There is a last rural village standing in Singapore up to now. And last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to explore the place and observed how is a rural village in Singapore look like then. As almost of Singapore land area has been developed and transformed into a modern city state, this one spot of secret tropical eden has been left behind and kept into its original condition as in the early years of Singapore.
Though it is just a compact village with just over twenty houses, it still provide a glimpse of how a traditional rural way of living in the early days in Singapore. All one-story houses were owned by a single owner and being rented at a nominal amount to mostly the owner family friends who where living there ever since.
Kampong Buangkok, kampong is a malay word for village, is very much authentic traditional asian village. Nothing has been changed nor altered, from the small roads, wooden painted houses, electrical posts, to outdoor antennas on the roof. It seems time stood still here. The way of life of the residents has not been altered too, laundry is being hanged to dry in the backyard. The day i was there I spotted a resident cultivating soil for planting vegetables. Another is cooking outdoor as it appear to be having a family celebration that day, as the music from the inside is played loud.
The surrounding is a joy to experience as it differs to a usual modern environment. Bougainvillea in all variety clinging on front yard fences. Fruit trees like mangoes, starfruit, and jackfruit grows in the backyards. Chickens roaming freely on the alleyway. Big trees in all directions hides the village from the modern apartment blocks.
The government still provides electricity, running water in a traditional way, even a postman comes once a day on his motorcycle to deliver mails house to house.
There is no definite date until when the village last, as the government has already plan to demolish the village and turned it into another modern housing estate, so I heard.
Houses were accessible through narrow alleys.
Most houses were of wood materials, painted in bright colors.
A resident doing backyard farming
A resident doing a normal house chore
A street signage
the village has a worship place too
And like in any village, there is a rich resident too
For direction going to Kampong Buangkok, I took a bus no. 70 at Yio Cho Kang mrt bus interchange. And alighted at the bus stop opposite the Church of St Vincent de Paul. I went down the steps near the shell gas station and cross a bridge by the creek. From there is just a walking distance to the entrance road to the village.
