most unique in Kantain house is the small upper floor in house, look the useful floor for hokkien people. It sometime up from the ground with the number of posts but just at behind with the front had other room beneath the main house. Sometimes, their house build in city took appearance more to chinese than Cambodia with its lay on the ground. here are picture:
[img]http://www.leisurecambodia.com/Leisure_Cambodia/No.14/image/House_sample5.gif[/img]

The most share alike with Peranakan in architecture is forward to the house in city such as battambang city where previously the large community of Cambodian hokkien had living there. It based between chinese, local and european influence, left its the unique beauty for hokkien people to be more modern. see the photo back then in 1948 and 2009 (where now the khmer and techow took over more after khmer rouge).
[img]http://samnangeng.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/homepage_2_r3_c5.jpg[/img] (during french colonial, Khmer hokkien lived there doing business and pray at the nearly chinese church whoes aged over 100 years old)
[img]http://samnangeng.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/homepage_2_r6_c5.jpg[/img], the colour is beauty link so much to baba house in malacca and singapore. teachow now lived there but this building is not their consequence from emerge the three culture in one but khmer hokkien invention. now, Battambang city had gradually cite it into khmer heritage and then netiogation with george town of penang and malacca town for own the same numberous of colonial building and this kind of culture building like this.


watching the little nyonya, reminds me the time of my family story that my grandma used to tell. It nothing different, just only we from another country. The woman here especially the low class lack freedom, the family law between Cambodian hokkien and Peranakan not tight at all. The fedualism not only exist in peranakan but khmer hokkien. Lady fighting, scheming also reveal. If someone want to know my family story between 1915 span 1960, i honestly to tell you. It so memorable.

Our intermarraige share the similar way as well. Khmer Hokkien at that time usually took wife and mate from similar status and same line, For example in the little nyonya, the huang family had the strong tie with Chen family by married their daughter to them and then their granddaughter. So do i, my family is on the same line since the past. Hokkien never married other chinese, only vietnamese and then they married khmer for had the job in high status such minister and married chinese hokkien for business run.

Khmer hokkien at the third generation didn't speak hokkien or chinese. They speak khmer with chinese element only. they not yet to develop their own language like Peranakan at all. today most hokkien can speak mandarin due to learning.

The wedding is something mixed between chinese and Cambodia. In the past, Lady will worn Robai, the influenced from javanese ( the similar thing that nyonya worn on head when married) and worn long dress at knee (the same as well), the guy will wear chinese costume and then khmer. they also had kowtow for sure. But khmer hokkien develop their own way by invent individual kowtow for groom as fell at knee and salute and repeat this several time until he reached ancestry monastry and the bride come out. but in 1960s, my grandma said she stop worn robai but worn more khmer influenced. today, most of this disappear due to khmer rouge, the chinese dress as well as hokkien individual kowtow. however, my cousin's wedding still had chinese celebration and she worn red veil as well as dress. All chinese celebration still celebrate to hokkien as well as khmer. Hokkien now convert to Therveda buddhism alot.

now let see my current house with chinese decoration here:
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Ancestor_altar.JPG[/img]
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Outside_decorting_of_sino_khmer.JPG[img]
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Sinokhmercolourshrine.JPG[/img]
[/img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/A_shrine_in_sino_khmer_home.JPG[/img]
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Inside_decor_of_sino_khmer_family.JPG[/img]

finally, i just to compare between my khmer hokkien ethnic and peranakan and show off my culture which almost lose from cambodia. I doubt if portugese colonial here, what term we got as well as it so like peranakan just one is malay and one is khmer.

Pls openly to comment.