On the front porch of the sky-blue two-storey house, the old man stood arms akimbo, glancing into the horizon, lost in thought. Overhead, two Oriental Pied Hornbills flew past, breaking the serenity with piercing cackles. The old man looked up, then turned his attention to a black mongrel that had lumbered past the rusty gates and flopped down beside a weather-beaten wooden stool. Mr Lim Chu Di, village headman, squatted by the dog and stroked its back. “These animals are all my friends. All my life I’ve been playing with them – dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, pigs,” he said.
Momentarily, you sense the nostalgia in the voice of the sprightly 80-year-old who, in 2006, took over the post of village headman (a largely symbolic role now) after his father Lim Chye Joo died aged 101. The younger Mr Lim, one of the remaining residents on the island, has a flat in Pasir Ris on the mainland, but has elected to pay the government $450 in monthly rent to remain on the island and live the quiet life he has come to love. “I’ve spent all my life here since I was seven. I can’t bear to leave my friends,” he said.
Mr Lim has called Pulau Ubin home since he arrived from Shantou, China in 1936. Back then, the thousand or so residents on the 1,020-hectare boomerang-shaped island spent their days tending to poultry and pigs, operating ‘mom-and-pop’ provision stores and eateries, or working as miners in the eight granite quarries. There were also coffee, pineapple, coconut and jasmine plantations.
Today, that life has disappeared. Mining activities ceased in 1999 and the regional avian influenza outbreak in 2005 saw the shutdown of all the coops as a preventative measure. “No one owns land here anymore; the government took it all back after they closed all the farms here,” Mr Lim said. Land cannot be bought and sold on Pulau Ubin, only inherited within the family and rented from the government. As the island’s industries moved on, so did the residents – but not all of them.
Today, Pulau Ubin – one of Singapore’s last two kampungs (the other is in Punggol on the mainland) – is still home to some 30 residents who depend on a quiet tourist trade that includes bicycle rentals, provision shops and eating houses.
While lacking in modern attractions, Pulau Ubin has its own rustic charm. Wooden houses are topped with zinc roofs that drum symphonies in the rain. Villagers rely on wells and on noisy diesel generators for all their water and electricity needs. Entertainment is chatting with your neighbours; watching birds or fishing. Snacks are fruits like wild durians or jackfruit found in the jungles that cover the island.
“I’ve spent all my life here since I was seven. I can’t bear to leave my friends.” – Lim Chu Di, village headman, who opts to continue living on Pulau Ubin even though he has a flat on the mainland.
The idyllic island setting makes a great camping ground and visitors can swoop up and down the undulating terrain on a bicycle, marvel (from a distance) at the clear waters of the abandoned quarries, or trek the lush forests.
At the eastern end of the island is the Chek Jawa Wetlands, a sanctuary where six different ecosystems converge. If you’re lucky you may spot rare marine wildlife such as sea hares, sand dollars and seastars. You can go on your own tour (there’s a visitor’s centre) or take a guided tour ($60 for a group of 15) during the low tide.
Sights also include several shrines, including The German Girl Shrine. The story goes that the daughter of a German plantation-owner fled and fell to her death when British soldiers came to intern the family. Her remains were interred by locals and a Taoist shrine was dedicated to her.
Speak to residents and you’ll hear more such tales – from the best forest spots for fruit picking to encounters with wild boars and even ghosts. These are the stories that make up the character of an island that continues to hold its own in a world that’s moved on.
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- The distinctive home of village headman Lim Chu Di
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- Mr Lim Chu Di has lived on the island for over 70 years
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- Mr Lim Chai See runs a bicycle rental shop on the island
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- Motorbikes are a favoured form of transport for residents
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- A Taoist shrine near the Pulau Ubin jetty
Find out more about Pulau Ubin:
• www.wildsingapore.com/ubin/going.htm
• www.nparks.gov.sg
• pulauubinstories.blogspot.com
While lacking in modern attractions, Pulau Ubin has its own rustic charm. Wooden houses are topped with zinc roofs that drum symphonies in the rain. Villagers rely on wells and on noisy diesel generators for all their water and electricity needs. Entertainment is chatting with your neighbours; watching birds or fishing. Snacks are fruits like wild durians or jackfruit found in the jungles that cover the island.
The idyllic island setting makes a great camping ground and visitors can swoop up and down the undulating terrain on a bicycle, marvel (from a distance) at the clear waters of the abandoned quarries, or trek the lush forests.
At the eastern end of the island is the Chek Jawa Wetlands, a sanctuary where six different ecosystems converge. If you’re lucky you may spot rare marine wildlife such as sea hares, sand dollars and seastars. You can go on your own tour (there’s a visitor’s centre) or take a guided tour ($60 for a group of 15) during the low tide.
Sights also include several shrines, including The German Girl Shrine. The story goes that the daughter of a German plantation-owner fled and fell to her death when British soldiers came to intern the family. Her remains were interred by locals and a Taoist shrine was dedicated to her.
Speak to residents and you’ll hear more such tales – from the best forest spots for fruit picking to
