Report: Cemetery Tour in Bukit Brown on Sat 3 Apr 2010 (安樂山之福地遊)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Other

Thanks to Bro Victor of Taoism-Singapore Online Group for sharing with us on the Report.

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Hi folks,
What a wet and humid day it was today. But I suppose it made all the more interesting and gets one to appreciate and reflect better after a hot bath and relaxing at home. (^^)

The thunder was roaring as I stepped out of my apartment this afternoon at 12.45pm. Ah, I thought to myself, would it be a repeat of the last time when a similar tour was abandoned halfway when it poured. I hoped not, all raising all the excitement. Just as Terry and I [we met along the path from Newton Circus MRT Station - and Terry told me he could recognise me from the ST photo, I was wondering if was my pouch (^^)] were getting to the Newton Circus Food Centre, tiny drops of rain came. As more participants came, the fine rain started.





We thought that it would stop, as in most cases in Singapore. And so, after the P stop for some, we took off. The drizzle continued, on and off, as we made our first walk along the PIE expressway (from the Kheam Hock Rd underpass). The Aljazeera TV team caught up to capture some scenes of Qing Ming in Singapore.



What would have been open space with the tombs facing the vast valley below, this was secondary forest. It made locating the tombs all the more difficult for the descendants, but it did not stop them. The first big tomb we came across was covered with multi-coloured papers. Jave gave a brief explanation on the coloured papers and the joss papers used. He brought alot some to show to the participants.



The next stop was the Tua Pek Kong temple, the main guardian of the Cemetery here. This was the temple that Raymond and Charles stumbled onto looking for other tombs. While it was a find for us, to the regulars, it was the temple that they would go to offer their respects, and I suppose to seek permission or inform that they are going to the tombs. In fact, in our recce tour with Yen Feng, we came across this 70+ old lady who came with her son and brother to offer their final respect to her father-in-law. She was explaining to us that on the tombs, you can see the sons, daughters and grandchildren's names, but not the daughter-in-laws. She said that it was assumed that the sons would have wives. (^^) Today, when we passed that tomb, the resident of the tomb has been exhumed. She was telling us that they would come one night to have it exhumed. In the Chinese belief, the dead must not meet the sun, and so, it is better to do it in the middle of the night.



With the ground wet and our group being pretty big, it took us a while to move. And at times, I think we could be a few hundred metres long. (^^) We have members coming from all walks of lives and so, while listening to the three leaders' explanation, they also got to know each other. We have foreigners living in Singapore as well. And we have professors to architects to students to some even looking for long lost tombs. One found her grandaunt's tomb!



For Singaporeans who know a little about our short history and the Chinese pioneers, many of their graves are here in Bukit Brown. Khoo Teck Puat's father's tomb was there with elaborated but faded stories and poems. I wonder if the experts could help restore and read the contents before they are gone forever. Or has it? And yes, there was Boon Lay's grave (most of us might know the road name or the MRT station, and not much about the person!) And Mrs Lim Nee Soon? Ong Sam Leong's grave must be the biggest in Bukit Brown! The saddest story must be the relocation of the graves of Hong Lim from Alexandra to Bukit Brown, from his own land where it was acquired by the government for urban renewal. The request from the affected family was that he be given a good fengshui spot, which was granted, but the other graves of his family did not get as good. The Chinese believe that a good fengshui of the tomb will bestow prosperity (which could wealth and health) to the descendants. It is kind of investing in the future. In those days, as in a few graves, they were built while the intended resident was still alive. He not only think about catering for his future generations by providing properties and money, but also a tomb that could ensure continuity in that sense!



My bnef report, as always, does not do justice to what Charles, Raymond and Jave had shared. It is just a glimpse of what I caught, hoping from place to place, and from person to person. (^^) And if you have more to add, or correct, please do. we all learn more in the process.

We had a wonderful group which were all ears and eyes, with hands busy making notes, even when their notebooks were wet. There's so much to absorb that I think we will need to attend the same lesson many more times! (^^) Ah, maybe, we should video tape the guides each and every time and edit them into a series. The guides are normally prompted by questions from the tour members.

Bravo for braving the rain and for being such great participants! Kudos to you and our three leaders who shared their knowledge with us. Along the way, some participants also shared their knowledge with us.

Victor
Singapore