When you hear the word Singapore, maybe what comes to your head is a developed country, rich, modern, and all sophistication exists in this country. How not, this 728.6 sq km country is filled with tall buildings, both offices and residences.
Yasss! In other words, most Singaporeans live in apartments, and this is a common thing. However, Singapore seems to have another surprising side.
In the midst of modernization that they highlight, it turns out that Singapore still has villages in it, even located in the middle of the city. At least, there are 25 families living there.
Lorong Buangkok is the exception to luxury in Singapore. Quoted from Insider, Lorong Buangkok is the only remaining traditional village in Singapore.
The Origin of Buangkok Hall
Looking back a little, the existence of this village began with Sng Teow Koon, a Singaporean man who bought a plot of 12,248 square meters in 1956. The area was then built houses made of wood and zinc or the Attap house.
Gradually, development in Singapore was progressing rapidly. Around the area were built modern apartment buildings and bungalows. However, Kampong Lorong Buangkok still sticks with its traditions.
Although the houses there are far from modern, the residents do not close themselves off from modernization. They also enjoy technology, including luxury cars, high-speed WiFi, and smart TVs.
The residents also live no different from the Singaporeans in general. There are residents who work as employees in the city center and buy groceries from local supermarkets.
"The people are not poor, every house has a car, we want to preserve the culture," Sng told Insider.
Generally, the people who live in Kampong Lorong Buangkok come from villages in Southeast Asia. At first, the houses here weren't fenced off, but tour guide Kyanta Yap told Insider, in the late 2000s villagers built fences to protect themselves from burglars.
It's no secret that property rental prices in Singapore are quite expensive. In fact, Singapore has been named the second most expensive country in the world to rent property. However, this does not apply to Sng. This is because he only charges S$13 per month to the villagers.
In fact, Attap's house is twice the size of a studio apartment in Singapore. Sng's father had wanted to increase rents in the 1950s but he refused.
"Why should I raise the rent as a second-generation landlord?" said Sng. "If I try to raise the price, they'll just make a fuss," he added to Insider.
How? Interested in visiting or even living in Lorong Buangkok Village?