Disclaimer: By agreeing to take walking tours of Bukit Brown Cemetery, I understand and accept that I must be physically fit and able to do so.To the extent permissible by law, I agree to assume any and all risk of injury or bodily harm to myself and persons in my care (including child or ward) Useful info here: Getting There/游览信息
Sun 8 June’14 9am – 11.30am Meeting place: At the Lor Halwa Main gates at Bukit Brown
Sikh guards are a unique part of Singapore history, and the Sikh guards of Bukit Brown are our unique heritage. They were favored by the British and the Chinese alike and provided a snapshot of how the Chinese community evolved to adopt other local cultures, thus becoming more Singaporean. Join Peter Pak and Ishvinder Singh as they take you on a visit of a Major, a tomb with a Sikh guard engulfed by a tree, the Sikh guards protecting the largest tomb in BB, the iconic Sikh guards of Chew Geok Leong and other Sikh guards that we may stumble upon as we get “lost” in Hill 3. If you have a FB account please register here. No worries if you don’t, just turn up. Your Guides: Listen to Ish in Search of a Shared Heritage: Ishvinder Singh at TEDxYouth@Singapore http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LxxT00CtBo Read about Sikh Guards of Bukit Brown by Peter Pak. Further reading on Sikh Guards : Reputation: The Guardians of the Spirit World Bukit Brown-
The Sikh Guards at Chew Geok Leong (photo Peter Pak)
Disclaimer: By agreeing to take walking tours of Bukit Brown Cemetery, I understand and accept that I must be physically fit and able to do so.To the extent permissible by law, I agree to assume any and all risk of injury or bodily harm to myself and persons in my care (including child or ward)
Useful info here: Getting There/游览信息
Sat 24 May, 4pm – 6.30pm Meeting place: At the Lor Halwa Main gates at Bukit Brown
Join Claire Leow and Bianca Polak for a guided walk to introduce you to the pioneers of Bukit Brown, rites and rituals and tomb culture.
If you have a FB account please register here. No worries if you don’t, just turn up.
Date: Saturday, 7 June’14, 2 pm – 4 pm
“As part of Post-Museum’s participation in the group exhibition Unearthed, Woon Tien Wei will speak about our efforts regarding Bukit Brown, as well as our artwork on show (The Bukit Brown Index).
Peter Chen will also be speaking at the same session, on his photography work about Bukit Brown and Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.
The talk is free and will be held in the Glass Hall at the Singapore Art Museum.
Please register with Singapore Art Museum at http://www.eventbrite.sg/
About the exhibition :
Post-Museum will be exhibiting 8 works from The Bukit Brown Index in Unearthed.
Mar 21 – 6 Jul : 10am – 7 pm
Unearthed seeks to investigate our relationship with Earth and the natural world, and charts SAM’s ( Singappore Art Museum) new direction in encompassing and presenting projects and practices where art intersects with other disciplines and modalities. Drawing on works from SAM’s permanent collection as well as private collections, the exhibition at SAM offers an insight on how artists in Singapore view and respond to the natural world, coming from and living in such an urban and built-up environment.
The other artists who are in the exhibition include Lucy Davis, Debbie Ding, Ho Tzu Nyen, Donna Ong, Ezzam Rahman, Robert Zhao Renhui, and Twardzik Ching Chor Leng.
[Image: Installation view of Bukit Brown Index #98: List of Names of the Deceased to be Exhumed to Make Way for the New 8-Lane Road through Bukit Brown and Seh Ong Cemeteries (Unclaimed Tombs as of 1 March 2013) Handwritten by Members of the Public]
By Perry Tan, Standard Chartered Bank
On a misty Saturday morning, 33 volunteers from Standard Chartered Bank congregated at a most unlikely venue – Bukit Brown Cemetery.
(photo montage by Perry Tan)
This is no ordinary cemetery. Home to 100,000 tombs, Bukit Brown which opened in 1922 as a municipal cemetery is part of a complex of older adjoining clan cemeteries. The complex is the biggest outside of China. Its historical significance is substantial, and include tombs that date back to the last days of the Qing dynasty from the 1840s which were relocated from private burial grounds and clan cemeteries which had to make way for development. Bukit Brown is listed on the World Monuments Watch list 2014 as a heritage site threatened by the development of an 8 lane highway.
Armed with water bottles, shovels, saws, garden shears and other equipment, we were ready to explore the cemetery and clean up some of the tombs.
