Bukit Brown Cemetery, also known as the Bukit Brown Municipal Cemetery or the Bukit Brown Chinese Cemetery, is a cemetery in Novena, Singapore. Located in the Central Region of Singapore, the land where the cemetery sits was originally owned by George Henry Brown, a British merchant. He owned the land and, due to its hilly terrain, became known as Brown's Hill which was translated locally in Malay to Bukit Brown.

Bukit Brown Cemetery
Bukit Brown Cemetery in 2011
Map
Details
Established1 January 1922
Closed1973
Location
36C Lor Halwa, Singapore 298637
CountrySingapore
Coordinates1°20′10″N 103°49′23″E / 1.3361°N 103.8230°E / 1.3361; 103.8230
TypeChinese
Size233 ha (580 acres)
No. of graves100,000

Following multiple transfers of ownership, the land was eventually acquired by the government, who opened Bukit Brown Cemetery there in 1922. The cemetery acted as a Chinese burial ground until its closure in 1973, with about 100,000 graves. In 2011, the government designated the area for residential development which was met with backlash from activists who believed that the cemetery should be preserved. The following year, 3,700 graves were exhumed to build an 8-lane highway. Bukit Brown Cemetery is believed to be the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China and is also the location of many of Singapore's earliest pioneers.

Main reasons by activists of why Bukit Brown Cemetery should be conserved is due to its vegetation, wildlife, and heritage displayed by the graves in the cemetery. Traditional Chinese festivals are held regularly at the cemetery.

Etymology

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The cemetery and the surrounding area are referred to as Bukit Brown, after George Henry Brown, the original owner of the land where the cemetery is situated. He had owned the land and due to its hilly terrain, became known as Brown's Hill, which was translated locally in Malay to Bukit Brown, bukit meaning hill.[1]

Bukit Brown was the first location in Singapore to be known with a hybrid name, with both English and Malay in its name.[2] The hill where the cemetery is located is referred to as Mount Pleasant, which Brown named. It is also referred to locally as Coffee Hill or Kopi Sua.[3]

History

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Early establishments (1800s)

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Brown in 1863 with his daughter Charlotte Ellen

Bukit Brown Cemetery was named after 19th-century British merchant and ship owner George Henry Brown (1826–1882). He arrived in the Straits Settlements (present-day Singapore) in the 1840s and lived there till his death after an accident in Penang on 5 October 1882.[1]

Brown owned a business, G. H. Brown & Co, that was located at Raffles Place. Brown married Ellen Brown (1827–1903) in 1854 and together they had multiple children. He was known for his interest in music and played the organ at St. Andrew's Cathedral. Brown was also a land-owner, having owned multiple plots of land.[1]

One such plot was land that had hilly terrain which he called Mount Pleasant. On that plot he had built a cottage which he called Fern Cottage. He had tried planting nutmeg and coffee on Mount Pleasant but was unsuccessful. As the land belonged to him, it was commonly referred to as Brown's Hill, translated locally in Malay to Bukit Brown.[1]

Brown sold the land to Mootapa Chitty, a Chettiar, and Lim Chu Yi who later sold the land to three Hokkien Seh Ong Kongsi clan members – Ong Hew Ko, Ong Ewe Hai, and Ong Chong Chew. In the 1870s, the trio turned the land into a private cemetery for Chinese people of the Ong clan and it became known as the Seh Ong Cemetery, managed by the Seh Ong Kongsi.[4][5] All 3 of them were buried at Bukit Brown Cemetery after their deaths.[6]

Municipal acquisition and opening (1900–2000)

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The first mention of a municipal[a] Chinese cemetery was in 1906, where Peranakan social activist Lim Boon Keng suggested at a municipal meeting for a proper burial site for the Chinese, which was unanimously agreed upon by the Municipal Commission.[7] Singaporean politician Tan Kheam Hock was also a supporter of establishing a public Chinese cemetery. In 1917, Tan asked about whether progress had been made in acquiring land at Bukit Brown to repurpose it as a Chinese burial ground.[8] When Bukit Brown Cemetery was opened, Tan managed the cemetery till his death.[9]

