The Story of Chinese Indonesians in the Netherlands

The sound of gamelan traditional Javanese ensemble music reverberates lightly through the main room of the Ethnological Museum in Leiden. Upon entering, visitors encounter glass cabinets filled with objects like the kebaya encim (long-sleeved blouses) and handmade batiks blending Javanese-Chinese-European motifs.

Wherever visitors stand, however, they will still be able to see a golden red silk wedding gown the centerpiece of the exhibition. The gown is richly embroidered with dragons, eagles and clouds, symbols of happiness and fertility in Chinese culture.