Bukit Brown Cemetery Explained

Bukit Brown Cemetery
Established:1 January 1922
Size Ha:200
Graves:100,000
Type:Chinese
Closed:1973
Country:Singapore
Location:36C Lor Halwa, Singapore 298637

Bukit Brown Cemetery, also known as the Bukit Brown Municipal Cemetery or the Bukit Brown Chinese Cemetery, is a cemetery in Singapore. Originally owned by George Henry Brown, he purchased the land on hilly terrain and it became known as Brown's Hill, translated locally to Bukit Brown.

After ownership for the land was passed around, it 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 and, in 2012, exhumed 3,700 graves to build an 8-lane highway. Bukit Brown Cemetery is suspected to be the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China and is also the location of many of Singapore's earliest pioneers.[1] [2]

History

Early establishments (19th-century)

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 here till his death after an accident in Penang on 5 October 1882.

Brown purchased land on a hill which he called Mount Pleasant and built a cottage on it called Fern Cottage. He had also 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.[3]

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

Government acquisition (20th-century)

The first mention of a municipal Chinese cemetery was in 1906, where Peranakan physician and 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 commission.[6] Singaporean politician Tan Kheam Hock was also a supporter of establishing a public Chinese cemetery and, in 1917, asked about whether progress had been made in acquiring land at Bukit Brown and repurposing it as a Chinese burial ground.[7] When Bukit Brown Cemetery was opened, he managed the cemetery till his death.

In 1919, the government acquired the land through compulsory acquisition after pressure had been put on them to open a municipal cemetery for the Chinese despite the resistance from the Ong clan, who owned the land at the time. In 1921, by-laws for Bukit Brown Cemetery were established to regulate burials for the Chinese.[8] It was then opened as Bukit Brown Municipal Cemetery on 1 January 1922. 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.[9]

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", siting the main reason being the grave plot layouts. They later consulted with the Chinese Advisory Board and changed plot layouts to better account for the Chinese. This helped Bukit Brown Cemetery to become more popular amongst the Chinese community.[10] [11] The Qingming Festival is also held regularly at Bukit Brown Cemetery, usually requiring traffic police to regulate the high traffic flow into the cemetery.[12] [13] [14]

By 1929, 40% of Chinese deaths in Singapore were buried at Bukit Brown Cemetery. In 1941, Choa Chu Kang Cemetery was established as Bukit Brown Cemetery and Bidadari Cemetery were both running out of space.[15] 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.[16] [17]

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.[18] In 1965, the Public Works Department (PWD) exhumed 237 graves to realign Lornie Road off Adam Road.[19] [20] Bukit Brown Cemetery was closed in 1973 with about 100,000 graves.

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

From 2011 to 2012, the area was designated for residential development 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"[21] and that it should be preserved.[22] [23] [24] This included exhuming 3,700 graves to make space for an 8-lane highway.[25]

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.[26] This number was later reduced to 3,746 on 19 March 2012.[27] [28] [29] Construction for Lornie Highway began in 2011 and was expected to be completed by 2016 but was eventually completed in 2018.[30] During construction, Bukit Brown Road was replaced by a section of the Lornie Highway.[31]

It was also revealed that the rest of the cemetery would make way for a new public housing town in about 40 years time.[32] In 2014, Bukit Brown Cemetery was named on the World Monuments Watch as an 'at risk site'.[33]

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.[34]

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.[35] [36]

In 2017, the Singapore Heritage Society launched a self-guided trail through Bukit Brown Cemetery that takes visitors through 25 gravestones.[37] 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.[38]

In July 2024, it was announced that an outdoor display, Sounds of the Earth, would be opened in August by Bukit Brown conservation groups. The display features 80 unclaimed artifacts that were collected in 2013, during the construction of Lornie Highway.[39]