Some cemeteries initially considered to be used were the Hokkien cemetery at Keppel Harbour and the cemetery at Holland Road but the Municipal Commission eventually settled on Seh Ong Cemetery in a meeting on 26 October 1917, particularly due to its size and cost.[5] Following this decision, the Seh Ong Kongsi stated:[10]

"The trustees preferred to retain the land for the use of their own kongsi. There was sufficient land to last the Seh Ong Kongsi for 200 years and they preferred to reserve it for themselves rather than sell it and make use of it for other kongsis or races of Chinese who were short of burial grounds. [sic]"

After multiple negotiations with the Seh Ong Kongsi, where they refused to give the land every time, the Municipal Commissioners decided that "the only other course left [for the Commission was] to approach the [British] government[b] to appropriate the land in spite of the unwillingness of the owners."[10] In 1919, the Municipal Commission acquired the land through compulsory acquisition despite the resistance from the Seh Ong Kongsi.[11]

 
The temple at Bukit Brown Cemetery in 1929.

In 1921, by-laws for Bukit Brown Cemetery were established to regulate burials for the Chinese.[12] It was then opened as Bukit Brown Municipal Cemetery on 1 January 1922.[11] In 1923, the road leading up to Bukit Brown Cemetery was named Bukit Brown Road, after Brown, and another road leading up to the cemetery was named Kheam Hock Road, after Tan.[13][14] A cemetery temple was built with a caretaker running the temple. A priest was hired that sold joss sticks and candles.[15]

When it was opened, Bukit Brown Cemetery was not very popular with the Chinese, having its first burial in August 1922. The municipal president stated that it was "not utilized to the extent which we had anticipated", citing the main reasons being the size and layout of the grave plots, although these were put in place to maximise space. Bukit Brown Cemetery was also separated into "general" and "pauper" sections, to make the cemetery more inclusive.[16][17] The general section's plots were about 14x8 feet and cost $50 Strait whilst the pauper section's plots were 8x4 feet. The pauper section was located in a low-lying area that was regularly flooded but allowed the poor to afford the burial fees, as they were free.[18][19]

Due to the limited sizes, families typically used two burial plots for one burial. Other complaints were that plot sizes were irregular, with some being larger than others, leading to complaints about social classes as the larger plots were owned by wealthier individuals.[16] The Municipal Commission later consulted with the Chinese Advisory Board who changed plot layouts to better account for the Chinese, expanding the sizes of plots to 20x10 feet in the general section and 10x5 feet in the pauper section.[20] This helped Bukit Brown Cemetery to become more popular amongst the Chinese community.[21] Following the cemetery's popularity, rest houses and wells were built along with hiring gardeners to maintain the cemetery.[22]

By 1929, 40% of Chinese deaths in Singapore were buried at Bukit Brown Cemetery.[4] In 1941, Choa Chu Kang Cemetery was established as Bukit Brown Cemetery and Bidadari Cemetery were both running out of space.[23] By 1944, Bukit Brown Cemetery had reached its max number of burials and no further burials were allowed except for those who had reserved plots.[24]

In 1946, more grave plots at Bukit Brown Cemetery were released for people's whose reservations had been taken up during the Japanese occupation and used for pauper burials.[25][26] In 1947, Bukit Brown Cemetery and Choa Chu Kang Cemetery were brought up in a municipal meeting by L. Rayman, concerned about the land use occupied by the cemeteries. An amendment was passed that limited the size of burial plots.[27] In 1965, the Public Works Department (PWD) exhumed 237 graves to realign Lornie Road off Adam Road.[28][29] Bukit Brown Cemetery was closed in 1973 with about 100,000 graves.[4]

Redevelopment plans for Bukit Brown and conservation efforts (2000–present)

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A banner opposing the building of Lornie Highway.
 
A notice at Bukit Brown Cemetery about the exhumation of graves.

