Fort Canning Green

In Singapore, on a hill a few blocks from the Raffles Hotel, the Orchard Road shopping district and other local landmarks, is Fort Canning Park, a wonderful historic area that makes a nice haven from the hustle and bustle of city life. Within this park is a sloping open space called Fort Canning Green, which is often used as a venue for concerts and other shows, but most of the time it's an open grassy space.

Fort Canning Green


Many visitors many not know that this grassy space was once a cemetery. If you attended the Lady Gaga concert that took place here last year, you may not know that you were dancing on people's former graves!

It was active as a burial ground from 1822 (consecrated in October 6, 1834) until its closure on March 31, 1865. More than 600 people were buried here during those four short decades. Thereafter, it sat undisturbed, and sometimes tended, for nearly a century. It must have been a grand sight, filled with large above-ground tombs not unlike those found in Penang's Protestant Cemetery.

But Singapore doesn't have a reputation for being kind to its cemeteries. One of the tiniest countries in the world, Singapore is perennially desperate for land, and over the last 60 years has gradually been reclaiming its cemeteries.

This cemetery was no exception. Decades ago (the 50s or the 70s: sources differ), it too fell victim to the bulldozer and backhoe. The bodies were exhumed and the tombstones removed. But thankfully, around 250 grave tablets were preserved, and were mounted in the walls surrounding the green. And a few gravestones were moved to the nearby Armenian Church.

Grave tablets mounted in walls




Another bit of misfortune is that the burial register was lost in the 19th century. But thankfully, in 1912, H.A. Stallwood, a government clerk, was tasked with recording all the burials and mapping the graves. Then in 1985, Alan Harfield conducted comprehensive research of Stallwood's records, obituaries, the remaining grave tablets and other sources. As such, much information about the people buried here is preserved.

Furthermore, there's a group of 12 graves standing in the northeastern corner. These are not originally from here, having been relocated from another razed graveyard, Bukit Timah Cemetery.

Group of 12 graves


There are a few original structures that have been preserved. The two famous Gothic Gates, designed by Charles Edward Faber, are landmarks of this place.

One of the Gothic Gates


Here's a sign I came across while there:


Other original structures are two cupolas. But according to Stallwood's records and Harfield's research, they were not associated with any graves.

Cupolas


Here's a map. Note: east is up in this map!



The park and the grave tablets make a great place for a modeling photo shoot!



I came across a couple surprise discoveries while there: I found the wives of two missionaries whose graves I had found elsewhere.

Mary Gutzlaff, the wife of Karl Gutzlaff, buried in Hong Kong.

Matilda Dean, the first wife of William Dean, buried in Rochester, NY. His second wife, Theodosia, is also buried in Hong Kong.

One more thing: just outside this cemetery there sits a lone grave. It's considered a sacred spot among many local Muslims. The site is Keramat Iskandar Shah, the supposed burial site of a 14th century sultan of Singapore, long before Singapore was Singapore. (There's apparently no body in the coffin: Iskandar Shah was actually believed to have been buried near Malacca, however.)

Keramat Iskandar Shah


Getting there

By foot:

It's easy to walk here from downtown Singapore. Find Coleman St. (near St. Andrew's Cathedral) and walk in an easterly direction. Soon the street's name changes to Canning Rise. Continue on; the street goes uphill and curves northward. Soon you will see Fort Canning Green on the left. You can't miss the Gothic Gates.

By MRT:

The closest MRT station is Dhoby Ghaut; the second closest is City Hall. You'll have to cross a few streets, but it's easy to get to in either case. Look at the maps in the MRT stations. If you get lost, just ask the way: Singaporeans are excellent with directions!

On Find A Grave

Fort Canning Green

On Google Street View

Fort Canning Green

Chin Pao San Cemetery

Located on the mountainside above the north-coast town of Jinshan, in Taiwan, is Chin Pao San Cemetery. Chin Pao San (jinbaoshan), meaning "mountain of gold and jewels," is a modern cemetery just up the road from Juming Museum (the museum of one of Taiwan's most famous artists, Ju Ming).

