Established in 1956, Kampong Lorong Buangkok is the last surviving kampong on mainland Singapore.
Located near Gerald Drive (off Yio Chu Kang Road), the kampong currently houses less than 30 families, Malays and Chinese mixed with harmony. The houses, connected by dirt roads, are mostly made of wood with zinc roofs.
The roaming dogs, cats and chicken co-exist with one another in this peaceful village, where time seems to be frozen since 40 years ago. Children likes to play and fish at a big canal behind the village.
The residents of Kampong Lorong Buangkok pay a small monthly token of not more than $30 to the landlord Madam Sng Mui Hong, who inherited the plot of land from her father decades ago.
The little kampong received electricity and water supplies in 1963, two years before the independence of Singapore.
There are unconfirmed news that the land where the kampong is situated will be used for development in the near future, which means the 40-plus year-old kampong will not escape the rapid urbanisation of Singapore.
The most recent kampong in Singapore that was forced to cease to exist was at Khatib Bongsu. Used to be accessible through a muddy track off Yishun Avenue 6, the kampong‘s last two residents were being requested by the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) to move, because the nearby forested area has been marked as a restricted military training ground since the early nineties. By 2007, the zinc-roofed houses at Khatib Bongsu were demolished.
At the end of 2010, a jogging track which is linked to Sengkang Riverside Park was built behind the kampong, allowing joggers to enjoy the peaceful ambiance of that area.
A few steps away from the kampong is Leong Yoke Keng Hardware Manufacturing Factory, probably as old as the kampong itself, with two gigantic warehouses with zinc-plated roofs.
The region of Buangkok, situated not far from the kampong, is now filled with modern HDB flats of less than 5 years old, a stark contrast compared to the humble kampong.
Let’s hope the unique “kampong spirit” will last forever!
For a brief history of kampong in old Singapore, check out From Villages to Flats (Part 1) – The Kampong Days
Published: 22 October 2010
Updated: 15 July 2012
Charming. Is there another kampongs in the surrounding island?
Sadly no.. This is the last surviving kampong on mainland Singapore
Another one is at Pulau Ubin
How about the kampong/fishing village at Seletar?
Here it is: (http://remembersingapore.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/the-last-fishing-village-in-singapore/)
But it’s going to be cleared soon… Technically speaking, it is not considered a kampong because its people doesn’t stay there
We are destroying the past too fast. We are losing our past. It is very sad.
The gov is systematically targetting what it deems sub-optimally productive land(read: all those old places) all over the country, and “re-purposing” them to supposedly benefit this land-scarce nation(read: line the national coffers). This is their idea of “nation building” alright, in every literal sense of the word…except they forgot to ask if this is how we want it. Oh wait, they did do the national dialog thing alright. But we all know it’s a foregone conclusion anyway. Everything’s been decided well in advance, the show-and-tell is just a polite formality.
Leong Yoke Keng Hardware Manufacturing Factory has been there for aeons!
Whenevery I jog or cycle on the park connector next to the kampong, I always see kampong houses. I once saw men walking out of the kampong into the park connector.
I also live near the kampong at Sengkang.
there a pair of stone lions situated at back gate of surya home along lor buangkok. to reach this part of lor buangkok, u have to go in via the hdb buangkok link and continue into lor buangkok after the roundabout and take the first right turn once u get into lor buangkok. drive up 30-50m on a badly pothole road and you will see a pair of majestic looking stone lions. not very big, about 1m by 1.5m, height less than 1m. i dunno the history of the lions, maybe you can find out from the ppl inside the home.
So sad if this goes too. We are moving too fast.
The kampong is still there,with new pavements. (: My aunty lives there. Everytime,during hari raya…the whole lots of our family including our cousins will visit them. So fun and enjoyable.
I lived just behind the kampong
The development is slowly but surely heading towards Gerald Drive and Lorong Buangkok… The old factory may be the next to go in the future
Jalan Kayu sports hub ready by 2015
SINGAPORE – Residents in Jalan Kayu can look forward to a multi-purpose sports facility in the first half of 2015, which will feature a skating zone and areas for yoga.
Located in Buangkok Crescent, the 0.48ha facility will cost over $1.5 million to build, announced Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar, the adviser to Jalan Kayu Grassroots Organisations, at a media briefing yesterday. Dr Intan, who is a Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC, was speaking to reporters ahead of a ministerial community visit on April 14 by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Grace Fu.
The facility is expected to directly benefit residents living in the 29 Housing Board blocks nearby, and private residences in Gerald Drive. Some 22,000 residents live in the Jalan Kayu ward, which encompasses Serangoon North Avenue 4 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20130328-411859.html
Welcome to the future of S’pore…a land of generic sameness everywhere you look
No mall is too far from your home! No place unreachable by the MRT! No corner untouched by the mighty aspalt! No HDB flat that isn’t spanking new! Those dusty old places? Don’t worry we’ll have them cleaned up in no time! Welcome to “Uniquely S’pore”!