A devout Buddhist, Mr Tang, 64, prays and makes offerings at his shrine at home at least twice a day.

When he can, he visits one of the many temples in Singapore. His favourite is Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in the north.

The monastery has massive grounds and Mr Tang enjoys strolling through the various parts of it, where he can find some peace and quiet, like by this pond.

A stringent time keeper, Mr Tang has three wall clocks in his home. The one by the door is set 10 minutes faster, so he is never late for an appointment. Despite the constant reminder of time ticking away, there is a sense of calm and peace in Mr Tang’s flat.

The former cleaner is meticulous and keeps his home very tidy. A miniature chess set shares space with incense rings. Mr Tang learnt to play the game by himself and even created his own rules for it. Towards the back of the table lies a stack of notes, a self-created system of reminders to make sure he never forgets an appointment, especially ones to the doctor.

Mr Tang was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease more than five years ago and had to stop working because of problems with his hands. He now takes a cocktail of pills, twice a day, to manage the symptoms of the illness.

Mr Tang cooks simple dishes for himself that requires minimal cleaning up after. Space is limited in the makeshift kitchen, so most of the preparation is done by the sink and food prepared in one pot, such as steamed rice and vegetables.

After moving from Dakota Crescent to Block 52 Cassia Crescent at the end of 2016, Mr Tang says he lost touch with most of his friends. He only sees them occasionally when he goes on outings organised by the service centre. He enjoys the company of volunteers from the Cassia Resettlement Team, who visit him regularly.

One of the volunteers is CRT Head and Co-founder Lim Jingzhou, who has been assisting elderly residents like Mr Tang resettle into Cassia Crescent since 2017. CRT’s programmes include befriending residents and supporting them in their daily activities.

Mr Tang had to throw away a lot of his belongings before relocating from Dakota to Cassia - objects he had collected over the six decades of living there. These days he has managed to fit everything he owns by the window of his studio flat. Looking around, one senses a nostalgic man who has tried to preserve his memories through photos and other mementoes from the past.

Living alone can be isolating for some, but for Mr Tang, he seems to enjoy the solitude. A man of few words, he leads a quiet life, content to spend time by himself. He prefers to be at home, where he watches Chinese drama series on TV and relishes listening to his CD collection of popular Chinese opera singers.

A photo of Mr Tang sitting on a bench in the sun is a treasured memory from Dakota Crescent, where he had lived since he was a baby. In Mr Tang’s usual easygoing manner, he says there is nothing he really misses about Dakota, except maybe the moments he spent on the benches in the Dakota estate watching the world go by.

Having discovered photography during a community arts activity organised by Drama Box in 2016, Mr Tang has developed a keen interest in taking photos. Using a borrowed camera, he brought Our Better World on a walk down the memory lanes of his life at Dakota Crescent.

The first shot of the day is of the big field that separates Cassia from the Old Kallang Estate Hawker Centre, where many of Dakota’s former residents enjoyed having breakfast. Mr Tang says the market is now a bit far away from his new block, compared to when it was just across the road from his former home. Photo courtesy of Mr Tang

Pausing on the bridge that spans Old Airport Road and separates Mr Tang’s past from his present. It also links the Dakota housing estate with amenities like the wet market, food centre, supermarket, ATM and pharmacy. Former Dakota residents with mobility issues have lamented that relocating to 52 Cassia Crescent has made it a challenge to access these services.

Mr Tang’s first glimpse of the housing estate he grew up in and lived all his adult life before moving to Cassia Crescent in 2016. Dakota Crescent was built by the Singapore Improvement Trust in 1958, when Singapore was still a British colony. It was handed over to the Housing Development Board in 1960. Photo courtesy of Mr Tang

Entering the Dakota public housing estate where some 400 households were relocated, most to Block 52 Cassia Crescent, a 20-minute walk from here. Mr Tang grew up on this estate among the old trees and low-rise blocks surrounded by a close-knit community, most of whom he has lost contact.

Among the trees and ghostly silence of Dakota Crescent, Mr Tang stops to admire a familiar feature of the neighbourhood. Having played here often as a child, the Dakota landmark holds many memories for him, and other residents.

The Old Dove Playground was designed by Khor Ean Ghee in 1979 and the public has requested for it to be protected. Since announcing in 2014 that the area would be redeveloped, the Government has decided to conserve the central cluster of six blocks in the housing estate, along with this iconic playground. Photo courtesy of Mr Tang

Abandoned and overgrown, the community playground looms large in the deserted housing estate. Grass has taken root in the sand, and the colours of the once vibrant mosaic faded after decades of sun.

The profile of residents around Old Airport Road has changed in recent years, with the area welcoming a younger and more upwardly mobile population, including expatriates. But seldom do these two communities meet and mingle. The former living mostly in the swathe of newly built condominiums and eating in modern restaurants, rather than at the hawker centre.

The Dakota housing estate now devoid of residents, and except for the odd person cutting across the estate, is relatively empty. There is instead a pervading sense of nature having taken over the estate, with trees and birds outnumbering humans. Photo courtesy of Mr Tang

Residents on the ground floor would hang their clothes out in the sun on purpose-built railings. These days, living in the high-rise block at 52 Cassia Crescent, most of the elderly residents leave their clothes indoors to dry.

The Geylang River runs along the south of Dakota Crescent estate. Some long-term residents recall sightings of crocodiles before the river was canalised and prone to flooding. Photo courtesy of Mr Tang

The 17 low-rise blocks vary in height around Dakota housing estate, reaching as high as seven storeys. Most of the former residents were moved from numerous kampongs (villages) across Singapore in the late 50s. Dakota Crescent was named after the Douglas DC-3 Dakota transport aircraft that used to land at the Kallang Airport when it was operational.

Common spaces, such as this badminton court, were dispersed across the estate to encourage interaction among neighbours. Most of them were outdoors where space was not a problem. These wide perspectives have narrowed dramatically at Block 52 Cassia Crescent. Due to limited space, and the high-rise nature of the area, residents, young and old, have been less inclined to use areas built for communal use.

Photo courtesy of Mr Tang

Back at Block 6, where Mr Tang says he used to live on the sixth floor with his family.

Photo courtesy of Mr Tang

He still checks his letterbox regularly even knowing that he would probably not find anything in it.

These post-war lifts were barely functioning before residents were relocated. Some recalled how they were always breaking down and because of the impending move were seldom fixed. This made it tough for the elderly with mobility issues to leave or return to their homes without using the stairs.

The elevators did not stop on every floor, which was inconvenient for some residents, especially the elderly and people using wheelchairs. Photo courtesy of Mr Tang

Straddling the worlds of old and new, Mr Tang’s hunched figure moves across the Dakota Crescent with ease and familiarity. He returns to his former home regularly to enjoy the tranquility of the green and spacious grounds.

Mr Tang recalls the constant roar from passing planes as Dakota Crescent lies on the flight path of aircraft flying to and from Paya Lebar Air Base. It is not a sound he misses.

A poignant shot from Mr Tang that encapsulates the atmosphere of Dakota Crescent. It is a shell of the community it once housed, steeped in memories and fading in significance. Photo courtesy of Mr Tang