From Chinese Cemetery to Prime Residential Estate

Built on Singapore’s largest Chinese cemetery, Bishan has a long share of history that dated all the way back to the 1870s. The cemetery, then called Peck San Theng, is established by Cantonese and Hakka immigrants. Its name was derived from 10 pavilions providing shelter for the burial sites. By the 1970s, there were 75,000 graves across 121 hectares. In order to develop Bishan New Town, the site was acquired in 1973 for $5 million dollars. Exhumation work was conducted between 1982 and 1984. Construction follow suit and finished in 1989. Bishan is now a vibrant town consisting of 4 neighbourhoods: Shunfu, Bishan East, North and West with 23,000 HDB flats. It is a prime residential estate with great accessibility and close proximity to prestigious schools such as Raffles Institution. Bishan-Ang mo Kio Park is also one of the largest and most well-known urban parks.