Behind the hustle and bustle of a modern city, lie quieter places in Singapore that are thought to possess either an association to past tragic events or a naturally creepy atmosphere due to its abandonment. Here are places with a history that could be haunted and should be ventured with caution at night.
1) Old Changi Hospital
Contrary to popular belief that it has been converted to the Raintr33 Hotel, the Old Changi Hospital still remains to this day. It was once a hospital for victims of the Japanese Occupation, during which many did not survive. It is said that the spirits still linger around in the abandoned building, which is situated just next to the hotel. Stay there at your own risk!
2) Bidadari Estate
The new housing estate sits on a former burial ground known as Bidadari Cemetery. While the graves of Christian, Muslim, Sinhalese, and Hindu communities have long been exhumed, the development of the residential area has resulted in the demise of many rare species of birds and animals, such as the Black-backed Kingfisher, Asian Palm Civet, Variable Squirrel, which could have been the “Bidadari” or “fairies” guarding over the once tranquil and serene green space.
3) Kent Ridge and Fort Canning Park
Both parks were designated fortresses to defend Singapore against the Japanese invasion in during World War 2. These places may be beautiful for a stroll in the day, but trust me, they are absolutely terrifying at night. It feels as if you may lose yourself mentally in the verdant woods. There has been a couple of fatalities in the nearby university campus, with the most recent being that of a student falling to her death.
4) Former Hainan Village at Upper Thomson Road
Somewhere in the deep and lush forests between Old Upper Thomson Road and the current Upper Thomson Road lies the ruins of a former Hainan village, which was established in the 1800s and abandoned in 1975. Strewn with broken pieces of the past, such as old cassette tapes, traditional teapots, plastic water scoops and light bulbs, the evidence that people once inhabited this area is apparent. Having been there personally, the place is particularly peculiar because many of the moss-covered concrete structures are still intact. There were wells and a washroom with a broken toilet bowl from which a Bird’s Nest Fern grew. In a bid to conserve the area which is home to the critically endangered banded leaf monkey and located near Casuarina Curry Restaurant, the vicinity will be developed as Thomson Nature Park and slated to open in 2019.
5) Bukit Brown
No stranger to locals, the Bukit Brown Cemetery has become a cultural heritage site to learn about Singapore’s history and pioneers. However, to the dismay of many nature enthusiasts and conservationists, over 3000 graves have been exhumed to pave way for the construction of Lornie Highway, which opened to traffic late 2018. The disturbance of the dead for the sake of development has been very much frowned upon.
6) Orchard Road
Along the busy tourist-centric Orchard Road are the malls of Ngee Ann City and ION Orchard, both of which are sitting on the sites of former graveyards where Teochew communities were buried. In recent years, there have also been cases of unnatural death further down Orchard Road at Orchard Central mall where a teenager and a man have both fallen to their deaths.
7) Pulau Ubin
The island’s traditional kampong-style houses are becoming a rarity as nearly 2,000 residents have abandoned their homes since the 1950s. There are less than 20 households left on the island, leaving many dilapidated structures around. Some of them are already enshrouded by the forest, while others possess personal belongings of previous homeowners, who may or may not have passed on.
8) MRT Stations
Tampines, Bishan, and Novena MRT stations may be some of the busiest places in the day, but at night spookiness is felt by several staff at these locations. Formerly built on graveyards, there have been sightings of headless figures, ghost passengers and blurry figures carrying coffins. Tampines station itself had also experienced cases of suicide, fatal rail accidents and an infant death.
9) Botanic Gardens
The 159-year-old tropical garden and Singapore’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to a diversity of flora and fauna, as well as many mature heritage trees, such as Tembusu and Kapok, that are over hundreds of years old. Steeped in history since the British colonial period, the garden remains a beautiful place to immerse oneself in nature. Although the garden is opened from 5am to midnight, it is advisable not to visit the gardens when it gets too dark after sunset. There have been staff eyewitness accounts of strange sightings and hearings from the vegetation, and a treefall accident that resulted in a tragic death of a woman in 2017.