APCA - Asian Portuguese Community Association

28/10/2026

KAMPUNG PORTUGIS | A Documentary by Pedro Palma

Three voices. Personal memories. A glimpse into Malacca’s Portuguese Settlement and Portuguese heritage in Malacca.

The APCA is pleased to present Kampung Portugis, a 25-minute documentary by Portuguese filmmaker and producer Pedro Palma, filmed between 2005 and 2007.

Through the personal accounts of three members of Malacca’s Portuguese-descendant community, the film offers an intimate glimpse into life in the Portuguese Settlement, exploring their memories, experiences and perspectives on the neighbourhood they call home.

The documentary marked the beginning of Pedro Palma’s independent career as a filmmaker and producer.

Presented by APCA with the kind permission of the filmmaker, this documentary offers a valuable audiovisual record of personal memories and perspectives from Malacca’s Portuguese-descendant community nearly two decades ago.

APCA would also like to pay special tribute to two of the documentary’s protagonists, Uncle Noel and Mr. Peter Fernandez, who have since passed away. Through this film, their voices, memories and personal stories live on, preserving a meaningful part of the Portuguese-descendant community’s collective memory in Malacca 🙏🏻

Also in YouTube: https://youtu.be/qsnJG1h_UrU?si=gk3ghFakVKzgT618

23/10/2026

The history of Portuguese-descended communities in Asia is also a history of encounters between different peoples, cultures, and European ancestries.

While Portuguese settlement and intermarriage gave rise to particularly widespread and enduring communities across Asia, Dutch descendants also became part of this complex cultural landscape. Over generations, Portuguese and Dutch family lineages frequently intersected, particularly in places such as Malacca and Sri Lanka, creating identities that cannot always be defined by a single ancestry.

This fascinating account of the Klass family, shared by Dutch Malakka and The Bendahari, offers a beautiful illustration of that shared heritage. In 1913, Margaret Augusta Klass, of Dutch descent, married Edwin David Fernandez, of Portuguese descent, bringing together two family histories that were already deeply rooted in Southeast Asia.

Indeed, some families who identify today with their Portuguese cultural heritage carry surnames of Dutch origin - a reminder that identity is shaped not only by ancestry, but also by language, traditions, collective memory, and a sense of belonging.

At APCA, we believe that recognising these intertwined histories enriches our understanding of the diverse heritage of Luso-Asian communities.

Source: Dutch Malakka / The Bendahari - “The Klass Family”, story by Cedric Pereira (26 July 2025).

19/10/2026

From Macau to China: How a Portuguese pastry became a multimillion-dollar success

A recent article published by the Portuguese newspaper Expresso (18 October 2026) highlights a remarkable phenomenon: the Portuguese pastel de nata (custard tart) has become a major commercial success in China, with KFC reportedly generating hundreds of millions of euros annually from its sales. McDonald’s is now looking to enter this growing market.

But behind this extraordinary commercial success lies a fascinating story of cultural encounters, adaptation and shared heritage.

Originally rooted in Portugal’s centuries-old pastry-making convent tradition, the pastel de nata found in Macau a gateway to the Asian market. It was there, particularly from the late 1980s onwards, that a locally adapted version gained popularity before spreading throughout China and beyond.

Today, the Portuguese custard tart has become a familiar part of the Asian culinary landscape, demonstrating how cultural traditions can transcend geographical boundaries, evolve through contact with other societies and acquire new meanings across generations.

This phenomenon also reminds us of the essential role of gastronomy in preserving and expressing Luso-Asian identities.

Across Asia, from Macau and Malacca to Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Timor-Leste and even Japan, centuries of encounters between Portuguese and Asian communities have left a distinctive culinary heritage. Recipes, ingredients, cooking techniques and food traditions have been adapted, reinterpreted and passed down through generations, becoming an integral part of local identities.

Far from being merely a legacy of the past, this shared gastronomic heritage remains a living expression of Luso-Asian cultural identity.

The remarkable journey of the pastel de nata from Portugal, through Macau, to millions of consumers across China illustrates a broader reality: Luso-Asian heritage is not simply something to be remembered and preserved. It is a living cultural legacy, capable of evolving, connecting societies and finding new expressions in the contemporary world.

Recognising, documenting and promoting this gastronomic heritage is therefore an important dimension of the wider effort to strengthen awareness and appreciation of Luso-Asian cultural identities.

Culture is also transmitted through taste. And sometimes, a simple pastry can tell a story spanning continents and centuries.