From 2011 to 2012, the area was designated for residential development[c] and many activists were upset by this decision as Bukit Brown Cemetery was "a distinctive slice of the multi-ethnic country's fast disappearing heritage"[32] and that it should be preserved.[33][34][35] This included exhuming 3,700 graves to make space for an 8-lane highway.[36]

In 2012, it was announced by then-Minister of State for National Development, Tan Chuan-Jin, that 5,000 graves would be exhumed to make way for a new 8-lane highway, Lornie Highway, that would cut through the cemetery.[37] This number was later reduced to 3,746 on 19 March 2012.[38][39][40] Construction for Lornie Highway began in 2011 and was expected to be completed by 2016 but was eventually completed in 2018.[41] During construction, Bukit Brown Road was replaced by a section of the Lornie Highway.[42] A bridge was built under Lornie Highway to help animals pass through.[43]

The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) digitised and released the burial registers of Bukit Brown Cemetery between April 1922 and December 1972 online, as well as a map of the cemetery to help descendants check if their ancestor's graves were affected by the development.[44] It was also revealed that the rest of the cemetery would make way for a new public housing town in about 40 years time.[45] In 2014, a bush fire broke out at Bukit Brown Cemetery that was the about the size of "1½ football fields" which took the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) 2 hours to put out.[46] Bukit Brown Cemetery was also named on the 2014 World Monuments Watch as an "at risk site".[47]

In 2015, following the Singapore Botanic Gardens gaining UNESCO World Heritage Site status, Bukit Brown Cemetery along with other sites were suggested for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. However, sites such as Bukit Brown Cemetery and Jalan Kubor Cemetery are "neither a building nor a monument" and are unable to even obtain National Monument status despite having rich heritage, making it unlikely that they would receive UNESCO World Heritage Site status.[48] In 2016, Bukit Brown Cemetery's gates that were installed back in the 1920s were removed from their original posts, cleaned and repaired, and reinstalled at the mouth of a new access road near its original location.[49][50] In 2017, the Singapore Heritage Society launched a self-guided trail through Bukit Brown Cemetery that takes visitors through 25 gravestones.[51] A grave belonging to Chen Yi Kuan collapsed due to nearby construction works for Mount Pleasant MRT station on the Thomson–East Coast MRT line.[52]

In August 2024, an outdoor display, Sounds of the Earth, was opened by Bukit Brown conservation groups. The display features 80 unclaimed artifacts that were collected in 2013, during the construction of Lornie Highway.[42][53]

Geography

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An aerial view of Bukit Brown Cemetery, taken in 1946.

Bukit Brown Cemetery is located in the Central Region of Singapore in Novena and is bordered by the Central Water Catchment in the north, Toa Payoh in the east, Kallang in the south-east, Newton and Tanglin in the south, and Bukit Timah in the west. There are a few built attractions around the cemetery such as the Singapore Polo Club and the Old Police Academy along with roads such as the Pan Island Expressway, which borders Bukit Brown Cemetery in the south, Thomson Road, in the east, and Lornie Highway, which cuts through the cemetery.

A digital self-guided trail of Bukit Brown Cemetery, called the Bukit Brown Wayfinder, was released by the Singapore Heritage Society in 2017. The guide divides a small section of the cemetery into blocks, labelled 1 to 3, with signs to direct users to 25 gravestones.[54][55]

Formerly, there was a kampong village along Kheam Hock Road, known as Kampong Kheam Hock or Kheam Hock Village. In 1949, a Municipal survey estimated that there were 250 huts at Kampong Kheam Hock whilst in 1984, an estimated 200 families lived there.[56][3] Kampong Kheam Hock was listed for development in 1984 and its residents were moved to Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats in Potong Pasir and Hougang before being demolished.[3][57]

Currently, the Mount Pleasant planning area is under construction by the HDB, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and the Singapore Land Authority. When complete, it will border Bukit Brown Cemetery in the south-east.[58] Two non-operational Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations are located in the Bukit Brown area, Mount Pleasant MRT station and Bukit Brown MRT station. Mount Pleasant MRT station is planned to be opened in conjuncture with the Mount Pleasant planning area to serve its future residents whilst Bukit Brown MRT station will open once Bukit Brown Cemetery has been redeveloped.[59][60]

Traditional practices

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Colored papers placed on a grave during the Qingming Festival.

