When space is limited, every plot of land counts, even if some parcels of land have pasts you won’t find on a map. Over the years in land-scarce Singapore, thousands of exhumed graves have been cleared to free up land for HDB estates and new towns. Today, many of these neighbourhoods are among the most desirable areas to live in, even though their histories are well on the way to being forgotten.
While old superstitions about spirits and feng shui still come up in conversations from time to time, sheer demand for housing in these estates proves that practicality usually wins. Beneath today’s modern HDB blocks and streets, these are 7 iconic estates that once belonged to the dead.
Bishan: History beneath the MRT
Image credit: Families For Life, Singapore Architecture and Urban Planning
Before it became one of Singapore’s most desirable heartland towns, Bishan was the site of Peck San Theng Cemetery, a sprawling Chinese burial ground established in the 1870s. At its peak, it held more than 100,000 graves, making it one of the largest cemeteries in the country.
In the 1980s, the graves were exhumed to make way for Bishan New Town. Today, Bishan is a prime HDB estate with top schools, MRT access, and consistently high resale prices, with flats selling for as much as $1 million.
What was once considered taboo land is now home to some of the most in-demand flats in Singapore, showing how quickly perceptions can shift when it comes to housing.
Bidadari: Garden estate on former cemetery grounds
Image credits: National Archives of Singapore, CPG Corporation
Long before it became a green and family-friendly HDB estate, Bidadari was once home to Bidadari Cemetery, a resting place for Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Sinhalese dating back to the early 1900s. The site was cleared in the early 2000s, with exhumed graves relocated to Choa Chu Kang.
Bidadari today is marketed as a “garden living” town, complete with parks, cycling paths, and even a heritage walk that nods to its past. The irony isn’t lost on some, what used to be a place of eternal rest is now sold as a lifestyle haven.
Still, it’s one of Singapore’s most anticipated HDB towns, proving that good location and greenery matter more to buyers than spooky backstories.
Tiong Bahru: Pre-war flats over old graves
Image credit: Visit Tiong Bahru, Remember Singapore
Back in the 1930s, parts of Tiong Bahru Cemetery were cleared to make way for what would become Singapore’s very first public housing estate. At the time, it was considered a bold move, building homes over a burial ground wasn’t exactly most people’s idea of prime real estate.
Fast forward to today, and Tiong Bahru has gone from resting place to one of the city’s trendiest hotspots. Its pre-war Art Deco flats are now conservation gems, and the neighbourhood is packed with indie cafés, bakeries, and boutique shops.
What was once a cemetery is now a brunch hotspot, proof that in Singapore, even the afterlife can get gentrified.
Novena / Toa Payoh: Teo Chew cemetery to modern estate
Image credits: Jnzl, Terence Ong
Walk through Novena today, and you’ll see gleaming hospitals, malls, and condos. Head over to Toa Payoh, and you’ll find one of Singapore’s most recognisable HDB towns.
What most people don’t realise is that both areas once shared a very different landscape: the Teo Chew Cemetery. The cemetery once dominated the land until it was acquired in the 1950s and 60s for redevelopment.
The graves have long been exhumed, and the cemeteries replaced with homes, schools, and medical centres. Instead of tombstones and joss sticks, the area is now defined by MRT stations, hawker centres, and the bustle of daily life.
It’s a reminder that in Singapore, the same ground can go from sacred to everyday without skipping a beat.
Orchard Road (Somerset / Cairnhill): From graves to retail heart of Singapore
Image credit: soeperbaby, Heritage SG Memories
It’s hard to imagine Orchard Road as anything other than Singapore’s shopping belt, but before the malls and luxury condos, the area was dotted with Christian cemeteries. Burial grounds once stood where Dhoby Ghaut and Somerset MRT stations are today, gradually cleared in the 19th and 20th centuries as the city expanded.
Now, instead of quiet plots and headstones, Orchard is home to flagship stores, five-star hotels, and endless shopping crowds. If the old residents could see it, they’d probably be shocked at how pricey it is just to get a cup of coffee here.
Outram / Chinatown: Bustling estate with a resting past
Image credit: Cashmart, Heritage SG Memories
Today, Outram and Chinatown are buzzing with life. Hospitals, heritage shophouses, and modern residences fill the streets. But back in the 19th century, much of this land was occupied by Cantonese and Hokkien cemeteries, where even the famous Tan Tock Seng was laid to rest.
Over time, the graves were exhumed to make way for commercial developments. These days, the area is anything but quiet, yet if you wander through some of the older streets, you might still catch glimpses of history tucked between the modern buildings.
From tombstones to townhouses, Outram and Chinatown prove that in Singapore, life marches on, literally over the past.
Mount Pleasant (Upcoming): Heritage meets urban planning
Image credit: Explorer SG, Land Transport Guru
Bukit Brown Cemetery, established in the 1920s, was once Singapore’s largest Chinese burial ground, a city of graves quietly tucked among the greenery. Parts of it have already been cleared for Lornie Highway, and the rest is being redeveloped for the future Mount Pleasant HDB estate.
Soon, this area will welcome new homes, blending parks, heritage trails, and modern urban planning. From resting places to modern residences, Mount Pleasant shows that in Singapore, even the largest cemetery can be transformed.
Singapore estates that were built over exhumed sites
Many of Singapore’s most sought-after HDB estates and neighbourhoods sit on land that was once cemeteries, complete with exhumed graves. What were once considered taboo or off-limits spaces have been transformed into vibrant homes and bustling towns, showing how practical needs often outweigh superstition.
These developments reveal Singapore’s layered history, where sacred ground of the past coexists with modern living, parks, and daily life.
Looking for more historical housing stuff?
- HDB flats & houses with unsettling dark pasts
- Siglap’s dark past: This neighbourhood was once the site of a WWII massacre
- A brief history of Tanglin Halt estate in Singapore
Cover image adapted from: Singapore Architecture and Urban Planning, Explorer SG
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