PUTERI HANG LI PO  

 

According to legend, the Chinese Maharaja sent a princess, Hang Li Poh, to the Sultan of Melaka as a token of appreciation for his respect and was married to the Sultan of Melaka, Sultan Mansur Shah. The kings and servants who accompanied the princesses initially settled in Bukit China and eventually developed into a class of Straits-born Chinese known as the Peranakans and are said to have formed the minority community of Baba and Nyonya in Melaka. The illustration illustrates the heritage of Baba Nyonya that is "Beaded slippers and Kebaya Nyonya". The Peranakan Kebaya is mainly associated with the women of Peranakan community. Beaded slippers, the traditional footwear of Peranakan Chinese women, are made up of hundreds, sometimes thousands of tiny, colourful beads. The flower in the illustration is Peony flower motif. It well received among the Chinese for representing wealth and honour.