Singapore is a modern city, highly cosmopolitan and one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. It includes Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians, Caucasians and Asians from dozens of different origins. Singapore prides itself on contemporary architectural designs and state of the art highrise structures. At first glance Singapore has it all; top notch medical services, extremely (nearly nil) low crime rate, HDB housing for the citizens, and a modern lifestyle.
You quickly realize when living in Singapore that something is missing here. History buffs see new buildings housing historical data, modern art, contemporary designs and beautiful homes on the island. However, upon closer examination, you note that there are no century old homes here. In the states we have stately plantations mixed in with the newer homes and historical buildings mixed in with the new high rises. History buffs cherish those buildings; often to the point of protesting their destruction and causing years of court battles to halt their demise. In Singapore it is not so; progress allows destruction, older homes and buildings are destroyed and new ones rise - giving way to 'progress'.
Deep in the heart of Singapore, there remains one last kampong village, waiting for exploration, documentation and admiration. Deep in the heart of surrounding HDB's lies a tiny village - Kampong Buangkok - the last remaining Kampong in Singapore. Sadly, it is slated for demolition and redevelopment soon - and this dear friends, we call progress. Currently Kampong Buangkok houses 28 families (18 Chinese and 10 Malay), in a village that merely takes up about 3 football fields in size. The families pay about $13 in rent, the government provides electricity, running water, trash collection, and once a day a postman comes by on his motorcycle to deposit modern mail in the antique mailboxes. While the city is bustling around them, they continue to enjoy the slower pace of life that the kampong setting offers.
A group of us went to explore the last Singapore kampong. Always in for an adventure, cameras in hand we took the MRT to Ang Mo Kio. We then took the bus stop and walked to the kampong - a short walk away.
Heritage conservation
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