These are among the unclaimed Chinese funerary artefacts from Bukit Brown Cemetery, unearthed from about 4,000 early Chinese graves. These graves made up about 5 per cent of the site’s estimated 100,000 graves, and were exhumed when road development works began in 2013.
In 2021, Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng (KWSPST), a 155-year-old cultural institution in Bishan Lane run by 16 Cantonese and Hakka clan associations, partnered with the National Heritage Board (NHB) to collect close to 1,500 of these items for display and educational use.
After years of cataloguing, cleaning and restoration, the objects are now displayed at the new 126 sq m KWSPST Early Chinese Burial Artefacts Gallery, which officially opened on Nov 30.
Dr Yee Wai Seng, the gallery’s deputy director, said the artefacts are imbued with the pioneering spirit of early Chinese immigrants and carry profound historical and cultural value.
“The items show that our early pioneers were mostly ordinary individuals who braved hardship in pursuit of a better life,” he said. “It was their resilience and tenacity that laid the foundation for modern Singapore.”
A spokesperson from NHB said: “The Early Chinese Burial Artefacts Gallery covers local Chinese funerary practices, an important though lesser-explored aspect of Singapore’s heritage and history.
“With the opening of the gallery, Singaporeans will be able to learn more about these practices as well as gain greater insights into the daily lives of early Chinese migrant communities. NHB is happy to support the gallery through its Heritage Grants Scheme.”
Bukit Brown Cemetery, which opened in 1922 and closed to new burials in 1973, was the first Chinese municipal cemetery established by the colonial government.
Among its graves were even older ones that had been relocated there.
The earliest artefacts in KWSPST’s collection are several tombstones dating to the Daoguang era, from 1821 to 1850, of the Qing Dynasty.
Another early item is a porcelain dish (below), believed to have been buried around 1854, based on the date inscribed on the grave’s tombstone.
“It looks ordinary, but it must have been something precious to be buried with its owner,” Dr Yee said.
There are also dentures with gold-plated teeth, which he said may reflect the descendants’ wish for their ancestors to remain complete and dignified even in burial.
Several miniature religious instruments uncovered at the site are believed to have been placed there to ensure the departed received protection in the afterlife.
A pair of miniature xizhang — also known as the “sounding staff” or “chanting staff” — were also found. These ritual objects, commonly carried by Buddhist monks, have metal rings hanging from their heads that produce a crisp, resonant chime when shaken.
This piece depicts a Buddhist hand gesture symbolising the act of teaching and expounding the concept of Dharma, guiding sentient beings, and conveying the flow and transmission of wisdom.
Placed in the hands of the departed, they served as talismans — offering protection, dispelling obstacles through their symbolic “sound”, invoking purity and expressing the hope that the departed would receive blessings and guidance in the world beyond.
A glass bottle of cough medicine buried in 1907 may have belonged to a sickly man, while a glass scent bottle with leftover perfume from a 1924 grave points to an owner of some wealth.
Jewellery makes up a large portion of the relics, including 144 silver bangles and 77 jade bangles, some of which are intricately carved.
This pair of bangles was unearthed from a 1928 grave.
The bangles are carved with the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.
In traditional Chinese culture, silver bracelets and bangles symbolise good fortune and represent wealth and status. They are also believed to ward off evil spirits and offer protection, safeguarding the wearer.
Jade bangles signal wealth and status, and also symbolise happiness, beauty and longevity. Among those on display are a pair of jade bangles from 1892 and an infant bangle from 1942.
Also in fashion were women’s headpieces, including gilded silver hairpins shaped like ruyi, a traditional Chinese symbol representing good fortune and the fulfilment of wishes.
There was also a silver bun hat from 1877, which would have secured an updo.
A long silver necklace or belt buried in 1927 was probably an accessory worn during special occasions.
The most common artefacts – 776 of them at KWSPST – are miniature vessels used in ancient Chinese burial customs.
Modelled after household utensils such as teapots, stoves and woks, these vessels were placed in tombs as grave goods so that the departed would have food and drinks in the afterlife.
Among them is a miniature brown teapot, about 5cm tall, buried in 1899, which reflects the tea-drinking culture among Singapore’s early Chinese immigrants.
Its base bears the name of the famous potter Hui Mengchen of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The teapot was found with a broken spout and a missing lid during excavation.
TREASURED POSSESSION
“A genuine Mengchen teapot is exceedingly precious,” Dr Yee said. “This is most likely an imitation, but having been kept underground for over 125 years, the ‘fake antique’ has become an authentic relic.”
Another full miniature tea set, including a stove, teapot and teacups, was retrieved from a 1941 grave.
“Most of those buried in Bukit Brown were Hokkiens, and they loved their tea and bak kut teh,” Dr Yee said.
Several decorative tombstone tiles stand out for their vibrant colours and designs, blending Chinese cultural elements with South-east Asian styles.
Cleaning and restoring the artefacts takes time and patience, Dr Yee said. He once broke a silver bracelet while trying to smooth out a dent.
“I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. The item survived decades underground, but was destroyed in my hands in an instant,” he said.
Since then, he has painstakingly cleaned and dried each item with care.
“From then on, whenever I encounter artefacts that have been deformed over time, I would rather preserve them as they are than try to correct their shape. Their fragility deserves to be respected.”
Even before the exhibition’s official opening, some people who got wind of the project had already stepped in to view the artefacts.
“Young students are especially curious about the relics in the gallery and the stories behind them,” Dr Yee said. “Now, this is an effective way to bring the young into our clans – by showing them interesting artefacts.”
KWSPST is itself sited on a former burial ground. Like much of Bishan New Town, it stands on what was once a cemetery.
The original Peck San Theng Chinese cemetery – built in 1870 by Cantonese and Hakka immigrants from Guangzhou, Huizhou and Zhaoqing in China’s Guangdong province – was the final resting place for more than 100,000 immigrants, much like Bukit Brown.
The Government acquired the 131ha burial ground around 1979 for the development of a new town called Bishan, whose name was derived from the cemetery’s.
After the acquisition, the Government leased 3.2ha of the land to KWSPST, on which now sits a columbarium, two temples and an office building.
At first, accepting grave items from a predominantly Hokkien cemetery did not sit well with some elders in KWSPST’s Cantonese and Hakka communities, especially as the organisation had previously lacked the resources to rescue and preserve its own cemetery artefacts.
“What we value today is our Singapore identity beyond dialect and racial differences. The heritage gallery affirms KWSPST’s role as a cultural platform that bridges generations and communities,” Dr Yee said.
The KWSPST Early Chinese Burial Artefacts Gallery is open for viewing by appointment only. Free guided tours can be arranged via pstheng@singnet.com.sg