Em Hong Kong, alguns clientes da Manteigaria esperam encontrar o sabor da tarte de ovo da KFC. A marca portuguesa mantém a receita tradicional, mas reduziu para metade o açúcar dos pastéis vendidos na capital chinesa

17/10/2026

Today’s report by Portugal’s national news agency, Lusa, highlights the remarkable efforts of the Luso-Thai community in Bangkok’s historic Kudi Chin neighbourhood to preserve its unique cultural heritage.

The report features the Baan Kudichin Museum, its co-founder Sarayut Supsook, a founding member of APCA, and Navinee Christina Pongthai Dandhra Nanda, whose dedication to preserving their community’s history and traditions reflects APCA’s shared mission of safeguarding Luso-Asian cultural heritage.

A wonderful example of living heritage and the importance of keeping our shared history alive for future generations.

Localizado na margem ocidental do rio Chao Phraya, na área de Thonburi, subsiste o pequeno bairro de Kudi Chin, uma antiga comunidade luso-tailandesa fundada há mais de 250 anos que vai resistindo ao tempo e às inundações.

16/10/2026

When marketing becomes an art form in the service of community heritage 👏🏻

08/10/2026

KRONTJONG TOEGOE
A Musical Journey Back to Portuguese Roots

Founded in 1988 in Tugu, Jakarta, “Krontjong Toegoe” is a musical group dedicated to preserving and celebrating the unique tradition of Keroncong, a musical genre deeply influenced by the Portuguese presence in Indonesia.

In this special music video, recorded in 2016, in some of Lisbon’s most iconic locations during the group’s first visit and performance in Portugal, “Krontjong Toegoe” takes us on a symbolic journey back to part of its cultural roots.

More than a musical performance, it is a beautiful encounter between history, music, and shared heritage, connecting Indonesia and Portugal across centuries and oceans.

A wonderful example of the living cultural heritage that APCA seeks to celebrate and preserve.

Video ini direkam disela kegiatan kami menghadiri undangan manggung...

04/10/2026

Why is Goa so different from the territories around it? 🙂

01/10/2026

World Music Day - 1 October

On the World Music Day, APCA celebrates the musical heritage of the Luso-Asian communities.

Today we share “Thare Isti Thare” (“This Land, This Land”), a song of the Portuguese Burgher community of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, sung in their Creole. A joyful celebration of their land, the song evokes the sea, music, dance and everyday life, in a living expression of Burgher identity and cultural heritage.

We share the original lyrics in Portuguese creole (sheared by our member and good friend Earl Barthelot) as well as its translation to English and Portuguese:

“Thare Isti Thare”

Thare isti thare
This land, this land
Esta terra, esta terra

Nossa Batticaloa thare
Our Batticaloa land
A nossa terra de Batticaloa

Disia nassam tudus kura vii
Those who like it come running
Aqueles que gostam dela vêm a correr

Oya isti thare, tem nossa grandasa
Look at our land, we have fulfilment
Olha para a nossa terra, temos satisfação

Pesis te canta isti thare
Fish sing in our land
Os peixes cantam na nossa terra

Camram cm pesis tem luvara
Prawns and fish abound here
Aqui abundam camarões e peixes

Carni kangrei juntadu thare
Meat and crab together in the land
Carne e caranguejo juntos nesta terra

Sura poi thoma, viinju la acha
Toddy can be bought, liquor is available
Pode comprar-se toddy e há aguardente

Presers bom thanthu iste thare
Good celebrations abound in this land
Boas celebrações abundam nesta terra

Viola guitar cm rabane
Violin, guitar and rabane
Violino, guitarra e rabane

Folgadu tem nossa thare
There is merriment in our land
Há alegria na nossa terra

Lancers Kaffringha nossa nonas la baila
Our ladies dance the Lancers and Kaffringha
As nossas senhoras dançam Lancers e Kaffringha

Contentamentu su: nossa thare
There is contentment in our land
Há contentamento na nossa terra

Brinca luvara tras isti thare
Our land is a place for games and sport
A nossa terra é lugar de jogos e diversão

Pesis la travia isti cuse
Fish are jumping as they are cooked
Os peixes saltam enquanto são cozinhados

Mara la nada, reevu poi lava
We swim in the sea and bathe in the lagoon
Nadamos no mar e banhamo-nos na lagoa

Bensuvadu tem nossa thare
Blessed is our land
Abençoada é a nossa terra

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