Pêro da Covilhã: 15th century merchant-spy
In the history of the Portuguese Age of Discoveries, the focus has been on the maritime exploits of the day, with Bartolomeu Dias sailing...
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Spencer Low
Feb 18, 20233 min
The Portuguese Mission and the History of the Catholic Church in Singapore
When the Portuguese took control of Malacca in 1511, the Sultan of Malacca escaped south and founded the Johor Sultanate, which included...
4,744 views0 comments
Spencer Low
Jan 29, 20233 min
Japan & Portugal: 480 years of friendship
This year, 2023, will see Japan and Portugal celebrate 480 years of relations between the two maritime countries at opposite ends of the...
6,497 views0 comments
Spencer Low
Dec 31, 20222 min
Living traces of Portuguese influence in the Celebes, Indonesia
I just spent a week holidaying with my family in Manado on the northern tip of Sulawesi, the fourth largest island in Indonesia. Aside...
1,543 views1 comment
Spencer Low
Dec 10, 20222 min
Interview with Portuguese news agency Lusa on this blog
Many thanks to João Pimenta, the Beijing bureau chief of the Portuguese news agency Lusa for reaching out to me. He noticed this blog...
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Spencer Low
Dec 4, 20222 min
Asian influence on Portuguese culture (Part II)
My last post on Asian influences on Portuguese food sparked off lots of comments, showing how viscerally important food culture can be to...
1,315 views4 comments
Spencer Low
Nov 20, 20223 min
Asian influence on Portuguese culture – Food
I recently had an interesting conversation with João Pimenta, bureau chief for the Portuguese Lusa News Agency who's lived in China for...
3,903 views1 comment
Spencer Low
Oct 30, 20223 min
The Portuguese impact on Kerala
Kerala, a state on the southwest coast of India, is perhaps not particularly well-known in the rest of the world. I first heard about it...
6,245 views1 comment
Spencer Low
Oct 23, 20222 min
How Standard Chinese became known as Mandarin thanks to the Portuguese
In an earlier post, I explained how China became known as China thanks to the Portuguese: https://www.portuguese.asia/post/how-china-beca...
2,252 views0 comments
Spencer Low
Oct 16, 20222 min
The little-known Portuguese influence on Vietnam
When most people think of Vietnam in a historical context, the Vietnamese war and the American role come to mind, or perhaps the French...
5,457 views1 comment
Spencer Low
Oct 11, 20221 min
How a distinctive Southeast Asian architectural style started with the Portuguese in Phuket
I had the pleasure of spending last weekend in Phuket, Thailand. Reading about things to do, I came across the fact that Old Phuket Town,...
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Spencer Low
Sep 8, 20222 min
How a Portuguese adventurer, Filipe de Brito e Nicote, once controlled Burma's main port
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is not among the most well-known countries of Southeast Asia. A former British colony, it was starting...
1,610 views1 comment
Spencer Low
Aug 28, 20222 min
Maria Guyomar de Pinha, the Luso-Asian who introduced Portuguese desserts to Thai royalty
Following up on Thailand's centuries-old relationship with Portugal, would there be any surprise that cultural exchange extended beyond...
1,692 views0 comments
Spencer Low
Aug 21, 20222 min
Thailand's oldest European connection
Each time that I go to Bangkok I like to visit the Kudeejeen neighbourhood on the west side of the Chao Phraya river. Not a well-known...
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Spencer Low
Aug 14, 20221 min
The Portuguese influence in Indonesia: "kue pastel" anyone?
I had the pleasure of a quick trip to the Indonesian resort island of Bintan this weekend. At the breakfast buffet, I came across this...
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Spencer Low
Jul 31, 20222 min
The Portuguese connections of some iconic aspects of Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian culture
In my last post about kerosang, I described how this traditional piece of jewellery for wearers of the kebaya blouse comes from the...
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Spencer Low
Jul 23, 20222 min
How the Straits Chinese introduced the Malay word "kerosang" from the Portuguese
The Straits Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia are a unique culture, a centuries-old blend of Chinese and Malay. One of their traditional...
1,467 views0 comments
Spencer Low
Jun 21, 20221 min
Kristang, a Portuguese creole language, still lives on in Southeast Asia
I recently visited the Eurasian Heritage Gallery in Singapore, a museum at the Eurasian Association that commemorates the complex history...
380 views1 comment
Spencer Low
Jun 11, 20223 min
From the curry puff to the digital and green transitions
Yesterday, June 10, was Portugal's national day and our Portuguese friends are enjoying a long weekend. The Portuguese ambassador to...
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Spencer Low
Jun 6, 20222 min
How Singapore could have been Portuguese (or Spanish...)
I recently went to the Singapore National Museum and came across this quote about what is now Singapore highlighted on a wall: Who is...
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