by I thoroughly enjoyed a walking tour yesterday sponsored by the Friends of the Museums. The tour was called “Nostalgic Singapore”. We drove in a tour bus north from Newton Circus Food Center up to Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the last remaining kampong (village) in mainland Singapore.
This kampong is home to 30 families with houses connected by dirt roads, built of wood with zinc roofs. The kampong dates back to 1956 with electricity added in 1963. The land is currently owned by Miss Sng Mui Hong who still lives here. She inherited the land from her father. The families pay about $30/mo to live here.
Life here is basic with many of the families being multi-generational. The land around this village is slowly being developed with tall apartments being built right next door. We saw many fruit trees and herbs growing everywhere. There is a strong feeling of community living and sharing among the families.
I found a video report showing the kampong which I thought shows what I experienced in my walk through yesterday.
It was a great tour with lots of history. I hope these families can remain in their homes for as long as they wish rather than the government making the decision for them. But in Singapore “progress” rules.
