Chinese Funeral at Peck San Teng (Images from the Past)

There is series of photos that describes an internment and funeral procession in Singapore and when i started to group some of this photos together and scrutinising this photos further, i was able to make a pattern to this pictures and map them as a story of a funeral ceremony that took place in Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng, a burial cemetery ground that is now a housing estate called Bishan. 

This set of photos was also even more special because it documented the funeral practices that took place at the burial plot that included rituals such as dragon dance and a Taoist Priest tossing a life cockerel over the grave. This photos are from the Elliot Collection which accessible online from the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology website. The description in this photos did help me in making this conclusion as well which were; 

• Chinese funeral in Singapore. [Elliott's listing] A group of men in hats carry a coffin suspended from poles into a cemetery. A funeral truck, decorated with flowers, is parked in the road beyond. 
• Interment at a Chinese cemetery in Singapore, probably Peck San Theng.

Funeral in Peck San Theng in 1950

The first 2 photos mark the arrival of the funeral cortege. The first photo you can see the family mourners sitting by the side of the unpaved work waiting for the men in hat who were the pallbearers unloading the coffin from the funeral lorry which is out of frame. The second picture is one you can see the decorated funeral cortege or lorry in the background. The pallbearers are carrying the coffin with poles and followed by the family members in mourning. 

Family mourners sitting by side of unpaved road while waiting for coffin to be brought down
(source: Elliot's Collection, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)

Coffin being carried by pallbearers using poles with deceased family following behind
(source: Elliot's Collection, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)

The next 2 photos are the grave sight. You can make out more tombs in the background with a forested green background. The pallbearers have arrived and are now getting ready to place the coffin into the grave. Prostrating on the ground  and wearing the funeral robes are the family members of the deceased and after the coffin has been placed into the grave, they then only get up. 

Family bowing while coffin is being place into grave
(source: Elliot's Collection, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)

Family standing after coffin was placed inside grave
(source: Elliot's Collection, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)

The final 3 photos are indeed interesting as it shares the funeral practices that took place back then which include a dragon dance and a Taoist Priest throwing a live cockerel over the grave with family members or helpers catching it.

   

Dragon dance over the grave. In the background you can see many Cantonese style tombs
(source: Elliot's Collection, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)
 

Taoist Priest getting ready to throw a cockerel over the grave
(source: Elliot's Collection, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)

Catching the cockerel that was thrown 
(source: Elliot's Collection, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)