High-rise skyscrapers, bright city lights, and back-to-back traffic on the PIE – that’s what everyday life looks like in Singapore. But past all the modern-day frenzy, you can still find a quiet pocket of untouched greenery: Kampong Lorong Buangkok, with its brightly-painted wooden houses and domestic chickens scuttling about.
As the very last kampong on mainland Singapore, it’s a place that has intrigued many curious visitors over time. You’re free to have a look too – just remember that this is a residential area that’s home to ~30 families, so be respectful and avoid taking photographs of private homes. Let us take you on a virtual tour instead.
The original owner of Kampong Lorong Buangkok was Mr Sng Teow Koon, a seller of traditional Chinese medicine. He bought the land in 1956 and converted it into a kampong that once housed as many as 40 families at once.
After his death in 1997, his 4 children inherited the land. However, only the youngest daughter, Ms Sng Mui Hong, still lives here. The rest of her siblings have moved out into HDB flats. Ms Sng is the current landlord of the kampong, helping to manage the remaining tenants still living there.
The 12,248sqm plot of land on which Kampong Lorong Buangkok stands is said to be worth $70 million today.
Kampong Lorong Buangkok is considered the last village in Singapore. It’s been around since 1956. With its exposed electrical lines and 4-digit postal code street signs, it’s obvious that this kampong is as old as many of our boomer parents.
Houses are made from wood and zinc.
Image credit: @866l1181 via Instagram
Back in the day, it was an area prone to flash floods and people supposedly had to hike their sarongs up to wade through the murky waters – the very reason why there’s now a canal right next door.
Image credit: @collin_says via Instagram
Regardless, many clambered to live here back in the 60s, not just for its cheap rental of $3/month but also for the slower pace of life. Not much has changed: the rent was reportedly as low as $10/month in 2007.
“Kampong” isn’t so much in our normal Singlish vocab unless used in “kampong spirit” – a neighbourly camaraderie that’s said to exist in the old days. Besides treating each other with respect, it also means you can leave your doors unlocked and casually pop by your neighbours’ to borrow all the fresh eggs and milk you need.
Image credit: @candidphotosjusttake via Instagram
And that’s still happening here.
If there was a Singaporean version of the white picket fence dream, this is it. There’s a mishmash of 30 or so Malay and Chinese families living here. Gates are wide open and children are left to play freely in the streets – a wonder, considering that the village is mere metres from busy Yio Chu Kang Road and entirely surrounded by new HDB flats.
Image credit: @ngsiewchwee via Instagram
Idyllic and serene, this kampong is a bite-sized chunk of Singapore’s history with an uncertain future. Reduced to around half its original land area, plans to urbanise this area with schools and roads were put on hold when a proposal to conserve the area was floated in 2015. It’s no wonder many have made the trip to savour this last vestige of a bygone era.
Getting there: Despite looking like a rural village, Kampong Lorong Buangkok is fairly accessible – it’s a short bus ride from Serangoon MRT and just off Yio Chu Kang Road. Simply take Bus 70 or 103 and get off at Church of St. Vincent de Paul.
Kampong Lorong Buangkok is still a private residence and should not be considered a tourist attraction. Bearing that in mind, it’s alright to view the kampong from the outside but visitors should not trespass on the property at all. This is one destination better explored virtually, or by joining a tour that allows you to step inside.
You can check out a Kampong Lorong Buangkok Tour.
Address: 7 Lorong Buangkok, Singapore 547557
For more things to do in Singapore, check out:
Cover image adapted from: @866l1181, @ngsiewchwee via Instagram
A portion of this content may contain referral links to products. Our opinions remain our own.
Originally published on 14th August 2020. Last updated by Raewyn Koh on 27th February 2024.
Quality doesn’t always have to come with a hefty price tag.
No need to head to Japan or Korea, China has pretty blooms too 🌸
Unique SkillsFuture courses you should take this year.
You spin my head right round, right round.
Countdown to 2025 in Singapore Another year has flown by, and as we bid farewell…
Let's get dem gainz.