Chin Pao San Cemetery


Various people have disputed the English spelling of the cemetery name, but this comes straight from the horse's mouth: the most authoritative source, which is the cemetery office itself:



It's got some fascinating art. Some may find it tacky, others otherworldly. Whatever the case, it's rather unusual and captivating.

Buddha grotto


Bizarre structure near the cemetery entrance


Several weeks ago I visited the cemetery, and while there I decided (somewhat unprepared) to look for the grave of Echo Chan, a famed Taiwanese writer. I knew from prior research that her ashes were interred on the third floor of the big lingguta (pagoda-like columbarium) that dominates the cemetery.

Lingguta, named Jinbaota ("tower of gold and jewels")


To get to the tower, you have to walk through a small convenience store next to the cemetery office, then you get in an elevator and go to the 5th floor. It opens up to an exterior plaza. The tower is immediately across the plaza.

I entered the tower, and climbed the stairs to its 3rd floor, only to find there are thousands of niches in there. So I went down to the front desk and inquired. After some tapping on the computer and phoning the main office, the clerk told me that Echo Chan is indeed interred here... but! ... he said he couldn't give out the location to just anyone.

The gauntlet was thrown down. If there's one thing I love when it comes to graving, it's a challenge. "I'll be back," I said to him... in my mind.

Today I went back. This time I was armed with information. Echo Chan's real name is Chen Ping, and pseudonym is Sanmao. And her vital dates are 1943-1991. I went into the tower, climbed to the 3rd floor, and checked around to see where people who died in 1991 were most likely to be interred. Then I started doing an exhaustive search of the north side of the room. Soon enough, I found a Chen Ping. Could this be her? On closer inspection I saw the dates 1929-1990. Wrong person.

After about half an hour of searching niche by niche through the names, serenaded by prerecorded Buddhist chants piped into the room, I finished the north side. Time to move to the west side. I was getting somewhat tired of looking at all these names, and thought that maybe I'd go home when I finished the west side, and continue the search another day. I did find a couple foreigners' niches here, so all was not lost.

But soon I came across another Chen Ping. Another false alarm? But look at all the flowers!! I checked the dates, and what should I see, but 1943-1991. I found her! I succeeded in my challenge!



My mission accomplished, I went on to visit the most famous grave of all at this cemetery: the grave of singer Teresa Teng. Teresa Teng is known as "Taiwan's Sweetheart," a woman with a very sweet, demure disposition who sang classic songs and entertained the troops. She died of asthma while on vacation in Thailand in 1995.

Like Echo Chan, she died in her 40s in the 90s. Unlike Echo Chan's grave, the location of Teresa Teng's grave is public knowledge. Indeed, busloads of tourists and fans make pilgrimages to her gravesite.

Teresa Teng's gravesite is an exercise in kitschiness. Tacky art adorns the entire memorial area, and her music constantly plays here through speakers. No idea if it plays during the night.

Here's the entry to the memorial area. The sign says "Teresa Teng Memorial Park." It just so happened that the plants alongside the adjacent graves were being misted, hence the wetness.



Some sculptures near the entrance


Some music-themed art


On the approach to her grave is a giant keyboard with marble keys. It actually plays: if you step on the keys, they play notes.



Beyond the keyboard is a golden statue of Teresa Teng in a treble-clef-shaped flower bed.



Closeup of statue


Then we come to the gravesite itself. People often leave offerings here. Flowers, incense, etc. I've even seen people leave burning cigarettes in the incense pot!



Closeup of inscription.


There's a cool-looking cactus garden adjacent to memorial area. Just walk down the steps on your right as you head away from the gravesite. The shuttle bus stop is just across the road.



Getting There

By bus:

It used to be a chore to get up there by public transportation. Now the North Coast Shuttle makes it a snap. From the Tamsui (Danshui) MRT station, take the North Coast Shuttle Bus (NT$100 for all-day pass to evert stop along the route) to the Yun Garden stop, which is stop #10 along the route between Danshui and Keelung. Teresa Teng's grave is just opposite the bus shelter, up a stairway in a cactus garden.

