Hungarian-viatheNetherlands-inSingapore: Cemeteries V

Bukit Brown Cemetery is probably still the largest cemetery in Singapore, although it has been abandoned since 1973. Surprisingly enough, it was only opened in 1922, but has an estimated 100,000 tombs, in a huge area of about 0.86 square kilometers.

Bukit Brown was named after George Henry Brown (1826-undetermined), a British trader who arrived in Singapore in the 1840s, had his place of residence on a road close by (Mount Pleasant Road) and built his business here. The area was originally known as Tai Tuan Shan (太原山), Xing Wang Shan (新恒山), or, its more famous name, Kopi Sua (咖啡山 Coffee Hill), due to the nearby coffee plantations at Mount Pleasant. It has grown out of an area, known as the Seh Ong Cemetery, that was burial and farming ground for the Ong clan, and was owned from 1872 by three rich Hokkien businessmen Ong Kew Ho (undetermined-1889), Ong Ewe Hai (1830-1889) and Ong Chong Chew (undetermined). The Ong cemetery was expanded as public burial ground for the early Chinese community in 1922.

This cemetery is also close to a nice residential area.

There are a few small roads running in and around the cemetery for access, but since 1965 there is a huge thoroughfare cutting a bit of the cemetery off (Mount Pleasant Cemetery). The bad news for the area is that a new, huge, road is planned to cut right through the middle of the cemetery, and is expected to affect 5,000 tombs.

The top of this map is the MacRitchie Reservoir with the branch-like arms. The middle of the map, that round area is the cemetery. The shaded area is the planned road, and therefore the location of exhumations.)

This is all done very professionally. Notices and signs and information all over the place.

Again, a map of the area. All the colored sections are where the cemetery is still untouched (Lornie Road is the gray line on top and to the left, the cemetery continues to the west...). The red lines circle the exhumation areas.

The main entrance of the cemetery. The green screens close off the exhumation areas.

A shrine at the entrance.

After the entrance, it still takes a while when you get to see the cemetery itself.

This area is earmarked for exhumation. You see the green screen from the back, and all the graves to be exhumed, numbered using a white pole.

The tombs have a similar structure, protective sculptures, animals (lions, crocodiles) and deities, holder for joss sticks, and sometimes a little shrine to the right.

Sign for some of the famous graves.

Just so that you are aware of the size of the cemetery, I have walked around the blue circle in the map, which is the top of the hill and the center of the cemetery, in 1.5 hours. Given the detours and the time for taking pictures, it still took me a good hour to walk that, which makes it a 5km or so walk.

Beyond the valley the cemetery continues! You might be able to see one grave on the other side... Luckily, but only if my map reading skills work, the planned road is going to follow the valley at least for a while, so not affecting so many graves.

Sometimes the tombs are close to the road and are well maintained. Sometimes not so much...

There are some famous graves in the cemetery. The oldest grave (belonging to a Fang Shan, who died in 1833, more than 40 years before the land was acquired by the Ong clan) I did not manage to find :(. But I did find the largest tomb. It belongs to Ong Sam Leong (1857-1918), businessman, plantation owner and contractor to the mines of Christmas Island.

Taking pictures required a little climbing.

It is the one up in the left corner of the picture.

It occupies 600 square meters (as I have learned, about the size of 10 three-roomed HDB flats!). It is has a 15m-long platform decorated with stone statues of deities, lions and a pair of 2m-tall sikh guards.

Another famous grave. Tan Boo Liat (1875-1934) was a wealthy Singapore philanthropist. He was a member of the Singapore Volunteer Infantry and was among the contingent present at King Edward's coronation. He was the head of the Hokkien clan in Singapore. He had a stable of a dozen racehorses. In 1898 his famous horse, Vanitas won the Viceroy's cup in Calcutta, India, earning him $100,000. (Go here for a picture of him!)

And yet another important grave.

Gan Eng Seng (1844–1899) was a Chinese businessman and philanthropist who was one of the early settlers (pioneers in local lingo). He is known for his generosity to many charitable causes in Malaya and Singapore during the British colonial era. Some of his most recognised contributions were the setting up of Gan Eng Seng School, the Thong Chai Medical Institution, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and the Ee Hoe Hean Club.