Due to Bukit Brown Cemetery's high Chinese population, traditional Chinese festivals are held at Bukit Brown Cemetery annually. For example, the Qingming Festival is held regularly at Bukit Brown Cemetery, usually requiring traffic police to regulate the high traffic flow into the cemetery.[61][62][63] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government advised visitors to Bukit Brown Cemetery and Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium to be in groups of 4 and to refrain from bringing elderly family members.[64]

The Hungry Ghost Festival is another festival that is regularly held. The festival is usually performed by representatives of Chinese temples who, despite having no relation to the deceased, perform the rituals and offering to them. This is seen as a form of charity by the representatives as the deceased do not have descendants to perform the ritual for them.[65]

Environment

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Vegetation

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An overgrown bench and table.
 
A general view of plants.

Due to its dense vegetation, Bukit Brown Cemetery helps to prevent flooding from rain caused by surface runoff and serve as a "carbon storage" site. In a position paper by the Singapore Heritage Society, they stated that Bukit Brown Cemetery should be kept for these reasons. Other organizations also requested the government to carry out "a comprehensive environmental impact assessment" of Bukit Brown Cemetery.[66] Some plants seen include the terentang and giant mahang.[67]

In the 1950s, Bukit Brown Cemetery was cleared of its vegetation, only for the cemetery to be overgrown with vegetation again.[68] This has led Bukit Brown Cemetery's vegetation to be described as a "neglected space" with an "unrecognisable landscape".[69] In 2014, a bush fire broke out at Bukit Brown Cemetery that was the about the size of "1½ football fields" which took the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) 2 hours to put out.[46]

A study carried out from 2019 to 2022 by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum studied the plants at Bukit Brown Cemetery along with surrounding cemeteries, referred to all together as Greater Bukit Brown. 233 species of plants, of which 158 were considered native, were found at Greater Bukit Brown. Of the 158 species, 76 are considered nationally threatened.[70] Some species of plants found at Greater Bukit Brown include:

Wildlife

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Bukit Brown Cemetery is known for its wildlife, being populated with mammals and birds. This has made Bukit Brown Cemetery a popular location with photographers, nature lovers, and bird-watchers.[71] In 2012, Nature Society (Singapore) recorded 90 resident and migrant birds along with 48 species of animal living at Bukit Brown Cemetery.[72] Mammals and birds seen at Bukit Brown Cemetery include:

From July 2012 to October 2012, a study was held by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum that studied fishes at two separate streams at Bukit Brown Cemetery, called Bukit Brown Stream and Mount Pleasant Stream respectively. 11 species of fish were found with only 4 being considered native.[75] The 4 native fish were:

Graves

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Architecture and design of graves

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Graves at Bukit Brown Cemetery were built with different materials from Europe and East Asia using traditional building techniques from the 1920s and 1930s. Other materials used to build graves include bricks, commonly from Alexandra Brickworks and Jurong Brickworks, and plaster from Shanghai, China.[76] Graves also represent different social statuses of people through decorations on graves such as decorative tiles from Europe and Japan. Other types of tiles include Peranakan tiles, tiles named after Chinese immigrants who came to Singapore and inspired Straits Chinese culture. Graves were also traditionally built on the side of hills due to feng shui practices by the Chinese.[2][77]

Graves typically included inscribed stone panels, stone reliefs, and statues with materials from quarries in Singapore or Malaysia. Shops selling sculpted stones imported from China were also found commonly along Kheam Hock Road. Marble headstones with lead lettering were also used, being imported from Europe. Graves were also decorated with ceramic portraits of the deceased in an oval shape on the headstone. The techniques to make these portraits emerged from France and due to the frequency of these portraits shows that it had reached Singapore around the early 20th-century.[77]

