Most people’s idea of a home with a seaside view probably includes villas or mansions, and while this often is the case today, it wasn’t necessarily so a few decades ago.
Seaside kampongs were common all around the island’s coastline, and in Sembawang, there was Kampong Wak Hassan, the last of its kind in Singapore.
People living in a Malay house in Kampong Wak Hassan.
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore
Kampong Wak Hassan was first established in 1914, closer to Sungei Sembawang. It was founded by Wak Hassan bin Ali, a former policeman who bought the land in the area.
In 1923, this land was acquired by the British and the kampong was relocated to make way for a naval base. The villagers then landed at the former Seletar pier, and remained there at the seaside site that we know today. As such, a lot of the villagers ended up becoming fishermen, making a living by going out to sea.
The commemoration of Kampong Wak Hassan’s first asphalt road opening in 1966.
Image credit: BiblioAsia
Life at Kampong Wak Hassan went on, even surviving through World War 2, before reaching its peak in the 1960s.
In fact, 1966 marked a major milestone for the kampong with the introduction of its 1st asphalt-paved road. The occasion was commemorated with a ceremony attended by then-Minister of State for Culture, Lee Khoon Choy, who also praised the kampong for being a model village where villagers of all races got along well.
Kampong Wak Hassan, back in 1999, before its demolition.
Image credit: BiblioAsia
Sadly, as we all already know, the kampongs started clearing out as the country developed, with villagers all over the nation being relocated to HDB flats. This wave of development hit the Sembawang area in the 1980s, with kampongs being notified of relocation one after the other.
As the surrounding kampongs started clearing out, Kampong Wak Hassan outlasted all of them, becoming the oldest and longest-lasting kampong in the area. It was finally cleared out in 1998, marking an end to the era of our coastal kampongs.
Image credit: VanGarrett James Lee via Facebook
The road that once led to the kampong still remains, retaining the name Kg Wak Hassan on the street sign there. Walk a short distance from here, and you’ll also find some other roads in the area named after it.
Image adapted from: Google Street View
But the old wooden houses that once stood here have been replaced with modern homes – the space has since been redeveloped into a new residential area, with the Watercove cluster houses enjoying the seaside view.
Image adapted from: The Long and Winding Road via Facebook
The only physical trace left of the kampong is the brick sea wall separating the land from the beach, though it unfortunately looks close to disrepair.
While many mistake the centre of paranormal activity to be Kampong Wak Hassan, it’s actually closer to the Kampong Tengah area nearby.
A map of the Kampongs in the area in 1973.
Image credit: BiblioAsia
Kampong Wak Hassan was located right next to the sea, but Kampong Tengah lay slightly more inland.
Image adapted from: Uncle Chris Driving Holidays
If you’re ever adventurous enough to step into this area, you’ll find a creepy gate that seems to lead to nowhere. Back then, it used to be the entrance to a bungalow owned by Chua Boon Peng, the chairman of Cycle & Carriage. Yes, the same owner as the Green House over in Hillview. Now, some claim this gate leads to a supernatural world.
Walk further into the forest, and you’ll find an area near the seaside with trees wrapped in cloth as well as statues and images of religious deities. It is said that this is where people come to dispose of evil spirits.
While the kampong itself is long gone, its stories continue to live on. Pop by the area to get a glimpse of what seaside living used to look like, and feel the remnants of the kampong spirit here.
Read more about our local history:
Cover image adapted from: BiblioAsia, The Long and Winding Road via Facebook
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