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Dairy Farm Road Tree Shrines investigation
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1. Many drivers pass BKE but they may not notice there are two tree shrines up on the hill
2 & 3. The secret tree shrines

Two tree shrines in Dairy Farm Road

Most people have traveled by Upper Bukit Timah Road before.  Along the road you would see wild bushes on both sides as a common sight that nobody would pay any particular attention.  Perhaps the most noticeable structure along the road is the giant Singtel satellite dishes.  But do you know that after passing the satellite dishes there are two secret tree shrines on top of a slope near the end of the road?  They hide in a little hill-top at the side of the road overseeing the traffic going in and out of city.

They are not ordinary trees at which people built a shrine for worship.  They are two most distinctive old banyan trees among hundreds of other trees in the wild vegetation, being honored as sacred trees by some worshippers.  The two trees, standing one higher than the other, are planted actually along Dairy Farm Road stretching almost parallel to Bukit Timah Road.  SPI decided to set up an investigation to find out more on these two sacred trees.

Time has just passed 6pm.  Setting in a dusk ambience, we parked our car on a road-side bay and hiked up the slope on foot.  Once we climbed up to the top, the two sacred trees were just in front of us standing at about 7 meters apart.  Just for our own convention, we called the one higher on top Tree shrine A and the one at the lower ground Tree shrine B.  With a little careful observation, we can see that the road was quite narrow and deserted; the bush was wild and we speculated the place used to be an old kampong.

A little while later we saw two old uncles walking up the slope towards the Tree shrine B, took their chairs and sat down.  They looked modest and friendly.  SPI went ahead and tried to interview them.  Speaking in a Chinese dialect, SPI said "Excuse me for interrupting your evening break, may we ask you a few questions about this place?".  The old men looked a little surprised and defensive, as how a stranger would be interested in this ulu place.  SPI frankly asked "Can you tell us the history of this place?  And who set up these tree shrines?".  For a moment they looked at us using some interrogative eye sights.  Then they relaxed down as they might have sensed we meant no hostile intention.

1. Two old men relaxingly sat under the sacred tree; 2 - 4. Kenny paid respect to the shrine while chattering to the two old uncles.

One of them replied, "This place was a village before.  Right behind you in the jungle there used to be a temple.  Unfortunately it was torn down by the government some time ago.  So the neighborhood forked out some money to build these tree shrine for worshipping instead." the old man paused.  Then he continued with a little hesitation, "Actually it is not legal to privately build shrines in a public place.  But we all felt the need - you know, the temple meant some sentimental attachment that is important to us, especially the elderly."  His face looked somewhat sad "If the government knows about it, they will come and whack it down because they think they look ugly."  We began to feel sympathy to them, asked "Are you the caretakers of these shrines?  Where do you live?"  The older man with grey hairs said "No, we are not caretakers.  We are just neighbor residents." followed by pointing his finger to the opposite of the road "We live just over there."

Looking over the road at where they pointed to we only saw wild forests.  In fact the nearest residence estate would be miles away in Bukit Timah in the South or Bukit Batok in the West.  It was hard to imagine how these two old men walked such a long distance to come sit at this rural place when the night was falling... In our previous visits during day time, we never saw them.  Shouldn't they be having dinner at home by now, as time has just passed 6pm?  When they were not talking they just sat on the chairs expressionless, like statues.  Suddenly a urge fear arose in our mind telling us to leave immediately.  And we quickly did so, without even looking back.


Tree shrine A

This was the banyan tree on the higher position.  It was wrapped with a bright yellow cloth.  The tree trunk when compared to the other one was slimmer.  A simple cupboard was put near the tree storing up some joss sticks and burning oil.  Strictly speaking, there was no proper altar or shrine at this sacred tree.  The little shrine painted in yellow color right in front of the tree looked somewhat empty.  We didn't see any idol nor statues inside the shrine for worship.  Only a joss stick urn and a few ritual cups were there.  However on the wall of the shrine vaguely there was some Chinese words written.  We couldn't recognize them.  But that must be the name of the spirit to whom the people worship.

1. Tree shrine A situated on a higher ground; 2. The shrine is made of two simple cabinets painted in yellow;
3. One cabinet holding incense urns and other holders - click here to see the other one;
4. There is no deity statue inside but a tablet with very vague writing - can anyone read it?


1. Simple offerings like tea, flower buds, joss-sticks were at the shrine; 2. The metal pipe was used conveniently as a candle holder;
3 - 4. Horror of ants crawling freely on the tree - want to see more?

