Coordinating Mekar Bhuana Conservatory’s court gamelan and dance performances in China this November, I’ve been thinking more and more about connections. All over Bali you find evidence of the Chinese over history. Buddhism, for example, arrived first in Bali from China before Hinduism. We can see evidence of this in the archaeological record: Moon of Pejeng, Goa Gajah, a recently discovered shrine in Singaraja and so on.
Over history, the Chinese were trading with the Balinese, bringing all sorts of wares here by boat. Kancing Wi, the Chinese Princess who features in the story of the mountain kingdom of Dalem Balingkang, apparently arrived with traders in South Bali. In fact, for many centuries, Chinese coins called pis bolong were the official currency of Bali. With a hole in the center, they were often gathered together and threaded onto weaved cotton thread for safe-keeping. All over Bali we find Chinese place names, notably in Bangli with villages like Pingan and Songan. In fact, it is thought that much of Balinese was influenced by certain Chinese languages: for sure, the words I and you (Icang and Ci) sound pretty Chinese to me.
Balinese gamelan music has much of its roots in China: think the word ‘gong’, in particular the rare gong bheri gamelan orchestra. Many common Balinese dances originate in China: barong ket and its more modern counterpart: the capricious Barong Sae, for example. Some anthropologists suggest that the word ‘Legong’ is Chinese; what’s for certain, Baris Cina with its kung fu-style dance and ‘trancers’ wailing in ‘Chinese’ is.
Today, a large percentage of the ‘Balinese population’ (whatever that means!) are in some way Chinese—no need for DNA testing, just look around at the faces we meet every day…
The Chinese have not always been accepted in Bali—think 1965 and the routs of suspected PKI supporters and the subsequent abolition of anything Chinese. Fortunately, things are fast changing for the good and all things Chinese are experiencing a new-found freedom and popularity. These days, there would be few people who could ever deny that the Chinese are an integral part of Bali’s rich history and culture.
Vaughan Hatch has immersed himself with Balinese culture, living with locals in Bali since 1997. He speaks fluent Indonesian and Balinese, and is unashamedly addicted to playing gamelan. A linguistic, archaeology and publishing graduate, he works for indOKiwi ‘linguistic and cultural solutions’ in Sanur. Email him on contact@indokiwibali.com or call (0361) 464201 for further queries.
