Early Saturday morning we left for the island of Pulau Ubin, a short boat ride away from the main island of Singapore. As I stepped off the boat it felt like I was in a different country, with so much green and no skyscrapers or government housing blocks in sight. Pulau Ubin is apparently what Singapore was like in the 1960s, filled with kampongs, or villages, and not very industrialized. Although the area has been turned into an place primarily for tourist recreational activities, it was quite interesting to see the few shops and homes that remained. The whole group went bike riding around the island for the day, as we are all now very skilled at cycling after our journey through the jungles of Malaysia. The island was actually somewhat similar to Malaysia, with coconut palms, rubber plantations, and mangroves. It was definitely a very relaxing atmosphere, and I can understand why the locals come here when they want to get out of the busy city.
Hannah, Mary, Me, and Emily on the Boat to Pulau Ubin
After spending a peaceful day at Pulau Ubin, Mary and I wanted to see if any Kampong life still existed on mainland Singapore. Before coming to Singapore, we had both researched a village called, Kampong Lorong Buangkok. The articles we read stated that this was the last real village (nothing touristy about it) in Singapore and local families had owned the small homes for generations. The government wanted to demolish the homes to make space for more government housing units, as the land the kampong is on is very valuable due to Singapore’s small size. The Kampong was petitioning to keep their homes, but as of March, we did not know if the government had started to move in or not.
Sunday morning after one bus ride, traveling nearly a whole line on the subway, switching to the light rail, walking through HDB Flats, and taking a short cab ride, we finally found Kampong Lorong Buangkok. It really is a well hidden secret, which I guess is why all of the Singaporeans I asked about it did not know what I was talking about. It was a truly fascinating sight to see this small village right near hundreds of apartments and a row of wealthy private houses. We entered the Kampong and briefly spoke with a man sitting on his porch. He welcomed us to look around and when we asked him about the current construction situation, he said they were still unsure of what was going to happen. However, in the nearby areas around village we witnessed construction projects and machinery, demonstrating that this Kampong is probably next.
Pictures of in front of the Kampong
Afterward, Mary and I discussed how interesting it was that the government wants to demolish this small village in the name of progress and development. With Singapore wanting to nearly double its population in the future, I understand that space is very valuable and government housing does provide the opportunity for nearly every Singaporean to own a home. Nonetheless, it is sad that this unique heritage of Singapore many no longer last.
As we move onto Thailand in just a few days, I think it will be interesting to see the differences in preserving culture and heritage and its effect on Thai society, as I expect it to be very diverse from Singapore.
-Lucy
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