An Unexpected Sheltered Tomb for Tan Boon Cheng (陈文清) along Lorong Halwa [Near Bukit Brown Cemetery]

I am finally revealing what lies beyond the eerie looking road as mentioned in my post dated 19 December 2011! Gosh, i didn't realise i waited so long to disclose what you are going to read in the next few paragraphs!

It might appear bright and sunny in the above photograph but when you travel at night along this little known road that does not even have street lamps; it's an entirely different story.

Slow driving is essential for survival - besides the nearby tombstones and potholes on the road; you might also encounter wild animals that thrive in such quiet surroundings.

After a few minutes of careful driving, you would come upon this house-like structure. In my first visit, i was wondering why there is a house in the middle of freaking nowhere?!

Most importantly, my brain suddenly recollected some of the stories from the True Singapore Ghost Stories series; someone was lost in the woods and came up to an empty house which was of course haunted and blah blah blah.

However, this wooden shack (the term seems more appropriate than house) is definitely not abandoned. For example, you would have already noticed the shiny motorbike in front of the house in the previous picture.

Laundry was also hung outside for some sunlight.

The intriguing thing about this structure is not so much the outside but the inside where a tomb is located right in the middle. The shack was apparently built over the tomb as a sort of sheltered protection.

Results on internet and hearsay were mixed; some said one of the descendents lives there while others mentioned a caretaker. I am more incline to believe the former as a caretaker would likely be in the vicinity most of the times and i have never once chanced upon the person [the friend who brought me here told me the person would come back only late at night and depart when it is sunrise].

I would have loved to venture inside for a closer look, if not for two reasons.

Firstly, it would be impolite to intrude without permission from the resident and secondly, there are quite a number of dogs guarding the compound! Although they could fall under the "bark is worse than the bite" category, i am never going to risk it!

Therefore, please be thankful for the creation of zoomed lens! The headstone, as you can see, was well maintained unlike the others in the area. I could even make out some English inscriptions that the deceased, Tan Boon Cheng, was born in 1878!

So who is this Tan Boon Cheng? According to a source on internet, this man was a fortune teller! Hence, is there any underlying feng shui factor in building the shack given his occupation?

There is only one way to find out - buy some tea leaves (or beer) and wait for the resident at this table till the wee hours when he returns.

To kill the boredom (from waiting too long), observe these two eagle statues situated at the entrance.

For all you know, the stone head might start to turn towards you....

=====

Location (How To Go There)

From Lornie Road (towards Adam Road), turn in to Kheam Hock Road. You will come to a fork, turn right again, drive along until you find a small road (on your left and known as Lorong Halwa) leading to nowhere. Turn in and drive ahead until you see the shack.