|
The Chinese settlers in Kuala Terengganu before 1900 were not homogeneous for they comprise of Hokkiens, Hainanese and Cantonese. According to Munshi Abdullah who visited Kuala Terengganu in 1836, there was a large Chinese quarter with a Kapitan Cina (Chinese leader) named Kapitan Lim Eng Huat (1798-1847), who was the second Kapitan of Chinatown. The Hokkien Chinese were the earliest and largest group of Chinese settlers at this Chinatown, and hence, the Hokkien dialect is commonly used by the Chinese community there. By the mid-1800s, the Chinese population of Kuala Terengganu increased tremendously as new Chinese immigrants arrived. Kuala Terengganu, which is strategically located on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, was a natural stopping point for those who plied the trade route from China to South East Asia in the early days. Kampung Cina became the most densely populated area for the Chinese community in Kuala Terengganu.
| 
Asia