We were joined by seven Brownies, veteran citizen volunteers who dedicate their time and expertise to preserving Bukit Brown. The Brownies were our tour guides and provided cleaning work supervision, while we played tourists before offering our helping hands in tomb cleaning.
We started with the Brownies taking us on a walking tour that educated us on the history, culture, and heritage of the cemetery, as well as the rich stories of the men and women who were laid to rest. Bukit Brown is the final resting place for many famous pioneers of Singapore. We walked through the dirt tracks, stopped by prominent tombs and listened to numerous stories of many pioneers of Singapore – educators, scholars, doctors, businessmen, bankers, philanthropists, and the common men who built up the city state during its early days. Many of the names, like Chew Joo Chiat, Chew Boon Lay and Gan Eng Seng, were names that were not unfamiliar to us.
Next, we literally rolled up our sleeves and split into groups. Supervised by the Brownies, we proceeded to clean up several tombs that had been covered with vegetation, roots and dirt, restoring dignity to the pioneers resting below. We pulled weeds and shrubs, chopped at overgrown roots and dangling branches, scraped and removed algae, swept away fallen leaves, and wiped grime off the tomb stones. It was a good solid three hours of sweaty and grubby hard work, but the sense of satisfaction was immeasurable when we inspected our handiwork at the end of the session, knowing that we made a contribution towards the preservation of a heritage site of such significance.
(photo montage Perry Tan)
The day culminated in a finale where we trekked to the magnificent tomb of Ong Sam Leong, where we were treated to a top-of-a-hill view and stories of the biggest tomb in Bukit Brown.
At the end of the day, we shook hands to express mutual appreciation with the Brownies. Something tells us that this would not be the last community activity at Bukit Brown as several volunteers have expressed their desire to be back for more.
(photo montage Perry Tan)
***
Brownie Khoo Ee Hoon briefing Stanchart volunteers (photo Claire Leow)
The Standard Chartered Clean-up took place on Saturday 26 April 2014
Disclaimer: By agreeing to take walking tours of Bukit Brown Cemetery, I understand and accept that I must be physically fit and able to do so.To the extent permissible by law, I agree to assume any and all risk of injury or bodily harm to myself and persons in my care (including child or ward)
Useful info here: Getting There/游览信息
Friday 18 April, 9am – 11.30am. Meeting place: At the Lor Halwa Main gates at Bukit Brown
Fabian and Steven will be guiding a tour on the Straits Settlement and life in the early days in Singapore. Get enriched by their stories of how pioneers, revolutionaries, missionaries and merchants alike settled in Singapore.
If you have a facebook account please register here . This is to help us keep track of numbers turning up
Sunday 20 April, 9am – 11.30am. MEETING POINT: Junction of Lorong Halwa, Kheam Hock Road and Sime Road
What makes Bukit Brown so fascinating is the many layers of history academics and amateurs alike have uncovered. This is where Chinese pioneers were buried between 1922 and 1973. Their lives – prosperous and paupers – paint a society that blossomed after Stamford Raffles landed and made this part of the Straits Settlements, a gem in the British empire in the Far East. The links to Penang, Malacca and Johor speak of the colonial empire. The links to Java and Sumatra tell of the maritime empires under the British and the Dutch. The lives of the revolutionaries and reformists speak of a struggle for identity with the fall of Imperial China.
In the 1940s, this was site of fierce battles involving British (4th Suffolks) and Indian (Royal Deccan Horses) forces, near a village of Chinese and Malay civilians had lived.
Your guides are Claire, Ish and Yik Han. Together they will help piece together the importance of our multifaceted history laid bare in a cemetery. We welcome anyone with knowledge of personal stories to share them with us on the trail.
NOTE: A documentary film crew will also be attending the tour and filming. By agreeing to the tour, you agree to be on film. We thank you for your understanding as we agreed to the filming as part of the outreach to raise awareness of this historic site.
If you have a facebook account please register here
“We guide rain or shine or exhumations.” – we urge you to wear sensible shoes, carry a bottle of water, put on insect repellent, and come with an open mind as we explore together. We share and talk as we walk, and learn from each other. Our walking tours are meant to be learning journeys, for both participants and guides. We believe in building communities and growing organically.
Sunday 20th April, 9am – 12pm Mandarin Guided Walk with Walter Lim
武吉布朗中文导览
丘菽园是家喻户晓的诗人报人，他创办天南与振南两份报刊
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