As a country, we’ve always prided ourselves as a melting pot of cultures, where people from different races contributed in different but equally important ways to the building of the nation. Look closer and within these communities are micro communities that add even more layers to the beauty of our diversity.

Client: Johnnie Walker
Art direction & Illustration: Loka Made

Known for their business acumen that allowed them to flourish in all forms of trade, the Cantonese gets a bottle of royal blue, which features the abacus and traditional Chinese steelyards. Other prominent illustrations on the bottle and packaging are the famous Guang Dong Lion Dance, a traditional folk art combing dance, music, and martial arts often performed at festivals; Dim Sum and tea, showcasing the favourite pastime of ‘yum cha’; and the Carp, which implies “a leap to a dragon gate, worth a hundredfold” — the expectation of the diligent business of Guang Dong businessmen.

The most noticeable element on the Foochow Pack is the Sibu Foochow Association in Sarawak, which is home to a portrait statue of Huang Nai Shang, a scholar and community leader who brought in the first group of Foochow immigrants to help develop the settlement and build a successful port in Sibu. The bottle also features the Three Heads and Three Knives that represent the Foochow community’s contribution and skill sets used to make a living after settling down in Malaysia.

Other prominent illustrations include the Foochow traditional food – such as red wine noodles, Foochow kompia, and Lo Qu Biang that represent longevity and auspiciousness. Finally, this expression depicts the Aojiu Festival, which represents the worshiping of ancestors through the preparation of Foochow porridge on the 29th day of the first Lunar month.

Dressed in green, the Hakka design features the hardworking values of the Malaysian Hakka people in tin mining, a main contributor to their livelihood in the 18th century. Green was chosen because many aspects of the Hakka involved nature – the mountains from which they originated, the hillsongs of the people, even signature foods like the lei cha. Finally, the Pi Xiu dance, which is performed on ‘Tian-Chuan Day’, the biggest and most important celebration for the Hakka people, also makes an appearance.

The last addition to the expanded XR21 The Legacy Collection illustrates the Teochew people’s belief in Xuan Tian Shang Di (God of the Profound Heavens), as they greatly value their beliefs and uphold a tradition of public service to the community. This can seen through many century-old temples in Malaysia, including the Johor Ancient Temple that was founded by local Teochew people.

This bottle also presents the community’s arts and crafts, such as embroidery which was widespread throughout China in the Qing Dynasty. Prized for its meticulous beauty and three-dimensionality, Chaozhou embroidery is a type of Yue (short for Guangdong) embroidery, which originates from Chaozhou, that can be found as decoration by the Malaysian Teochew during religious activity and festivals. To represent the community’s folk opera, the iron stick puppet is also featured. Finally, staple dishes such as Teochew fish balls and porridge are seen on the pack design.

The Hokkien pack celebrates the spirit of survival of the Hokkiens with regal red, drawing main inspiration from the Hokkien Opera — a popular traditional performance practiced in Malaysia that is well-loved by the older generation. Sugarcane makes an appearance as an homage to the early Hokkiens who escaped persecution back in the Ming Dynasty by seeking refuge in a sugarcane plantation, which then became a form of offering to the Jade Emperor known as ‘Tian Gong’, as a token of gratitude and worship. One will also glimpse one of the most distinctive Chinese clan houses in Malaysia, Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi with elaborate and highly ornamented architecture, a distinctive symbol of the Malaysian Chinese presence in Penang.

The Hainan pack features the Hainanese traversing the seas to pan for gold, which is a common phrase known as “Gia Ti Bo Lai Huan”. During their time at sea, the Hainanese worshipped the Goddess Shui Wei for protection, whom they believed travelled across the ocean with them when they immigrated to Southeast Asia. They also paid their respects to the Goddess Thean Hou to bless their livelihoods and keep them safe, which can be seen at the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur.

The bottle also features portrayals of food, representing the opening of coffee shops where Western cuisine influences their cooking styles – leading to the creation of dishes such as the Hainanese chicken chop, French toast, Hainanese coffee and bread, as well as the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice which can be found in the streets on Malacca, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur.

Video animation by Kingdom Digital