By car:

Drive along coastal Highway 2. A couple km north of downtown Jinshan, you'll see brown tourist-site signs pointing to the Teresa Teng Memorial Garden or to the Juming Museum. Follow the signs. Keep an eye out for signs with the characters 金寶山 on them... they'll point the right way. If you find yourself at the Juming Museum, drive up the road about 0.85 km until you come to a T-junction, then turn left.

If you're heading west on Hwy 2 and you drive past the Young Door Cafe, you've gone too far. Head back toward Jinshan and look for the signs.

On Find A Grave

Chin Pao San Cemetery

On Google Street View

Cemetery Office
Teresa Teng Memorial Garden

Wugu Cemetery and the search for Chen Yi

Almost three years ago I learned about Chen Yi, a controversial historical figure. He was a former chief executive of Taiwan Province and the KMT leader notorious for ordering troops to arrest or shoot rebels in the wake of the so-called 228 Incident of 1947, a popular uprising against KMT rule following a violent police beating of an old woman selling contraband cigarettes. He was later executed at a horse racetrack turned execution ground (now the site of Youth Park) by order of Chiang Kai-shek during a period of political purges known as the White Terror.

He was buried in the town of Wugu.

Wugu is a township on the outskirts of Taipei, made up of about one-third forested hills, one-third industrial wasteland, and one-third graves. The Wugu Cemetery, the main concentration of graves here, is a huge, sprawling burial ground, bounded on the south by the Beishikeng River, on the east by Highway 15 and the Danshui River along which it follows, on the north by Bali Township, and on the west by Tianyi Road.



Today I decided to complete a mission I have had brewing in my mind for almost three years: to find the grave of Chen Yi.

I had done some research over the years, so I had some clues. I knew that his grave was surrounded by a bamboo forest. I knew his grave didn't bear the name Chen Yi, but instead Chen Tuisu. I knew the grave was roughly watermelon shaped. And I knew that there are many who aren't keen on letting the location become public knowledge, for fear of vandalism. Chen Yi isn't exactly a well-loved figure. So finding his grave wasn't going to be easy.

I managed to find some pictures online, and I compared it and the surrounding area with satellite images on Google Earth. I found what looked like a promising candidate.

Armed with this sketchy knowledge, I set out by car, and was able to get to the cemetery quite easily. I had memorized various landmarks from Google Earth and Google StreetView. I passed the lingguta (lit. "spirit bone tower"), a pagoda-like columbarium common in Chinese cemeteries.

The lingguta at Wugu Cemetery


I got to where I thought his grave was, but it looked nothing like what I looking for. I had chosen the wrong place. Since the cemetery is a mile long by almost a mile wide, and is filled with chaotically oriented tombs and thick underbrush, an exhaustive search was out of the question. I decided to ask someone.

Typical Taiwanese tombs


There's a little village in the cemetery. I found a parking space by a small shrine, and asked a couple who were walking by, "I'm looking for a grave. Do you know who I can ask?" After some discussion, she called to the house she had come from, and out came an attractive young lady. She told me I should go ask at the general store down the road. She took me there, and on the way she asked why I was looking for this grave. I told her that I was searching for the graves of historic figures. She said, "That's an unusual hobby!"

The couple running the general store said they didn't know, but the old man across the street would surely know. So we went there. The young woman explained my situation, and to my relief and delight, the old man gladly pulled out a piece of paper and started drawing a map.

The map the old man drew for me


So now I knew approximately where to go. I drove down this narrow road, and came to the spot he said to go to. There were a couple vicious dogs there, thankfully chained up. And there was the bamboo forest, just as had been described. I walked through, past several tombs, dodging a few hardy shoots that jutted out of the ground like punji sticks, until I saw something to the right that looked promising. I walked into a clearing, and...

It was Chen Yi's grave!!

