Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

7-2021

Abstract

Singapore tops multiple global rankings for the consumption of luxury products. In this land-scarce and densely-populated city-state, to purchase a high-end car, landed property, or to have a fine dining experience, ranks amongst the most expensive in all Asian cities. That luxurious approach in life, however, does not find a parallel in death. As this paper indicates, a life of luxuries in Singapore does not necessarily mean deluxe burials, graves, mausoleums, or shrines. In fact, due to scarcity of land and the tight control on its usage, there are limited options for the well-off to display the same sense of wealth in death as they did in life. This paper explores the correlation between elaborate burials and the right to eternal rest, and investigates how a land-deprived country faces the challenge of sustainably balancing modernisation aspirations with respect for burial customs and cultural heritage.

Keywords

Singapore Heritage, Cultural Heritage Management, Burial Customs and Legacies, Sustainable Development, Space Management, Cultural Heritage Preservation

Discipline

Asian Studies | Family, Life Course, and Society

Research Areas

Humanities

Publication

Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development

First Page

1

Last Page

21

ISSN

2044-1266

Identifier

10.1108/JCHMSD-08-2020-0116

Publisher

Emerald

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