Mount Vernon Columbarium Pagoda (翡珑山骨灰龛塔) - A Lonesome Visit To Satisfy My Curiousity @ Upper Aljunied Road

Curiousity is my middle name and this trait has unfortunately resulted in many misdeeds, especially in my childhood. However, it has its benefits as i never stop learning new things!

I frequently drive along Upper Aljunied road and in the midst of all the greenery that used to be Bidadari cemetery, i can steal glimpses of what appeared to be a Chinese style pagoda.

Many people are aware what it holds; hundreds, if not thousands of niches with urns of the deceased.

It would be exciting to visit at night but i also know the pictures might turn out to be unusable as experience from my trip to Bukit Brown cemetery tells me.

First up is the communal burner that has been tarred through years of paper burning.

The octagon-shaped Chinese tower is nine floors high and if you think i would climb all the way up to the top floor just to satisfy my curiousity, you are dead wrong!

There is a lift for visitors! It is definitely convenient although it was honestly very eerie when i took it alone. The whole compound was devoid of any human presence and the decade-old lift was taking its own sweet time to reach the eighth floor.

A climb up to the top level (9th floor) is necessary and i am thankful i chose not to walk up from the ground floor. The stairways were dark and every little noise was amplified, making even a short walk unnerving! I could so imagine the excitement at night.

Anyway, i was rewarded with a beautiful unblocked view at the end of the staircase.

Right ahead of us is Cedar Girls secondary school and i guess everyone knows the landscape at the background; the scenic skyscrapers in Singapore's central business district, including Singapore Flyer!

A light breeze relaxed my tired soul and i could understand why relatives of the deceased would choose to pay top dollar to house their loved ones at the higher levels besides the fengshui reason.

From the top, i could also clearly make out the layout of Bidadari Gardens - a memorial created to remember the former Bidadari cemetery in the area. For my post on the gardens, please click here.

This would interest more people even though this is the last picture you would see today of these low-rise buildings housing niches from as long as fifty years ago.

Rest assured, another post is in the works. =)

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Additional Information

As the notice issued by NEA said, Mount Vernon is not yet slated for redevelopment despite the rumours circulating in the internet. Therefore, do pay visit before it is too late!