Notable burials

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The gravestone of Ong Sam Leong (1857–1918), the largest gravestone in Bukit Brown Cemetery.[51]

Due to Bukit Brown Cemetery's long history and multiple graves, it is believed to be the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China with about 100,000 graves.[32] It is also the location of many of Singapore's earliest pioneers.[79][80] Notable burials include:

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ From 1848 to 1951, Singapore was run under the Municipal Commission of Singapore, the present-day Government of Singapore.
  2. ^ From 1826 to 1942, Singapore was apart of the Straits Settlements which was a crown colony controlled by the British.
  3. ^ Bukit Brown had already been designated for residential development since the 1991 Concept Plan.[30][31]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d Savage & Yeoh 2022, p. 70
  2. ^ a b Pierson, David (3 March 2020). "Singapore's original crazy rich bedazzled their tombs with tiles: A race to save them as exhumation looms". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Lim, Kwan Kwan (25 September 1984). "The dead and the living side by side". The Straits Times. p. 12. Retrieved 25 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  4. ^ a b c Tsang 2007, pp. 18–19
  5. ^ a b Siew 2013, p. 28
  6. ^ Yong, Clement (17 March 2021). "Remains of Chinese pioneer merchant, who donated land for Bukit Brown, moved from cemetery". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  7. ^ "The Municipality". Straits Echo. 15 December 1906. p. 5. Retrieved 14 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  8. ^ "Municipal Commission". Malaya Tribune. 29 December 1917. p. 5. Retrieved 15 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  9. ^ a b c d Chong & Bak 2019, p. 176
  10. ^ a b Siew 2013, p. 29
  11. ^ a b Savage & Yeoh 2022, p. 71
  12. ^ "CHINESE BURIAL GROUND". Malaya Tribune. 30 August 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 14 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  13. ^ Savage & Yeoh 2022, p. 282
  14. ^ "Action Taken at Commission Meeting". The Straits Times. 6 June 1923. p. 10. Retrieved 18 October 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  15. ^ "MUNICIPAL MATTERS". The Straits Times. 14 April 1923. p. 9. Retrieved 4 September 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  16. ^ a b Siew 2013, pp. 29–30
  17. ^ Yeoh 2003, pp. 302–304
  18. ^ Lee, Joshua (20 November 2017). "New Bukit Brown guide is a must-have to explore the cemetery & make sense of its tombs". Mothership. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  19. ^ Chong & Bak 2019, p. 175
  20. ^ Siew 2013, p. 31
  21. ^ Chong & Bak 2019, pp. 170–171
  22. ^ "Bukit Brown Cemetery". The Straits Times. 27 September 1922. p. 8. Retrieved 4 September 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  23. ^ "SINGAPORE'S NEW BURIAL GROUND". Malaya Tribune. 25 February 1941. p. 2. Retrieved 15 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  24. ^ Chong & Bak 2019, p. 171
  25. ^ "New Grave Plots At Bukit Brown". The Straits Times. 9 September 1946. p. 5. Retrieved 15 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
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  27. ^ "S'PORE SHORT OF BURIAL PLOTS". The Straits Times. 29 March 1947. p. 7. Retrieved 13 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  28. ^ "237 GRAVES ON STATE LAND AT BUKIT BROWN TO BE EXHUMED". The Straits Times. 25 December 1964. p. 4. Retrieved 6 April 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  29. ^ "GRAVES TO BE EXHUMED FOR ROAD ALIGNMENT". The Straits Times. 17 December 1964. p. 5. Retrieved 6 April 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  30. ^ Perera, Leon (16 February 2021). "Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on plans to redevelop the cemetery areas around Bukit Brown, including the section close to the Old Police Academy, in the next 10 to 15 years". Ministry of National Development. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  31. ^ Leow, Claire (26 March 2012). "Bukit Brown: the polemics of engagement". Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  32. ^ a b Lim, Rebecca (6 April 2012). "Singapore to drive road through historic cemetery". BBC News. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  33. ^ Lee, Zhiwang (28 October 2011). "Taoist Mission supports preservation of cemetery". TODAY. p. 26. Retrieved 14 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  34. ^ Tan, Danny G. (2 November 2011). "WERE LOCAL GROUPS EVEN CONSULTED ABOUT BUKIT BROWN PLAN?". TODAY. p. 22. Retrieved 14 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  35. ^ Chua, Grace (6 February 2012). "Heritage society 'disappointed' with Govt's Bukit Brown decision". The Straits Times. p. 7. Retrieved 14 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG. It added it was 'deeply disappointed' with the Government's decision to continue with a road through part of the historical burial ground, adding it regretted there was no public construction before zoning and road-building decisions were made.
