Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng

Singapore Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng is a cultural organisation and columbarium based in Bishan, Singapore with beginnings since 1870. Located at Bishan Lane off Bishan Road, Peck San Theng presently operates a columbarium, two temples, and ancestral worship services tailoring towards the requirements as well as traditions, customs and beliefs of a cosmopolitan community. It presently belongs to 16 Cantonese and Hakka clan associations.

Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng present day building
Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng
Traditional Chinese廣惠肇碧山亭
Simplified Chinese广惠肇碧山亭

History

Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng was originally a cemetery in Singapore that was established in 1870 by Cantonese and Hakka immigrants largely from the three prefectures of Guangzhou, Huizhou and Zhaoqing in Guangdong Province, China. The first words of the three prefectures, Guang-Hui-Zhao were the origins of the name 廣惠肇, or transliterated as Kwong-Wai-Siew. Within a century, Peck San Theng (PST) became one of the biggest Chinese cemeteries in Singapore, holding more than 100,000 graves over 384 acres (1.55 km2) of land.

In 1979, the Singapore government decided to acquire all its land to create the present-day Bishan Town. Many graves were exhumed and remains cremated during the 1980s. To enable Peck San Theng to continue with its tradition, the government leased 8 acres (32,000 m2) of land to Peck San Theng for accommodating an office block, a Memorial, two temples and a columbarium.[1] The columbarium houses some 100,000 niches which are available to the public irrespective of race, language and religion since 1980. It was and will continue to be a place for ancestral worship in Singapore.[2]

Present Day

Peck San Theng is currently managed by a federation of sixteen clans of the Cantonese and Hakka communities in Singapore. The 16 Cantonese and Hakka clan associations are:

  • Nam Sun (南顺会馆)
  • Ning Yeung (宁阳会馆)
  • Chung Shan (中山会馆)
  • Poon Yue (番禺会馆)
  • Fa Yun (花县会馆)
  • Kong Chow (冈州会馆)
  • Sam Sui (三水会馆)
  • Tung On (东安会馆)
  • Shun Tak (顺德会馆)
  • Ching Yuen (清远会馆)
  • Chen Loong (增龙会馆)
  • Wui Chiu (惠州会馆)
  • Siu Heng (肇庆会馆)
  • Koh Yiu (高要会馆)
  • Hok San (鹤山会馆)
  • Yen Peng (恩平会馆)

References
  1. "Life and Death in Singapore". 99% Invisible. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  2. "广惠肇碧山亭-简介". YouTube. KwongPeckSanTheng. Retrieved 16 February 2015.

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