Once upon a time, our Little Red Dot was home to hundreds of diverse burial grounds, reflecting the diverse immigrant communities that shaped our history. But as the city rapidly developed and land became scarce, many of these burial grounds were exhumed. By the 1980s, thousands of graves had been cleared, with many of the remains subsequently cremated and placed in columbarium niches.
In fact, the very ground beneath some of Singapore’s busiest districts and residential areas – including Orchard and Bishan – used to house cemeteries.
Despite most of the graves being gone, some of those burial grounds left today quietly coexist with modern Singapore, tucked beside HDB blocks, MRT tracks, and major roads. You might even have passed by some of them without realising what they were. Let’s take a look at some of these “hidden” Singapore cemeteries and the stories behind them.
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Image credit: Remember Singapore
From the surrounding modern HDB blocks, Bukit Purmei looks like a typical residential estate. But hidden within a forested hill behind the flats is Keramat Bukit Kasita, an old burial ground believed to be associated with Malay royalty. In other words, residents there have quite literally a piece of Singapore’s history in their backyard.
Also known as Tanah Kubor Diraja, or “Royal Burial Ground”, the site is believed to have been in use for centuries. Historical accounts suggest that some of the graves, covered by yellow cloth – a colour commonly associated with royalty – belong to members of royal families from the Johor and Riau-Lingga region. However, the exact origins of the site remain a subject of debate.
The cemetery is hidden behind a run-down kampung hut.
What makes the place particularly striking is its contrast with the high-rise HDBs surrounding it. From certain angles, the lush, secluded grounds almost feel like a little piece of kampung-era Singapore preserved, tucked away behind rows of modern flats.
Parts of the original burial ground were exhumed around 1979 to 1980 to make way for the Bukit Purmei housing estates, but the royal graves were left alone. As the grounds are enclosed and treated as a sacred site, take note that visitors should not enter without permission from its custodians.
Image credit: Roots
We have all heard of, and probably visited, Tan Tock Seng Hospital at some point. But just beside the busy Outram Road, near bus stop 06069, lies a much quieter piece of history. Perched on elevated ground and flanked by stone lions, the Grave of Tan Tock Seng sits behind the road’s constant stream of traffic.
Despite its large granite tombstone, the gravesite can be surprisingly easy to miss. Thousands of people ride by the grave in their vehicles every day, the quiet of the gravesite directly juxtaposed with the busy and bustling road.
Tan Tock Seng was originally buried at an unrecorded site following his death in 1850. His remains were then moved to their present resting place around the 1880s, with 2 more members of his family buried nearby.
The small plot even came close to being affected by plans to widen Outram Road in 1969, but remained undisturbed due to a successful petition by Tan Tock Seng’s descendants for it to be preserved.
Image credit: Charles Lim via Google Maps
Look out of the MRT windows between the Commonwealth and Buona Vista stations, and you may see rows of orderly, pale stone structures sitting between HDB blocks and office buildings.
And nope, they’re not just peculiar structures – they’re graves. These gravestones make up the Shuang Long Shan Cemetery, Singapore’s last surviving Hakka cemetery.
The 1.8ha graveyard dates all the way back to 1887, when it was established by the Ying Fo Fui Kun clan association for burial and ancestral worship. Today, more than 3,000 headstones still sit within its grounds. The place is also known as Yin Fo Fui Kun, or Yin Foh Kuan Cemetery.
Image credit: Chee Hui LIM via Google Maps
Unlike many Chinese tombs, which are elaborately decorated and grand, many of its graves have a repetitive, almost apartment block-like arrangement and sit narrowly spaced from each other.
The place also hosts a columbarium, spirit tablets, and an ancestral hall that remains an important cultural and clan space for the Hakka community of Singapore.
The line between past and present feels especially blurred here, with residents reportedly using paths around the grounds as everyday shortcuts.
Tucked inside a private residential neighbourhood in Hougang is the Japanese Cemetery Park, which resembles a landscaped Japanese garden from the outside.
The park, established in 1891 to serve the Japanese community in Singapore, spans roughly 30,000sqm and holds an estimated 910 tombstones. It’s considered one of Southeast Asia’s largest and best-preserved Japanese cemeteries.
People from all walks of life are buried there, including businesspeople, tradesmen, early Japanese migrants, and individuals connected to World War II. The cemetery’s origins can be traced back to Japanese businessmen who donated part of a rubber plantation to be used as a burial ground for the community.
Image credit: Eiffel317 via Google Maps
Visually, it’s also very different compared to other Singapore cemeteries. The grounds are known for manicured hedges and flora, with a picturesque floral walkway that has even become an Instagram-worthy photo spot. Just remember to keep the photoshoot respectful – pretty as the grounds are, this is still a cemetery and place of remembrance.
Image credit: Bukit Brown
Thousands of motorists travel along Lornie Highway every day, but hidden behind the dense greenery beside it is one of Singapore’s largest historical burial grounds.
