Rui Sun

PhD Student in Religious Studies

Supervisors:  Philip Fountain and Lina Verchery

Religious change among Peranakan Chinese communities in Malaysia

This research will examine processes of religious change among Peranakan Chinese communities in Malaysia. Throughout Southeast Asia, ethnicity and religion are often closely connected. However, in the Peranakan (also called Straits Chinese or Baba Nyonya) communities, this is no longer the case. Peranakan religious practice has changed significantly over time and, in the process, has become increasingly complex. This project examines the factors that have influenced these changes. And the key question this research seeks to answer is: How has Peranakan religious practice changed and what processes have shaped these transformations?

Contact:  rui.sun@vuw.ac.nz