Culture Chronicles #5

Sun Wukong takes the world by storm and other cultural delights from China and Malaysia.

I grew up watching the 1986 Chinse drama, Journey to the West, and watching the final trailer of Black Myth: Wukong gave me all kinds of fuzzy feelings.

For one, I thought the soundtrack was gorgeous! So Chinese. What a clever and creative way to incorporate Buddhist chants into music! And to see Chinese mythological creatures brought to life made me a tad teary-eyed.

I do wonder, however, if anyone playing this game will understand the cultural weight of Sun Wukong, the Monkey God. The story is centuries' old and considered one of China's Four Great Novels.

I think the game’s successful debut moved me because, for so long I was used to consuming Western culture mainstream. So, I was very pleasantly surprised to witness how celebrated Wukong is.

Chinese cultural products are often misunderstood, and it is not uncommon to see articles declaring that Chinese soft power is “not cool”, or “not good enough”.

These assertions have always confounded me. I’ve spent all my life reading and watching Chinese cultural products from Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong. I’ve read stories that were penned centuries ago in China.

I just think China’s cultural legacy was just shadowed by the more popular and “hip” Asian cultures of the time and is largely ignored or forgotten.

Hopefully, through Wukong, I hope that people will grow to appreciateChina’s rich cultural heritage and talk about Chinese soft power being “uncool” will eventually fade away.

Amusingly, some companies in China are giving employees time off to play Wukong! Very unusual for Chinese bosses to do this, I tell you.

Erlang Shen, the three-eyed god

Just have to add that I’m squeeing at Erlang Shen’s cameo in the opening scenes. He’s like a crush of mine LOL.

Erlang Shen is a god in Chinese folk religion. He has a third eye in the middle of his forehead, and is often associated with water - apparently he was based on a real historical figure who was a hydraulic engineer during the Qin dynasty!

Erlang Shen is always seen subduing demons and troublemakers like Sun Wukong.

By the way, Erlang Shen recently made an appearance in the blockbuster Chinese movie, Creation of the Gods I.

But I have to say that the Wukong version is way more bad ass.

It’s durian season

I wanted to write a whole epic about why durian is such a thing in Malaysia, but I’ll just leave you with this image.

The Peranakans and the Malays like to eat durian with rice soaked in santan (coconut milk). But this Peranakan (me) can’t stand the combo. I’m a purist and prefer to eat durians on its own. No rice and coconut milk, thank you.

My parents never fail to question my Peranakan genes each time we have durian rice dinners at the family home.

Durians, by the way, come in many “strains/varieties” in Malaysia. Musang King is admittedly the priciest and most prized. It’s so prized that China craves it like crazy, leading Malaysians to complain about “shipping the best to China and leaving the rest to us”.

Personally, why I do like Musang King, my favourite is XO and Udang Merah (red prawn) for its more unique taste.

Also, I’m just contrary.

Homestay with durians

Since we’re on the topic, I didn't know this place existed in Malaysia! A homestay where you can eat durians to your heart's content up in the mountains and be surrounded by cats too 😁

I love this vlogger, by the way. You can always trust him to film the most interesting locations that even I, a Malaysian, do not know about.

This homestay is in Jalan Lama Bentong - Karak, 28600 Karak, Pahang.

PS: While the Youtuber is from China, the others are Malaysian and one is Singaporean Chinese. The wife commented that her husband is a 🍌 person because he can only speak Cantonese. 🤭 So, you can occasionally hear some of them switch to English.

Portuguese in Malaysia

Another fun cultural fact: Malaysia also has Portuguese speakers due to Malacca being colonised a few centuries ago. These are the Serani, descendants of the Portugese settlers. I am curious, if you speak Portugese, whether you understand them, and is it different in any way?

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