Chan See Shu Yuen: A Cantonese Ancestral Clan in Malaysia as Transnational Social Support Network

Chinese clan associations can be found in many parts of the world, due to the Chinese emigration from mainland China in the 1800s. This paper contextualises the study of Chinese clan associations, within the Asian approach to cultural heritage preservation. In particular, I take the case of Cantonese clan associations, a dialect group of the Chinese, who have been studied less extensively in comparison to other dialects such as Hokkien and Hakka. As the Asian approach to tangible and intangible cultural heritage preservation focuses on community participation, the theoretical framework of place attachment was applied. The case study used is the Chan See Shu Yuen Clan Association (CSSY), which was originally set up by a founder of Cantonese origin a century ago, in Malaysia. Members maintain relations with the ancestral temple s branch in Guangzhou, China. Fieldwork consisted of participant observation which included photography, videography, and interviews with clan members; and a content analysis of documents such as brochures, historical documents, and social media of the Chan See Shu Yuen clan association. Under the condition of transnationalism as outlined by Vertovec (1997), the clan association has undergone an evolution of its original functions and therefore remains relevant, both as a social institution and as a tourist attraction.