Bukit Brown Cemetery has had a long history in Singapore, with approximately 200,000 graves dating back to as early as 1831. Previously a 211-acre plot of land that belonged to the Hokkien Ong Clan, the Municipality had acquired a section of it in 1918 to serve the burial needs of the wider Chinese community residing in Singapore at that time. It was closed in 1973.
The graves of Singapore’s famous pioneers, such as Gan Eng Seng, Chew Joo Chiat, Ong Sam Leong and Tay Ho Swee can be found here. The vast piece of land is where many of our ancestors lay, with lush greenery and wide stone paths which serve as good tracking paths for us to stroll.
Construction work has started on the place, where a dual four lane highway is slated to be built right smack in the middle of the cemetery. Graves are being exhumed as I write this article. What’s worse is that other areas of the cemetery has been marked for future residential development.
We decided to pay a visit to preserve some of Bukit Bown’s last memories and history before it ceased to exist.
Go to Botanic Gardens MRT Station and walk to the bus stop at Adam Road, in front of Singapore Bible College (bus stop code: 41121). Take buses 74, 93, 157, 165, 852, 855. Alight two stops later before Singapore Island Country Club (bus stop code: 41141), Adam Road.
As I walked in, I noticed that many of the areas were already fenced up and construction was already well underway. One of Bukit Brown’s landmarks, the famous tree at the roundabout, has already been boarded up, with its fate unknown.
The place was extremely deserted on the Tuesday afternoon I went. It felt comfortable trekking on the wide gravel paths, with huge trees on both sides of the road providing ample shade.
Most of the graves which I spotted over there had the same armchair-shaped tombstones.
According to Family Search, most Chinese, especially those from southern China, have long regarded the shape of an armchair as the ideal shape of the grave. An armchair gives a sense of wealth, comfort and dignity. In historic times, only the elite class or the mandarin Chinese could afford armchairs. Moreover, armchairs symbolise authority and power, for in the olden days, the armchair was the seat for the magistrate when he presided in court. By erecting the grace in the armchair shape, people believed that their ancestors in the yin world could enjoy comfort, dignity and pride.
The graves at Bukit Brown displayed various states of opulence. Some of them were plain and simple, whereas others looked much grander and even had various statues of deities, legendary animals and Sikh guards.
It’s such a pity that this important part of Singapore’s history is slowly disappearing bit by bit due to redevelopment projects. Bukit Brown Cemetery is a huge part of Singapore’s habitat, heritage and history. Do pay a visit to this fascinating piece of Singapore’s jewel before it ceases to exist.
Although it states that the main gate of the cemetery will be locked daily at 5.30PM from Mondays to Saturdays, and kept closed on Sundays and public holidays, the gates are actually left open all the time.
For those curious to learn more, a map with a list of famous graves and their locations, areas accessible for pedestrians and information on guided tours organised by All Things Bukit Brown can be found here.
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