Singapore's last kampong

We've heard so much about the last kampong still standing in land-scarce Singapore, and I've always wanted to visit before it disappears. We finally made the trip last Saturday.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok is a rustic village tucked away in a small corner near Hougang, surrounded by modern factory buildings, HDB flats and landed properties.

With chickens and dogs roaming freely along the dusty tracks leading to wooden houses with zinc roofs, the little kampong looks like a place that is trapped in time.

The visit brought back childhood memories of our village in Lim Chu Kang. Unlike the houses that are clustered together tightly here, most of us lived in a sprawling estate full of fruit trees, vegetable plots, wells and ponds. The houses were far apart yet everyone knew each other. The camaraderie was strong and we all looked out for each other. This is what the kampong life was all about.

Sadly, with urbanisation, the kampong spirit is no longer alive in Singapore. Well, except for Lorong Buangkok. Here, the villagers leave their main doors open though the houses are not fenced in or gated. This tightly knit community comprises 10 Malay and 18 Chinese households living in harmony.

I spotted two fengshui lions at the entrance of the village.

A cluster of laughing Buddhas near the entrance.

Track leading to the village.

Big bananas in someone's backyard.

A typical kampong house.

Boots drying in the sun.








Ferns growing on the roof of an abandoned house.

Rusty fence.