Step Inside the Story of Palace of Ghosts

Welcome to the official Blog for my book Palace of Ghosts. This series of posts are going to be timed for the prelaunch and post launch of Palace of Ghosts: Singapore's Untold History. They are intended to provide readers with information about the author, about the creation of the book and a look behind the scenes that will provide additional and rich content related to the book's characters, events, locations. I intend to add news stories and other items that may arise and that turn out to be linked to the story.

In the heart of Singapore there is a patch of heavily forested land: it is private property and strictly off limits. Anyone caught trespassing risks arrest and a heavy fine. It is a strange and inaccessible place that harbours secrets and mystery. One of the biggest mysteries is why it is even there? Singapore has the third highest population density of any country in the world. It is severely land constrained and the government is pretty good at managing what land resources they have available, including some ambitious and large land reclamation projects. Land is so scarce they have to fill in the sea. Their imports of sand from the neighbouring countries have become an international issue as the Malaysia and Indonesia realised that the substance of their territory was being sold to enlarge the substance of Singapore's territory for the purpose of urban expansion.

However, this piece of land - of between 50-60 acres - has remained unused for decades. Not only that but it lies right dead center in Singapore's District 10. Singapore is divided into different zones for the purpose of categorising property values. District 10 has the highest land prices and rents in the country. So that is the first mystery: why is there a large plot of land, unused for decades, in the middle of Singapore most prestigious and expensive neighbourhood.

District 10 is criss-crossed with streets bearing all kinds names which have little meaning to the majority of todays residents. Ridout Road, Swettenham Road, Tyersall Avenue, Tanglin Road, Napier Road to name but a few. Today busy workers and bewildered tourists pass by without batting an eyelid, but if anyone time travelled back 50, 100, or 150 years these names would resonate with a powerful force. They meant something back then, and they should mean something now because of what and who they represented.


This is a map of the island of Singapore showing the land and property zones. Encircled is District 10 in the centre of the leafy suburbs, immediately north of urban core where land use is in highest demand. The first unanswered question is how can there be an unused, almost forgotten, large plot of land here. Finding out the answer to this question, the first of many mysteries to be explored and uncovered, was the starting point of my journey in writing Palace of Ghosts.

 


Location: Singapore

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