A metal pipe was protruding out from ground near the tree.  The pipe was covered with remnants of candle wax.  We guess that worshippers conveniently made use of the pipe as candle holder.  Some joss sticks were conveniently inserted into the gaps on the tree trunk as well (See picture).  On the side of the tree, a horrible scene that would make any lady scream was spotted.  There was rows of black ants crawling over the yellow cloth on the tree to and from the ground.  Instinctively we looked down our shoes checking if we were standing on any ant nest.  Perhaps this is a reason why this sacred tree doesn't carry a grand shrine - people are unlikely willing to stay too close to the tree with so many wild ants.


Tree shrine B

This shrine has two compartments of idols for worship.  The upper compartment had a Guan Yin (Chinese god of mercy) placed in the middle, with other deities placed beside.  In the lower compartment of the shrine, several different sizes of Toh Pek Kong (Earthly god) statues and Kwang Kung (an ancient Chinese warrior) were found.  In the Chinese mythical belief, Guan Yin is of higher rank in the spiritual hierarchy and therefore took the upper compartment, and Toh Pek Kong is in charge of the peace of earth down below.  The shrine looked well maintained and better equipped - a metal holder of joss sticks with a phase "Those who pray will be granted the wish" was attached on one side, and cleaning tools were placed on the other.  At the back of the tree, there was another altar, with nothing but a piece of rock. (??) That was weird.

1. An ancient banyan tree; 2. Tree shrine B has a good collection of deity statues; 3 & 4. Upper and lower compartments


1. Incense box on the Left side of the shrine; 2. A picture of eight trigram on the right side;
3. Behind the tree there is another shrine with a stone in (see close up); 4. Another shrine for heavenly god at the back of the tree.

A more weird sight would be at the metal incense burning bin.  Well that was a pretty big bin of its size equaling to that of a household rubbish bin.  Rusty and old, the bin contain piles of ashes burnt over from paper offering.  Inside, when we took a closer look, it gave us a crisp shock - two idol statues similar to those placed on the altar were dumped there.  The two idols were burnt to charcoal black.  They looked unbroken and we wondered why they ended up in the incense burning bin like trash.  For the same idol statues, they had different treatment?

1 - 3. The tree provides a good shady leisure place; 4. A black granite idol status


1 - 4. Ill-treated deity statues were found from a burner bin - punishment, ritual reasons or they are meant to be destroyed?
Why? Infested by evil spirits? Curse or omens?  CAUTION: A friend who stared at these pictures for a while fell very sick and vomited.

We could see that more effort has been put into arranging this shrine.  Chairs, hammock and a four feet tall jaga statues were placed near the shrine.  Lastly we noticed that it has an extra altar for worshipping heavenly god hanging on the side of the tree too.  From this shrine there was a better lookout view to Upper Bukit Timah Road than the other one.


Search of old kampong near Dairy Farm Road

We spent quite some time in checking out the sacred tree shrine.  Given the hint by the two old men that we interviewed, the Dairy Farm Road was once a kampong and it seemed to have embraced a lot of secrets such as a vanished temple.  We felt that the whole area was covered by a mystery yet we could find no words to describe.

By following the potholed old road, we walked forward to explore.  The trail (that was a more appropriate term than calling it road) extended windingly through a thick jungle to the direction of Bukit Timah.  We noticed that along the trail there stood some old electricity poles, telephone cables and switches.  They were typical old facilities used in kampong days.  In the middle of the trail, there were a few narrow muddy tracks cutting through, and extending out to the jungle.  We supposed they were the old cyclists tracks connecting to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.  But the track condition didn't look so fit for walking, muddy, untamed, rugged and bumpy.  These might have been the old foot paths knitting up the residents in the old days.  Now those old foot paths were mostly buried in soil, covered by bushes, eroded and disappeared.

1. Trail connecting Dairy Farm Rd to Bukit Timah; 2. Ruin of a Kampong that was said to have a temple;
 3. Today's view of the old Kampong tracks which now become a creek and a cyclist track (how we know it is a cyclist track? Click here)

After about 15 minutes of walk, we finally reached the end of the foot access ( but not the end of the road).  There was a private nursery farm ahead of the road.  The owner was keeping some fierce guard dogs that kept barking at us once they sniffed our presence.  We better don't mess up with dogs unless it was absolutely necessary, so we turned back.

