Walking among the dead at Bukit Brown

I didn't have a chance to do much research on Bukit Brown before our visit, which was impromptu. I now know that it is reportedly one of the largest Chinese cemeteries outside of China, and that 4,153 graves will be affected by the new highway that the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) plans to build. That's a lot of graves which means that that's a lot of space that the government is using.

Entrance to Bukit Brown (Taken with the Diana F+ with 55m wide angle lens and Lomography XPro Slide 200 film.)

I used to 'sweep' ancestral graves like those in Bukit Brown when I was a child. I remembered chewing on sugar cane while walking among the graves. I have vague memories of my uncle using a parang to cut down the tall grass and the toxic smell of burning hell money while standing in the sweltering heat. It was even considered an honor when I was allowed to help burn the hell money; it meant that I was big enough to help out. I was, nonetheless, relieved when our family ended the practice when the graves were exhumed and moved to more civilized locations.

That was then. But it just hit me that my boys will not know what it means to sweep the ancestral grave. The rituals, the laborious folding of paper offerings, the sights, the smells, the balmy heat... the whole experience is lost to them.

Who are you protecting? (Taken with the Diana F+ with 55m wide angle lens and Lomography XPro Slide 200 film.)

The mosquitoes in Bukit Brown were relentless in their attack even after a liberal spray of mosquito repellent so I really couldn't stay long enough to explore. A few things stood out, however, during my short visit there.

The sikh guards that flank some of the graves were erected to protect the resting spot of the dearly departed. I wonder what is that statue at the foot of the sikh guard. A guard dog (puppy)? The photo from The Bukit Brown Experience blog was clearly taken just after the tomb was swept and tidied up. It was looking 'old' during my visit.

The expansive rain tree. Do you have to go too? (Taken with the Diana F+ with 55m wide angle lens and Lomography XPro Slide 200 film.)

The trees, oh the trees! They are huge and they offer a protective cover over the graves.

The tiles tell a story. (Taken with the Diana F+ with 55m wide angle lens and Lomography XPro Slide 200 film.)

Some graves have really pretty tiles, and I've just learnt that they are there not merely to decorate the grave. They represent the deceased wealth and stature because such tiles were found in bungalows of the wealthy. Even the design of the tile has a meaning specific to the family selecting the tile.

The hanging roots of the banyan tree make a ghostly veil. (Taken with the Diana F+ with 55m wide angle lens and Lomography XPro Slide 200 film.)

Cemeteries are peaceful, beautiful, and historical. Bukit Brown isn just a resting place for some famous pioneers of Singapore, fierce battles had been fought there as well. If you have a chance, go see part of Singapore's history before it's gone.

What's left of our past. (Taken with the Diana F+ with 55m wide angle lens and Lomography XPro Slide 200 film.)