Chen Yi's grave


Legend has it that there is supposed to be a NT$10 coin on the little altar, with Chiang Kai-shek's face facing upward. This is supposed to ward away evil, or something like that.



There was no coin on the altar, so I took one from my pocket and left it there.

I went back, satisfied with my latest find, and returned to the village to thank the people who helped me. I never learned the pretty young woman's name.

Getting There

By car:

Take the Sun Yat-sen Freeway (National Highway 1) to the Wugu Exit, and follow Chengtai Road (County Route 107) north. If you see signs indicating Bali and Danshui, you're on the right track. Soon after Chengtai Road merges with County Route 103, you will cross a small bridge. (Overhead will be an expressway.) Take the next left, and then the next right going up the hill. Soon you will find yourself surrounded by graves.

It can also be reached from the Guandu Bridge: after crossing from Guandu, go south on County Route 103 (Provincial Hwy 15), and turn right just before the little bridge mentioned above.

By public transit:

Exit the Zhuwei MRT station, and go to the bus stops just outside and to the right. Take bus 1202 or 1510. It will take you across the Guandu Bridge. Get off at the Chengtai Intersection stop. It's the one before the expressway overpass. Walk or take a cab: continue briefly in the direction the bus was going, but make an immediate right as soon as possible. The road continues up the hill.

On Find A Grave

Wugu Cemetery

Muir-Strentzel-Hanna Cemetery

I'll start out my blog with an entry about the final resting place of John Muir, the father of environmentalism, the man responsible for the existence of America's national parks and the founder of the Sierra Club.

The Muir-Strentzel-Hanna Cemetery is kept under something of a shroud of secrecy. It's a tiny family cemetery in a wooded grove in an open field. The field is tucked within a residential neighborhood in the outskirts of Martinez, California. The cemetery lies on what is now property of the US National Park Service, and though it's perfectly legal to visit it, the Park Service remains secretive about its location, not wishing busloads of tourists to disturb the quiet neighborhood.

Last year, after gathering spotty clues about its whereabouts on the Web, I decided to go find it for myself. Despite poor directions, with the advice of a kindly neighbor and a little trial and error, I managed to find it. At first I was wandering around the wrong end of the field, because one of the websites said I go to a large white eucalyptus tree (supposedly planted by Muir himself). It's an impressive tree, but it led me away from the cemetery and almost into someone else's back yard!

The cemetery


Here are the graves of the man himself and his wife Louie.


There are just over a dozen burials here, mostly his wife's family.

Getting There

The cemetery is approximately one mile south of the visitor center for the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez.

Drive along Alhambra Valley Road until you reach Sheridan Lane. (This is a residential area with little appreciable parking, so you may want to park in the parking lot of the school at Gilbert Lane, and walk from there.)

From Alhambra Valley Road, walk along Sheridan Lane. At the end of the block, you'll see a gravel drive to your right. (See it on Google Street View.)

Proceed along this gravel drive, and soon to the left you'll see the following scene:



Cross the chain with the "no parking" sign on it, and keep walking forward. Keep looking ahead and to the right, until you see the cemetery in the grove of trees:



Smack dab in the center of the photo above, you can see the prominent stone memorial in the cemetery. Cut across the field and you're there.

NOTE: Given that you have to pass through a residential neighborhood to get here, please be quiet, respectful and discreet when visiting. Do not trespass on private property. Stick to the public streets and accesses.

On Find A Grave

Muir-Strentzel-Hanna Cemetery

Greetings!

Welcome to my new blog!

This blog is going to be about cemeteries and graves. The general format will be one cemetery, mausoleum, burial site or cemetery complex per blog entry. I aim to include information about the history of the cemetery and prominent people buried there, and instructions on how to get there. And perhaps some stories and anecdotes about my own experience visiting these places. And of course there will be photos.

I currently live in Taiwan, so you'll find many of my entries will be about cemeteries in Asia. But I certainly won't limit myself to Asia.

Hope you like my efforts. Cheers for now!