1 May 2022
Have you ever wondered where the Chinese period dramas from our childhood were filmed? Apparently there was a film site in Tuas built to replicate Singapore in the 1950s and had been used for many local films shown on Mediacorp. Unfortunately, it is slated for demolition by 2024, and will soon be lost forever. I had initially imagined that a film set would comprise of cheap facades mimicking the streets of old Singapore, but was surprised by how elaborate and real they were. It was as if the buildings was plucked from the 1950s era and arranged into a miniature town with a theatre, a church, a kampong house and many old shophouses.
History
Tuas TV World was built in the 1990s to serve as a set for local dramas. The 6.6ha facility had eight sets, with five depicting old Singapore and three of China. It was built between 1990 and 1992 at the cost of about $35 million by Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) – an antecedent of Mediacorp. Dramas filmed during TV World’s heyday in the 90s include Strange Encounters 3, Tofu Street, The Price Of Peace, Wok Of Life and Hainan Kopi Tales. Of TV World’s about 100 buildings, only around 15 remain today.
The Special Operations Command leased the premises in December 2001 and converted it into a temporary facility called Tuas Training Village to meet training needs. Various police units – including land divisions and specialist units – used the site for various types of training, including public order incidents, public security, forensic investigations and scenario-based exercises.
Unfortunately, this “Old Hollywood of Singapore” is set to be fully demolished by 2024. Thereafter, the grounds will be handed over to Singapore Land Authority, although what the land will be used for has not yet been decided. Adapted from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/remainder-of-tuas-tv-world-once-s-pore-s-version-of-hollywood-to-be-demolished
Exploring Tuas TV World
1230 | Explore Tuas TV World |
1245 | A look at an old theatre and a peculiar bookshelf |
1300 | Walk into a church, an abandoned car and a family of otters |
1315 | A peek into the forensic room |
1230 | Explore Tuas TV World
The location was situated in the far West of Singapore and took quite abit of effort to get to. Walking up to the front gate, I could see that we were definitely at the right place. Beyond the gates was a cluster of old buildings, buildings from different era.
Along the main street were rows of 2-storeys shophouses, similar to what we can still find in Singapore but much older and in a state of desolate. The buildings were mostly vacant inside, but they still had their basic fittings like the staircase and railings (though it looks rickety). I didn't feel like I was walking in a film set but the actual streets from a bygone era with shop names still displayed out front and familiar street names like 'Temple Street'. It was an odd feeling of dissonance, seeing familiar street names plastered on old buildings, it was as if I was teleported back in time. It was a Singapore I know, but of a different era.
1245 | A look at an old theatre and a peculiar bookshelf
As I walked down the main street reaching a road junction, a building stood out. It was an old theatre 3-storeys high, with a metal frame on top which I assumed would display the billboard for movies. Though rundown, the building looked proud and dignified. The street 'Trafalgar Square' was displayed on the side. We walked in and saw a long winding staircase that connected all the way up to the 3rd storey, with the walls blackened. I could somehow imagine a scene with crowds of people gathering in front of the theatre early waiting to watch a blockbuster movie, and male lead patiently waiting for the female lead (maybe I watched too many shows haha).
Another building led into a space with high ceiling and grid-like pillars, with the floor covered with moss and veins. We then walked into an unassuming room with broken lights hanging precariously from the ceiling. The room was mostly empty except for a small bookshelf in the far corner, with some old chinese children's books scattered around. I recognised the bookshelf from a post I saw online that recounted a supernatural experience and warned to never bring the books home. However, the books seemed to have already been destroyed by what I suspect were termites. Most of the pages were completely disintegrated and the words were no longer legible, such a pity. Nearby was a book that recorded a list of names and timings, on the opened page the entry was dated April 1991. This could be an attendance log for filming? Somehow, this log book was in good condition unlike those on the shelf.
1300 | Walk into a church, an abandoned car and a family of otters
There was another building in the area with an arched entrance and overgrown tree branches hanging overhead. Curious, we walked in and immediate came face to face with a figure on a cross. The exterior looked plain and unassuming, but the interior was a church with high ceiling and beautiful stained glass windows.
Round a corner, we saw a huge building with an abandoned and battered car at the front. Just as I walked towards it, I saw some movement at the corner of the fence. It was a family of otters (easily 20 of them), while even more came in from under the fence. They were standing up and looking over to us like meerkats. Not wanting to startle them and mostly not wanting to get bitten we didn't get any closer. Unfortunately that also meant I couldn't explore the Kampong house situated just behind the otters, oh well.
1315 | A peek into the forensic room
On the way out, I saw a building labelled 'Forensic'. Curious, I walked into a small room at the corner. The room made me feel uneasy. There were a number of mannequins laid on the floor which resembled burnt bodies. On the table, there seemed to be a number of documents that looked like police files, and one had a gruesome picture of a cadaver. This might have been a room used by the police for forensic training, but it's creepy nonetheless and I quickly left. There were also many rooms with target boards lying around, I suppose those were also used for police training.
My Thoughts
It was interesting to get a glimpse into what Singapore was like in the past, although it was just a walk through a film set. It would have been nice to restore it to its former glory, but unfortunately demolition works are already underway and it will soon become something of the past.
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