  36. ^ Han, Kirsten (7 August 2015). "Land-starved Singapore exhumes its cemeteries to build roads and malls". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  37. ^ Anns, Mary (4 February 2012). "Road through Bukit Brown to go ahead as planned". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  38. ^ Chan, Joanne (5 March 2012). "Development should not come at expense of heritage: Tan Chuan-Jin". Channel News Asia. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  39. ^ Chan, Joanne (19 March 2012). "LTA announces finalised alignment for Bukit Brown road project". Channel News Asia. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  40. ^ "LTA finalises alignment of new road across Bukit Brown". Urban Redevelopment Authority. 19 March 2012. Archived from the original on 10 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  41. ^ Tai, Janice (28 October 2018). "First section of Lornie Highway, formerly Bukit Brown Road, opens to traffic". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  42. ^ a b c d Ng, Keng Gene (8 July 2024). "New outdoor display at Bukit Brown Cemetery to open by August". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  43. ^ Feng, Zengkun (23 March 2012). "Bridge will help, say some experts". The Straits Times. p. 6. Retrieved 6 October 2024 – via NewspaperSG. Earlier this week, the LTA announced that a third of the planned road across the cemetery would be a bridge, to allow animals to pass under the road and preserve streams in the area.
  44. ^ "Burial Registers of Bukit Brown Cemetery". National Archives of Singapore. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  45. ^ Hoe, Yeen Nie (5 December 2011). "New alignment for road cutting through Bukit Brown?". Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  46. ^ a b Ee, David; Yeo, Sam Jo (13 March 2014). "Bush fires break out in Changi and Bukit Brown". The Straits Times. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 6 October 2024 – via NewspaperSG. Firefighters spent two hours putting out a large fire at Bukit Brown Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon as Singapore's spate of bush fires continued during the record-breaking dry spell. The blaze near Kheam Hock Road covered an area the size of 1½ football fields, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), which was alerted to it at 11.55am.
  47. ^ Zaccheus, Melody (9 October 2013). "Bukit Brown Cemetery named on global list as a site at risk". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  48. ^ Koh, Valerie (12 July 2015). "Gardens' UNESCO success sparks calls for more sites to be protected". TODAY. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  49. ^ Zaccheus, Melody (19 January 2016). "Bukit Brown's iconic gates to be refurbished, relocated". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  50. ^ Zaccheus, Melody (29 August 2016). "Bukit Brown gets back its 1920s gates". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  51. ^ a b c Hio, Lester (18 November 2017). "New Bukit Brown Cemetery self-guided trail takes visitors through 25 tombs". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  52. ^ Guan, Zhen Tan (12 March 2017). "Bukit Brown Cemetery grave collapses due to Thomson-East Coast MRT Line construction works". Mothership. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  53. ^ Martens, Hannah (8 July 2024). "New installation at Bukit Brown Cemetery to feature artefacts recovered from graves". Mothership. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  54. ^ Hio, Lester (19 November 2017). "Follow new trail to Bukit Brown landmarks". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  55. ^ Bukit Brown Wayfinder: A Self-Guided Walking Trail (PDF). Singapore Heritage Society. 16 November 2017.