1 - 3. Some left-over old cable posts were observed along the trail


1. The trail is marked as an end by a No Entry sign; 2. Crossing the sign there is a nursery farm guarded by dogs
3 & 4. At the other end towards Dairy Farm Road there is a private property

Spirit infested banana tree

On our way back, suddenly, we felt a cold chill and our EMF meter was whining loud.  My God, what was that?  We saw nothing strange within our sight.  We were standing right over an intersection of a foot path and the road.  The foot path was deteriorated into a small creek with water passing from one side to the other through a small drain.  Wait on, somehow, our instinct was telling us something: didn't we notice it?  Right at the intersection there stood an exceptionally tall banana tree.  Its height was about 2-storey high, looking aged but growing strong.  Slowing we climbed down from the main road to the small foot path on the side where the banana tree was to explore the source of the energy.

1. The sun has just set; 2 & 3. We were exploring in a thick banana region; 4. This was where we suddenly sensed something wrong


1. An unusually tall banana tree; 2. Its large leaves covered most of the twilight; 4. A small drainage tunnel on one side;
4. This drain flows all the way through the jungle passing the giant banana tree (Notice the purple orb on the right)

The feeling of danger intensified.  The sky was quickly getting dark.  The temperature indeed dropped a lot down in the drain.  We held up the camera, pointing to the direction ahead, snap pictures around the drain.  On one of the photos as we later examined, we found a purple color orb.  We were never astonished about orb pictures for we had literately hundreds of them in our collection.  But this one was strange and, in fact, the first purple color orb taken in some light condition.  It hazily had a face inside though we can't insinuate exactly what it was.

The outdoor temperature should be actually warm and humid as it was a sunny day.  But we still felt a chill over our back.  Goosebumps started to stand from our skin all over.  Bending our bodies and slowly sneaking through the bushes along the drain, we moved close to the foot of banana tree.  "That is it!" Kenny shouted zealously.  Through some busy grasses we saw something unusual on the banana tree.  There were some red color plastic bags hanging on the tree via a piece of string tying up the handles and the tree trunk.  Besides, there were ritual offering cups, ropes and other utensils scattered in the vegetation.  Obviously we found another secret tree with spirit possibly residing inside.  That explained too why we caught the eerie signals just now.

1. Found ritual things and a thread at the banana tree; 2 - 4. These pictures were taken at normal conditions just like others.
But they mysteriously got affected when they shot at the plastic bag on the banana tree.  What would have spoiled them?

The tree and the plastic bags were about one and half meter away.  Eagerly Kenny reached out his arm trying to snatch the bag.  "Don't" Abductboy from behind pulling him back.  He sounded very seriously and condemned the idea of even touching the plastic bag.  With a grave fear on his face, he explained by relating his past experience: many years ago before he was married, he and his girlfriend were picnicking in East Coast.  Upon finishing the food they packed up the junks.  "Dear, can you find me a plastic bag?" his girlfriend asked.  Out of convenience, Abductboy anyhow grasped a plastic bag, that was tied to a banana tree.  From the moment he touched the bag he felt dizzy and the sickening feeling was overwhelming him for days.  He described solemnly, "during the days when he was having the giddiness he even saw white figures flashing across from the corners of his eyes."

Upon Abductboy's strong warning, Kenny gave up the thought of getting the plastic bag although his curiosity was burning unbearably inside.  However, after Abductboy left, behind him Kenny quietly pulled a ritual cup holder and took some pictures.  Little he knew on the spot that he would have regretted of doing so.

Strange things were later revealed.  The photos, that were shot at the foot of the banana tree and the plastic bag, all become... blur.  The image was distorted.  To be specific, only those few pictures captured at the banana tree were affected.  Before and after there were other pictures taken and they all looked fine.  How could this thing happen?  There were no malfunction in the camera, and we took the pictures just like how we did for the others.  And the weather was fine.  This was a mystery.

1 & 2. Infested hand after touching the plastic bag from the haunted banana tree (Click here for a close-up);
3. A tag on a modern lamp post suggested that this place has recently been upgraded no later than 1998;
4. Yet many old and abandoned remained


1 - 3. What secrets are still hidden in such thick jungle near Dairy Farm Road?
4. Kenny was running for life after encountering something else from the jungle at dusk.
What was so frightening?  Unfortunately he thinks it is better not to disclose for good sake of the public.

The worst thing was yet to come.  On the night when Kenny returned, on his hand that used to touch the ritual cup holder, grew swollen and inflamed.  Itchy lumps started growing over the skin, and burst out blood and pups when scratched.  That looked absolutely horrible.  He kept saying that he was only trying to collect evidence for research, and accidents do happen.  A lesson learnt for SPI is that we ought to wear protective glove when handling freaky objects.  Who knows you may be picking up something with a deadly bomoh curse.  At the time of writing this article, his hand has still not recovered yet...  Next time when you see weird things at an altar especially those from evil banana trees, DON'T TOUCH !
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