Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (10)

The kampong houses have running water, electricity and telephone lines. It is one of the rare area in Singapore where overhead cables are still being used.

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Another typical sight in the kampong.

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The letterbox of house 17-c...

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The door of one of the houses.

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A line of chairs seem to be waiting for the spectators of a singing and dancing show organised by the kids of the village...

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Pet dogs and cats, as well as the occasional hen roam freely between the houses. Here a game of cat and (mouse) lizard was captured by chance!

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While the houses of the kampong are connected by a mud paths, plenty of care and love are applied by the residents to the decoration, with lush gardens, vases and antic lamps, all kept neat and clean.

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Shades and colours in the kampong.

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The kampong is located on a private land with a 999 year lease. While the value of the land can be estimated to over SGD 50 mio, the owners charges residents a rent in the range of SGD 10 to SGD 30 per month per house plot.

Residents however hesitate to invest in renovations or improvements as Kampong Buangkok and its surroundings have been marked for redevelopment by the URA. Consequently and in line with this development project, the owner might be requested to sell the land to the government, which would then spell the passing of the kampong.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok - Singapore (1)

On a land soon to be redevelopped hides the last real kampong on the main island of Singapore. Comprised of 28 tin roof houses, it provides a sight of day past, when such villages were common across the country.

While kampongs are still prevails in most of South East Asia, the rapid development and the optimization of the land use in Singapore have erased most signs of this once familiar rustic lifestyle.