A 10-minute ferry ride from eastern Singapore lies the small, sparsely populated rustic island of Pulau Ubin - one of the last remaining havens of rural life in one of Asia's most prosperous and urbanized countries. - REUTERS
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00:00A 10-minute ferry ride from eastern Singapore takes you to the small, quiet island of Pulau
00:08Ubin.
00:09This little haven offers a rare glimpse of rural life in a country better known for its
00:15modern malls and skyscrapers.
00:18Pulau Ubin is a rural spot full of biodiversity.
00:22About 4,000 people once lived there, but after the main quarry closed in 1970, most moved
00:28to the city as it quickly modernized.
00:31Chu Yuk-chun is currently one of just 30 people still living on the four-square-mile island.
00:36While he enjoys the quiet life, the 79-year-old feels the community has little future.
00:41I think there will be fewer and fewer people on this island.
00:47To be honest, the old people have died off one by one, and the young ones are not suited
00:52for this kind of environment.
00:54It's up to the government to preserve it.
00:56The people here are aging and dying off, and the young people will not come back.
01:00They won't be back.
01:02Besides mail delays and the hassle of making trips to the city for groceries and gadgets,
01:08ferry rides can also be inconvenient for island residents.
01:12One 69-year-old Lim Sai Si runs a bicycle shop on Pulau Ubin, but moved to the mainland
01:1730 years ago due to quarry closures and his child's school commute.
01:25Very few people would stay on the island because transportation is too inconvenient.
01:29If you have a son who needs to go to school in the mornings, he might not be able to get
01:32a ferry.
01:33Then you have to pay for the whole boat.
01:36For many, Pulau Ubin serves as a relaxing getaway, offering hikes through lush greenery
01:41and lakes in old quarries, bike rides on car-free roads, and seafood dining by the water's edge.
01:48Every June for the last nine years, Singapore officials have held Ubin Day to celebrate
01:52the island's heritage and nature.
01:55In 2001, the government said it was safe from changes until required for development, but
02:01no one is now allowed to move there from the mainland, leaving the population to dwindle.
02:07With the island's youngest residents in their 50s, some wonder what future there is now
02:12for Pulau Ubin.