Officially opened in 1922, Bukit Brown Cemetery is Singapore’s 1st municipal Chinese cemetery, serving people from different dialect groups and walks of life. Its residents ranged from wealthy businessmen to rickshaw pullers and ordinary wartime victims.
Researchers even estimate over 100,000 burials within its premises. That means an enormous slice of Singapore’s early Chinese community is represented within these grounds.
The tombstones at Bukit Brown Cemetery are also a reflection of the era, displaying a blend of Chinese and Western motifs, including angels, decorative tiles, bells, and carvings from Chinese folklore.
Tomb of Ong Sam Leong.
Image credit: Bukit Brown
One of the most notable tombs at the cemetery is the one that belongs to Ong Sam Leong, whose elaborate burial plot covers around 600sqm, nearly the footprint of 10 3-room HDB flats.
Over 4,000 graves at Bukit Brown Cemetery were exhumed for the construction of Lornie Highway in the 2010s.
Additionally, Bukit Brown Cemetery is an urban green lung and secondary rainforest in Singapore. It spans over 200ha, serving as an ecological bridge to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and hosting over 90 bird species, 56 butterfly species, and diverse mammals and reptiles amidst its historic graves.
Image credit: The Bottom Drawer Book
Many of us may remember going on school excursions to Fort Canning Hill, perhaps without realising that the tombstones encased in the brick wall beside its long flight of stairs are remnants of one of Singapore’s earliest Christian cemeteries.
The hill was once home to Fort Canning Cemetery’s 2 burial sites – the 1st was in use from 1819 to 1822, while the 2nd operated from 1822 to 1865. Together, they were the final resting place for around 600 individuals.
Most of the graves were eventually exhumed to transform Fort Canning into a public green space, known today as Fort Canning Green. But rather than disappearing completely, many of the original headstones were preserved and embedded into walls around the park.
Fast-forward to today, and joggers, tourists, and wedding photographers regularly pass the very same spots without necessarily realising they’re looking at remnants of a cemetery that once stood on the hill.
Image credit: Stefan Gehring via Google Maps
You could very well have gone cafe hopping without knowing that a cemetery was just nearby.
Singapore’s oldest Muslim cemetery is situated beside the Kampong Glam district, close to cafes, hotels, and Malabar Mosque. “Jalan Kubor”, as it is named, means “Cemetery Road” – so perhaps the biggest clue was hiding in the street name all along.
Historically, the site contained 3 connected burial areas: a Malay cemetery, a royal burial ground, and an Indian Muslim cemetery. Its prominent Royal Mound contains graves belonging to descendants and relatives of Singapore’s former Malay rulers.
Take a walk down Jalan Kubor, and you will see a plethora of different gravestone designs. These varied gravestones reflect Malay, Javanese, Ottoman, Bugis, Chinese, and other cultural influences. If you look closely, their inscriptions also come in many languages, reflecting Singapore’s historical links with port cities across the region.
Jalan Kubor Cemetery was officially closed in the 19th century, but burials continued into the 20th century, with the final burial likely taking place in 1963.
The cemetery, quiet as it is, is a stark contrast to the constant foot traffic and vibrant nightlife immediately outside.
Image credit: averruncushd via Google Maps
From afar, Choa Chu Kang Cemetery may look like a large stretch of greenery, but it’s actually dotted with rows of tombstones. It’s not only the largest cemetery in Singapore, but also the country’s last active burial ground. While we don’t usually pass by this cemetery, you might have driven past it on a trip down the more ulu areas of Choa Chu Kang.
Opened in 1947 to curb the overflow from other urban cemeteries like Bukit Brown, its 318ha compound houses roughly 300,000 graves across different religious sections, including Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Jewish grounds.
To put its size into perspective, exploring Choa Chu Kang Cemetery is less like walking through a neighbourhood cemetery and more like navigating through a small town. But there’s more to the sprawling grounds than seemingly endless rows of tombstones.
Image credit: Wikipedia
The cemetery is also home to several sites of historical significance, including a World War II tomb memorial dedicated to over 2,000 civilian victims massacred at the Little Bamboo Lane in Bukit Timah during the Japanese Occupation. It serves as a solemn reminder that the grounds preserve more than the stories of individual families, but chapters of our national history too.
The present-day burial policy there also reflects Singapore’s problem of limited land. Burials at the Choa Chu Kang cemetery today face a limit of 15 years under NEA’s management, after which they are exhumed and cremated due to a lack of space.
As Singapore continues to evolve, these cemeteries serve as quiet reminders of the communities, families, and individuals who came before us. Some may sit unnoticed beside HDB blocks or busy roads, but each carries stories that are still very much part of our history.
So, if you ever come across one of these sites, take a moment to appreciate what remains. Just remember that these are still places of rest and remembrance, so be mindful of where you walk, avoid disturbing graves or offerings, and treat the grounds with the same respect you would afford any other sacred space.
For more reads on Singapore’s history:
Cover image adapted from: Charles Lim & Stefan Gehring via Google Maps
These historic Singapore cemeteries are tucked beside HDB blocks, busy roads, and popular neighbourhoods.
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