  56. ^ "Kampong Conditions A Menace". The Straits Times. 26 April 1949. p. 5. Retrieved 19 October 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  57. ^ "Land with biggest spread of cemeteries to be cleared". Singapore Monitor. 4 June 1984. p. 4. Retrieved 19 October 2024. The land covered with possibly the biggest spread of Chinese cemeteries in Singapore near Kheam Hock Road and Jalan Hawa in Bukit Timah is listed for development.
  58. ^ "Joint Press Release by HDB, URA & SLA - HDB Unveils Plans for a New Public Housing Estate at Site of Former Police Academy in the Mount Pleasant Area". Housing and Development Board. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  59. ^ Ng, Keng Gene (23 November 2021). "Mount Pleasant, Marina South MRT stations to open in tandem with housing developments". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  60. ^ "Stages 4 & 5 of Circle Line". Land Transport Authority. 16 November 2005. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  61. ^ "Cheng Beng traffic plans". The Straits Times. 25 March 1961. p. 4. Retrieved 13 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  62. ^ "'Avoid traffic hold-up on Cheng Beng' call". The Straits Times. 3 April 1972. p. 7. Retrieved 13 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  63. ^ Chia, Laura (5 April 2016). "Keeping traditions alive at Bukit Brown for Qing Ming". The New Paper. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  64. ^ Heng, Terence (5 April 2021). "Commentary: Why crowds will keep heading to the cemeteries and columbaria during Qing Ming". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  65. ^ Siew 2013, p. 35
  66. ^ Goh 2014, pp. 175–176
  67. ^ Ho, Hua Chew (17 July 2015). "Biodiversity importance of Bt Brown". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  68. ^ Barnard, Timothy P. (2014). Nature Contained: Environmental Histories of Singapore. Project Muse. p. 45. ISBN 9789971697907.
  69. ^ Maddrell 2023, p. 48
  70. ^ Jong, Ying Wei (18 November 2022). "A checklist of the vascular plant flora of Bukit Brown and Lau Sua, and suggestions for improving reporting practices in Biodiversity Impact Assessments" (PDF). Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. National University of Singapore. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  71. ^ Goh 2014, p. 174
  72. ^ Maddrell 2023, p. 47
  73. ^ a b Ng, Rachel (6 February 2023). "Wildlife photographer peeks behind the urban jungle of Singapore". National Geographic. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  74. ^ a b Hall, Margie (2012). "Nature News" (PDF). Nature Society Singapore. p. 7. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  75. ^ Tan, Jonathan Y. H.; Tan, Lowell H. C.; Quek, Glenn; Lim, Valerie S. F.; Heok, Hui Tan (27 September 2013). "THE FISH FAUNA OF BUKIT BROWN, SINGAPORE" (PDF). Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. National University of Singapore. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  76. ^ Chong & Bak 2019, p. 178
  77. ^ a b Chong & Bak 2019, p. 179
  78. ^ Tabla, Vandana Aggarwal (6 August 2017). "The Sikh guards of Bukit Brown". The New Paper. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  79. ^ Sajan, Chantal (13 September 2020). "Heritage activists: Bukit Brown more than just a cemetery; it's a 'living museum' of Singapore's pioneers". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  80. ^ Lock, Clara (18 March 2021). "On the trail of secret spots". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  81. ^ "Simple funeral for Lark Sye on Sunday". The Straits Times. 13 September 1972. p. 10. Retrieved 14 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  82. ^ "FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENT". The Straits Times. 22 July 1941. p. 2. Retrieved 14 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  83. ^ "Colony Horse Owner Dies". Sunday Standard. 22 July 1956. p. 1. Retrieved 14 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  84. ^ "DEATH". The Straits Times. 9 September 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 14 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  85. ^ "100 cars in bus owner's funeral procession". The Straits Times. 4 February 1957. p. 7. Retrieved 14 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  86. ^ Tsang 2007, p. 20
  87. ^ Goh, Philip (16 February 1956). "'SING PANTUNS FOR ME AT MY FUNERAL'". The Straits Times. p. 9. Retrieved 4 September 2024 – via NewspaperSG.

Bibliography

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