Cities in Asia with the most Western Culture
Posted 02-02-2016 at 04:19 AM by StephanieGodfrey
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trimac20
Which cities in Asia (exc. Middle East) do you feel have a culture that is significantly Western/is heavily influenced by colonial culture or globalization? Of course globalization has touched most of the modern world, and Asia leads the world in many areas, but in which places are, for instance, European languages most commonly spoken, western foods most eaten, western-style customs most practised...
I would definitely put Singapore as number 1 being very familiar with it. I would say Singapore is very much a fusion of East and West in the truest sense of the world, with a culture that is both Asian and European, mostly British but also American. Most speak English either as a first or second language (40% speak it as a first language, higher than anywhere on mainland Europe). Western food, including many American fast food chains, are commonly eaten, as well as a myriad of Asian fare. There are plenty of old British colonial buildings, and many districts, streets.etc have British names. There are still significant expat communities living in Singapore, although not to the extent as the old days.
Social rituals.etc seem more Western than the rest of Asia, and many Singaporeans have 'English' given names. A significant number of Singaporeans study in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, NZ, and there's actual been a 'brain drain' away from Singapore as a result of this. English-educated Lee Kwan Yew (actually born with the given name 'Harry') was instrumental in modernizing and in a sense Westernizing Singapore.
The second most major western city in Asia is probably either Kuala Lumpur or Manila. English is widely known in both, moreso the former, and both have pretty eclectic cultural blends. KL is like Singapore but a bit less Westernized, in that fewer people speak English as a first language, and Malays, Indians and many Chinese still retain much of their culture. If we're talking major cities, George Town in Penang could be more English still.
Third would be Kolkata or Calcutta, the heart of the rule of the British Raj, and the largest city in the Bengal region. Many handsome buildings, and cricket is extremely popular here, as it is in India. Not to say it's not thoroughly Indian and Bengali, but of all the Indian cities the British legacy remains strongest here.
About equal to Kolkata would be Colombo. Ceylon was an important part of the Empire, famed for it's tea, and many in Colombo still retain many customs of the British.
Hong Kong, although familiar as a British colony for 99 years, is Western mainly in the commercial/technological/modern sense, but is still quite strongly Chinese/Cantonese, especially compared to Singapore.
Macau is a similar situation, although Portuguese of course. Portuguese architecture is more evident here, most of the place names are Portuguese, and there remains a Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Chinese) community who are bilingual, with their own cuisine and customs. A small Portuguese community remains.
Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City and Shanghai: although very Asian cities, both were touched by the presence of the European powers. Saigon has many French colonial buildings, while Shanghai was known as the 'Paris of the East' or the 'Pearl of the Orient' and was for a time the premier city in Asia. It's now the most accessible city in China for westerners.
Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok are three examples of cities that were never under colonial rule but have adopted Western things to a greater extent than many other cities through globalization, trade.etc. Osaka is arguably just as Western as Tokyo.
Jakarta has some Dutch legacy, although it seems the Dutch didn't as much of an imprint as the British, Portuguese or Spanish in the Far East.
Other cities would include Karachi, Mumbai, Delhi, Ipoh, Hanoi, Ventianne.etc.
I would definitely put Singapore as number 1 being very familiar with it. I would say Singapore is very much a fusion of East and West in the truest sense of the world, with a culture that is both Asian and European, mostly British but also American. Most speak English either as a first or second language (40% speak it as a first language, higher than anywhere on mainland Europe). Western food, including many American fast food chains, are commonly eaten, as well as a myriad of Asian fare. There are plenty of old British colonial buildings, and many districts, streets.etc have British names. There are still significant expat communities living in Singapore, although not to the extent as the old days.
Social rituals.etc seem more Western than the rest of Asia, and many Singaporeans have 'English' given names. A significant number of Singaporeans study in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, NZ, and there's actual been a 'brain drain' away from Singapore as a result of this. English-educated Lee Kwan Yew (actually born with the given name 'Harry') was instrumental in modernizing and in a sense Westernizing Singapore.
The second most major western city in Asia is probably either Kuala Lumpur or Manila. English is widely known in both, moreso the former, and both have pretty eclectic cultural blends. KL is like Singapore but a bit less Westernized, in that fewer people speak English as a first language, and Malays, Indians and many Chinese still retain much of their culture. If we're talking major cities, George Town in Penang could be more English still.
Third would be Kolkata or Calcutta, the heart of the rule of the British Raj, and the largest city in the Bengal region. Many handsome buildings, and cricket is extremely popular here, as it is in India. Not to say it's not thoroughly Indian and Bengali, but of all the Indian cities the British legacy remains strongest here.
About equal to Kolkata would be Colombo. Ceylon was an important part of the Empire, famed for it's tea, and many in Colombo still retain many customs of the British.
Hong Kong, although familiar as a British colony for 99 years, is Western mainly in the commercial/technological/modern sense, but is still quite strongly Chinese/Cantonese, especially compared to Singapore.
Macau is a similar situation, although Portuguese of course. Portuguese architecture is more evident here, most of the place names are Portuguese, and there remains a Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Chinese) community who are bilingual, with their own cuisine and customs. A small Portuguese community remains.
Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City and Shanghai: although very Asian cities, both were touched by the presence of the European powers. Saigon has many French colonial buildings, while Shanghai was known as the 'Paris of the East' or the 'Pearl of the Orient' and was for a time the premier city in Asia. It's now the most accessible city in China for westerners.
Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok are three examples of cities that were never under colonial rule but have adopted Western things to a greater extent than many other cities through globalization, trade.etc. Osaka is arguably just as Western as Tokyo.
Jakarta has some Dutch legacy, although it seems the Dutch didn't as much of an imprint as the British, Portuguese or Spanish in the Far East.
Other cities would include Karachi, Mumbai, Delhi, Ipoh, Hanoi, Ventianne.etc.
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