English Translation:

Traditions Sometimes Are Mysterious.

Shin Min Daily News 29 Nov 2007

Toad Tomb, Snake Tomb, Lion Tombs found in CCK Cemetery

Tomb designs has been known since ancient times, like the Pyramids of Egypt and the Pagodas of
Shao Lin Temple, but have you heard of animal shaped tombs related to fengshui?

You don’t have to look far, we have them in Singapore.

It is said that for burial fengshui, one would have to look for orientation and other
landscape features, but because of limited land in Singapore, the tombs in Singapore are
all serialized, as such some fengshui masters decided to have some variance on the basic
fengshui principles, ie using animals symbolism to overcome the limitations.

The Find

In Singapore CCK Cemetery, we can find these special animal shaped tombs such as the toad,
the snake, and even a pair of lions.

This is what Raymond Goh of Asia Paranormal Investigators has found. During his search
recently for paranormal sights, he came across a toad tomb and was attracted to it.

He said that the tomb has the 7 stars of the Big Digger, but there was no mention of the
birth/death date.

On the tomb there is a couplet:

Using the Big Dipper 7 Stars Plunder/Grab
Getting the Six Richness of the Golden Toad

This is obviously a tomb applying a fengshui setup.

This reporter went with Raymond one afternoon to CCK to check out the tomb.

Concidentially, they met up with a tomb maker Mr Lim (50 +). Under his guidance, they
found out that besides the toad tomb, there are also 3 other animals tomb, a snake, a pair
of lion and lioness and a dragon tortoise. But the Dragon tortoise tomb has been exhumed
as the 15 year time burial period was up then.

Lim also revealed that all these animal tombs were designed by a local fengshui master Tan
Khoon Yong.

When the reporter contacted Tan, Tan admit that he was the designer of the tomb, he also
said that he is the only one who designed animal tombs for the deceased here.

Tan revealed that the consultancy fees was about $38,000 for an animal tomb.
Besides these tombs in Singapore, he also designed two tombs in Indonesia, one a phoenix
and the other a tortoise.

Tan said that animal shaped tombs usually does not have the deceased birth/death dates so
as to protect that of the living. During the designing of the tombs, the following need
to be taken into consideration:

1) the death date of the deceased
2) The orientation of the tomb
3) Requirements of the descendants
4) Occupations/Business of the descendants

Why do the descendants want to build animal shaped tombs for the deceased?

Tan said that this is for the prosperity of the descendants, these descendants hope they

will get success in career, business, money or education.

Toad Tomb

Erected in 1989
Special feature: 7 stars of Big Dipper on its back, with the couplet
Purpose : To bring wealth to the descendants, also for health
Fee : $10,000 – $20,000

Tan said that during the construction of the tomb, in order to “strengthen” the tomb, he
originally wanted to put a live toad inside the tomb, but as this is killing a life, he
abandoned the idea.

But that morning when they were erecting the tomb, a big toad came out of nowhere and jumped
into the tomb. Believing this is Heaven’s will, he immediately fixed up the toad tomb

Snake Tomb

Erected: in 1989
Feature: The snake sit in a pakua, the head of the snake also has a pakua
Purpose: To get more business and money for the descendants
Fee: $10,000 – $20,000

Tan revealed that perhaps the idea of a snake did not go well with some people (snake is
sometimes thought of not upright), the tomb was vandalized not long after it was built.

Later, after discussing with the descendants, it was repaired and redesigned in 2000 to
its present shape.

Lion and Lioness Tomb

Lion : erected in 1998
Feature: Sit North Face south position, one hill two facing
Purpose : for children’s career success

Lioness : erected in 2002
Feature : sit east face North west
Purpose : for grandchildren success in school

There is a pair of Lion tombs in the cemetery belonging to a couple.
Tan said that if the deceased is a male, he will erect a female lioness.
If the deceased is a female, he will erect a lion.

The reporter found out that the female lioness fore right leg step on a little lion.

Dragon Tortoise Tomb

Erected : in 1987 (limit of burial is up, tomb is exhumed)
Feature: Dragon head, tortoise body
Purpose : to bring fortune and good luck to the children
Fee: $10,000 – $20,000

Tan said that this dragon tortoise tomb is the first animal shaped tomb in CCK cemetery,
and the first animal tomb he designed. He recounted an interesting incident during the
time of burial.

At that time he divined that when a lady in red appears, it would be the time for burial.
True enough, when the time for burial came, there appeared a lady in red. So immediately
we conducted the burial. After the burial, within 10 mins, it rained!

Using animal as tombs is truly rare in Singapore. Behind these animal tombs, are there any
touching stories?

Any of the relatives of the animals’ tombs can contact Shin Min hotline for any
information.

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Appendix:

Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Burial rules:

Allocation of burial plots is strictly by sequential order and an applicant shall be allocated a burial plot on the day of the intended burial.
An applicant shall not be entitled to select any other burial plot instead of the allocated burial plot. (ie no matter how rich you are)

The lease of a burial plot shall commence from the date of burial and shall be for the duration of fifteen years.

Upon the expiry or termination of lease of a burial plot, NEA may carry out the exhumation of the corpse for reburial or cremation.

Under the 15-year burial policy, bodies have to be exhumed to free up space. For religions that forbid cremation, such as Judaism and Islam, the deceased will be re-interred in a crypt with seven others.
Unclaimed remains will be put 16 to a crypt. Empty crypts will be left vacant for three years before they are reused.

By end of 2007, there will be a new burial system involving concrete beams and walls installed in graves, forming a crypt that can be reused when a body is exhumed after 15 years.
Once lowered into the grave, the coffin or body will be covered with soil, before a grass-covered concrete lid is used to seal the grave. Each crypt measures 2.89m by 1.52m and is 1.8m deep.

This new method will keep the 318ha cemetery open for fresh burials up to 2130. Under the old system of soil burials, the existing land in the cemetery would have lasted only until 2046.

Graves have to be spaced 45cm apart to prevent them from sinking or shifting due to soil erosion. But the new system saves space, since graves are only 15cm apart separated by thin concrete slabs.