S'porean Indian woman, 74, who grew up in Sembawang Chinese village, gets Taoist funeral send off

Yan Ni, a 74-year-old woman of Indian descent, was laid to rest with a combination of Chinese and Indian funeral traditions. She was born and raised in a predominantly Chinese village in Sembawang, Singapore. As the third child and eldest daughter of seven siblings, Yan Ni's family was unique, being the only Indian household in their neighborhood.

Her father had migrated from India, while her mother was from Malaya. Growing up, Yan Ni learned to communicate in both Hokkien and Mandarin. She celebrated both Deepavali and Chinese New Year, receiving red packets during the latter. Yan Ni passed away from pneumonia in the week of August 10th. Her wake took place at Block 109, Yishun Ring Road, where Chinese funeral customs were observed, including the preparation of a spirit house.

However, to honor her Indian heritage, her son placed a bindi on Yan Ni's portrait. Yan Ni's family is the only Indian family in the village, and they faced the challenge of learning Hokkien to communicate with their neighbors. Their father, who originally spoke Malayalam, learned Hokkien from his wife. When one of Yan Ni's brothers passed away in 1998, he was also honored with a Chinese-Taoist funeral.

Of their seven siblings and their spouses, two in-laws are ethnically Chinese. Yan Ni's husband started speaking Hokkien after their marriage. According to her children, Yan Ni requested her brother, who works in the funeral industry, to prepare her funeral in accordance with Hokkien customs before her death.