Notable burials

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Sajan . Chantal . 13 September 2020 . Heritage activists: Bukit Brown more than just a cemetery; it's a 'living museum' of Singapore's pioneers . 6 April 2024 . . en . 0585-3923.
  2. News: Lock . Clara . 18 March 2021 . On the trail of secret spots . 6 April 2024 . . en . 0585-3923.
  3. Book: Savage, Victor R. . Singapore Street Names (4th edition): A Study of Toponymics . Yeoh . Brenda . Brenda Yeoh . 15 October 2022 . . 9789815009231 . 4th . 70 . en.
  4. Book: Tsang, Susan . Discover Singapore: The City's History & Culture Redefined . 2007 . . 9789812613653 . 18–22 . en.
  5. News: Yong . Clement . 17 March 2021 . Remains of Chinese pioneer merchant, who donated land for Bukit Brown, moved from cemetery . 6 April 2024 . . en . 0585-3923.
  6. News: 15 December 1906 . The Municipality . 14 August 2024 . . 5 . NewspaperSG.
  7. News: 29 December 1917 . Municipal Commission . 15 August 2024 . . 5 . NewspaperSG.
  8. News: 30 August 1921 . CHINESE BURIAL GROUND . 14 August 2024 . . 7 . NewspaperSG.
  9. Book: Savage, Victor R. . Singapore Street Names (4th edition): A Study of Toponymics . Yeoh . Brenda . Brenda Yeoh . 15 October 2022 . . 9789815009231 . 4th . 71 . en.
  10. Book: Yeoh, Brenda S. A. . Brenda Yeoh . Contesting Space in Colonial Singapore . 2003 . . 9789971692681 . 302–304.
  11. Book: Chong, Guan Kwa . A General History of the Chinese in Singapore . Bak . Lim Kua . 21 June 2019 . . 9789813277656 . 170–171.
  12. News: 25 March 1961 . Cheng Beng traffic plans . 13 August 2024 . . 4 . NewspaperSG.
  13. News: 3 April 1972 . 'Avoid traffic hold-up on Cheng Beng' call . 13 August 2024 . . 7 . NewspaperSG.
  14. Web site: Chia . Laura . 2016-04-05 . Keeping traditions alive at Bukit Brown for Qing Ming . 2024-08-13 . The New Paper . en.
  15. News: 25 February 1941 . SINGAPORE'S NEW BURIAL GROUND . 15 August 2024 . . 2 . NewspaperSG.
  16. News: 9 September 1946 . New Grave Plots At Bukit Brown . 15 August 2024 . . 5 . NewspaperSG.
  17. News: 4 September 1946 . GRAVES DECISION . 15 August 2024 . . 5 . NewspaperSG.
  18. News: 29 March 1947 . S'PORE SHORT OF BURIAL PLOTS . 13 August 2024 . . 7 . NewspaperSG.
  19. News: 25 December 1964 . 237 GRAVES ON STATE LAND AT BUKIT BROWN TO BE EXHUMED . 6 April 2024 . . 4 . NewspaperSG.
  20. News: 17 December 1964 . GRAVES TO BE EXHUMED FOR ROAD ALIGNMENT . 6 April 2024 . . 5 . NewspaperSG.
  21. News: Lim . Rebecca . 6 April 2012 . Singapore to drive road through historic cemetery . 6 April 2024 . . en-GB.
  22. News: Lee . Zhiwang . 28 October 2011 . Taoist Mission supports preservation of cemetery . 14 August 2024 . . 26 . NewspaperSG.
  23. News: Tan . Danny G. . 2 November 2011 . WERE LOCAL GROUPS EVEN CONSULTED ABOUT BUKIT BROWN PLAN? . 14 August 2024 . . 22 . NewspaperSG.
  24. News: 6 February 2012 . Heritage society ‘disappointed’ with Govt’s Bukit Brown decision . 14 August 2024 . . 7 . NewspaperSG.
  25. News: Han . Kirsten . 7 August 2015 . Land-starved Singapore exhumes its cemeteries to build roads and malls . 6 April 2024 . . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  26. Web site: Road through Bukit Brown to go ahead as planned . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120419090338/http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120204-325900.html . 19 April 2012 . 9 September 2012 . asiaone.com.
  27. Web site: 5 March 2012 . Development should not come at expense of heritage: Tan Chuan-Jin . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120414052033/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1187049/1/.html . 14 April 2012 . 7 January 2013 . Channel NewsAsia.
  28. Web site: 19 March 2012 . LTA announces finalised alignment for Bukit Brown road project . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120617225348/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1189968/1/.html . 17 June 2012 . 7 January 2013 . Channel NewsAsia.
  29. Web site: LTA finalises alignment of new road across Bukit Brown . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120410034152/http://www.ura.gov.sg/pr/text/2012/pr12-26.html . 10 April 2012 . 9 September 2012 . ura.gov.sg.
  30. News: Tai . Janice . 2018-10-28 . First section of Lornie Highway, formerly Bukit Brown Road, opens to traffic . 2024-08-14 . The Straits Times . en . 0585-3923.
  31. News: Ng . Keng Gene . 8 July 2024 . New outdoor display at Bukit Brown Cemetery to open by August . 13 August 2024 . . en . 0585-3923.
  32. Web site: Hoe . Yeen Nie . 5 December 2011 . New alignment for road cutting through Bukit Brown? . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120430192807/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1169543/1/.html . 30 April 2012 . 9 September 2012.
  33. News: Zaccheus . Melody . 9 October 2013 . Bukit Brown Cemetery named on global list as a site at risk . 30 June 2024 . The Straits Times . en . 0585-3923.
  34. Web site: Burial Registers of Bukit Brown Cemetery . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140623123455/http://www.nas.gov.sg/BukitBrown_signage.htm . 23 June 2014 . 15 June 2014 . National Archives of Singapore.
  35. Web site: Zaccheus . Melody . Bukit Brown's iconic gates to be refurbished, relocated . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20151120001835/http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/bukit-browns-iconic-gates-to-be-refurbished-relocated . 20 November 2015 . 19 November 2015 . The Straits Times . The Straits Times.
  36. News: Zaccheus . Melody . 29 August 2016 . Bukit Brown gets back its 1920s gates . 6 April 2024 . . en . 0585-3923.
  37. News: Hio . Lester . 2017-11-18 . New Bukit Brown Cemetery self-guided trail takes visitors through 25 tombs . 2024-08-13 . The Straits Times . en . 0585-3923.
  38. Web site: Guan . Zhen Tan . 12 March 2017 . Bukit Brown Cemetery grave collapses due to Thomson-East Coast MRT Line construction works . 2024-08-13 . . en.
  39. Web site: Martens . Hannah . 8 July 2024 . New installation at Bukit Brown Cemetery to feature artefacts recovered from graves . 13 August 2024 . . en.
  40. News: 13 September 1972 . Simple funeral for Lark Sye on Sunday . 14 August 2024 . . 10 . NewspaperSG.
  41. News: 22 July 1941 . FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENT . 14 August 2024 . . 2 . NewspaperSG.
  42. News: 22 July 1956 . Colony Horse Owner Dies . 14 August 2024 . . 1 . NewspaperSG.
  43. News: 21 March 2010 . FINAL RESTING PLACES . 14 August 2024 . . 10–11 . NewspaperSG.
  44. News: 9 September 1947 . DEATH . 14 August 2024 . . 6 . NewspaperSG.
  45. News: 28 December 1905 . DEATH OF MRS. LIM BOON KENG. . 14 August 2024 . . 3 . NewspaperSG.
  46. News: 4 February 1957 . 100 cars in bus owner's funeral procession . 14 August 2024 . . 7 . NewspaperSG.

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