Grave, Artifacts - The Temenggong Zhong Yuan Festival 2023

August 20, 2023 Outreach

It was an opportunity to showcase grave artifacts in a space other than cemetery. The space in question is a gentile space close to Mount Faber with Harbour Front being the nearest MRT. Positioned as an outreach, we hope to the message of Saving Bukit Brown to other group of audiences.

Hopefully this partnership of volunteers of All Things Bukit Brown with Temenggong Artists-in-Residence will lead to similar activities in addition to the ones we already do.

Press mentions

https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20230818-1425062

https://mothership.sg/2023/08/temenggong-hungry-ghost-festival-exhibition/

Below is the digital handout that was shared giving a snapshot information of Singapore's grave heritage artifacts that are on the grounds of Temenggong.

Landscaped into the gardens of Temenggong Artists-in-Residence, are stone statues and exquisite stone carvings, crafted by artisans for the dead.

These grave artifacts are "fragmented" and "deconsecrated", from cemeteries that have been exhumed for development, such as Kwong Hou Sua (2009) in Woodlands. Some families - whose ancestors rest in cemeteries under threat, such as Kopi Sua - have also pre-empted the bulldozers. The artifacts here have been "rescued" and are now part of the private collection of Henri Chen and Reis Lee.

Fragmented they may be, but each still tells a story, which collectively also informs how the Chinese community here, prepares for eternal rest.

28 Temenggong Road

The Architecture of a Grave

A typical Hokkien grave consists of a tombstone, flanked on one each side by "shoulders". Built in to this, is an altar table. The grave then extends itself, claiming a wider space through a set of arms. They define the courtyard of the descendants, a measure of continued family wealth. From the visual perspective of the descendents, the arms unfold like the doors of a traditional Chinese house. The grave is after all, the last eternal home of the deceased. There is one caveat though, no more than three sets of arms for each grave. It stems from the belief that fortune does not last beyond three generations (富不过三代).

The aesthetics of the grave, from statues to carvings, embrace symbols to protect and ensure a good afterlife for the ancestor, and by extension, the well-being of the descendant.

The Protectors

The Earth Deity or Tutigong (土地公) is the most important and powerful protector of the grave. Descendants have to pay their respects to him first before, their ancestors.
Figurines in pairs of lions, birds and other felicitous creatures are often found atop the tomb arms at the intersection.

The Lions(狮) are the guardians, warding off evil spirits. They need not be incorporated into the architecture of the tomb, but can stand on either side of the grave. The crafting of a pair of lions is complex and expensive. The more elaborate, the higher the status of the family. The male lion is distinguished by the right paw on a ball, the female by the left paw on her cub.

Golden Boy and Jade Maiden (金童玉女) are the attendants to the deceased in their afterlife. The belief is that they guide souls worthy of redemption to "cross the bridge” to heaven. There are many myths about this pair, sometimes referred to as fairies. Topping the list: they are the favoured servants of the Jade Emperor. An elegant pair, which was part of the grave belonging to Tan Siak Kew (陈锡九), resides in a tranquil spot in the gardens. Tan was a prominent businessman, member of the Legislative Assembly, president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, a diplomat and philanthropist.

Indian Guards (colloquially referred to as Sikh Guards) were respected as brave, loyal and hardworking soldiers by the British in India. They were brought over and assimilated into local security. Later, Chinese towkays employed them to protect their homes and warehouses. It was to be lifelong employment, where they transformed into stone. A unique pair sits on the grounds, calf high and atypical with different expressions on their faces. They are an example of fine early craftsmanship of such statues

Carvings, here, there and everywhere

The carvings convey well wishes or tell virtuous stories to inspire descendants to live principled lives.
On alter tables, look for the panels which combine two sets of imagery, the first is the Three Immortals Fu, Lu, Shou ( 福祿壽). They represent Fortune, Prosperity, Longevity. The second for the "wishing for good fortune" (祈求吉庆), is a homophone sequence based on the items carried by the boys - flag (旗 "qi"), ball (球 "qiu"), halberd (戟 "ji"), percussion instrument (磬 "qing").

In the Chinese value system, Fu/Fortune is distinct from Lu/Prosperity. Fu/Fortune refers to blessings that include health, heirs, or virtues. Lu/Prosperity is more than just material wealth, but the weight of intellect, influence and social status.

On tomb shoulders, you can find examples of the Eight Immortals riding on celestial animals. They are legendary figures of the Taoist sect, worshipped because of their ability to bless families with heirs and positive energy, among other powers. There is also a tableau of the immortals on the panel of an altar.
The tombstone supported by the two shoulders is a record of important details of the deceased: the name including honorary names of merit, ancestral home, and date of birth and death. Where there are descendents, their names too are engraved with the relationship defined. This is how future generations trace their genealogy - stone proofed.

On the pillars of the grave, can also be found couplets, expressing a diverse range of sentiments, from a yearning for home to the aspirations for future generations.

Burial Jars

The ovoid burial jars hold the remains of those who have been reinterred from their original burial ground. With an everted neck, it has a decorative element of a lion's head, similar to censers in temples. A collection of similar jars was found by workers excavating a site in what was once Peck San Teng cemetery. It confirmed that the jars - probably containing the remains from another location - were buried as per the Cantonese tradition, with the site unmarked. Bishan estate sits on what was once a 150-year cemetery with a thriving community.

Artifacts at the second residence

Noteworthy artifacts here are from the graves of Singapore's first ambassador to Thailand, Tan Siak Kew mentioned earlier, and prominent rice merchant of the 1900s, Chen He Qu, the grandfather of Henri Chen Ke Zhan.

They are the remains of the day from Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery.

And at the end of the day, they remain just that, fragments of a whole.

But close to the central catchment reserve at Macritchie Reservoir, lies Bukit Brown Cemetery, shaped by nature, landscaped by man. Thousands upon thousands of graves have survived the weathering of a 100 years. Some are resplendent, others humbler, plenty of in-betweens. They reflect the demographic of society at the turn of the 20th century. A humble grave has been identified at the beginning of what has been dubbed, bankers’ row. The grave, just a solitary tombstone, is a "blood connection” to the infamous Little Dagger brotherhood in China during the Taiping Revolution.

This is Bukit Brown, where graves come alive in stories told by a community of volunteers on their guided walks, under the banner All Things Bukit Brown. This is where you can experience the material culture of the artifacts here in Temenggong, intact.

Bukit Brown is also a cemetery under threat from development.