5 tombs in Southeast Asia that the next 'Time Raiders' movie should feature

Have you watched “Time Raiders (盗墓笔记)?” If you can read Chinese, then you’ll know that “Time Raiders” isn’t an accurate translation of the title. It’s actually loosely translated as “Chronicles of the Grave Robbers.” That’s right, they’re actually Tomb Raiders, but since Lara Croft already has the monopoly on that title, guess they thought nobody would notice the difference between Tomb and Time.

While they go on grand adventures robbing graves across China (like those of royalty), that doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be any great tombs for them to visit in Southeast Asia. While we’re not advocating tomb raiding in any form, here are some tombs in the region that the Time (Tomb?) Raiders could visit if a sequel was made.

This is how the Time Raiders from “Time Raiders (盗墓笔记)” would react if they came to this cemetery. (Shaw Organisation)

1. Japanese Cemetery Park in Singapore

Located in Hougang, the graveyard has been gazetted by the Singapore government as a memorial park. It holds the distinction of being the largest Japanese cemetery in Southeast Asia. It’s been in use since 1891, making it over a century old. It’s seen both civilians and soldiers from World War II. There were plans to repatriate the ashes to Japan, but upon seeing the amount of effort put into creating the cemetery, the Japanese government let the ashes stay in Singapore. It’s a little piece of Japan in Singapore, and the tombs are so beautifully kept that you’d think you were in Japan, although that’s rather morbid.

Hopefully the characters from “Time Raiders (盗墓笔记)” don’t brandish swords if they come here. (Shaw Organisation)

2. Jalan Kubor Cemetery in Singapore

This is the oldest Muslim cemetery in Singapore, situated off Victoria Street. It had a section dedicated to Malay royalty, known as the Sultan’s Burial Ground. Several of the Sultan’s descendants were laid to rest in the cemetery, although in reality anybody could be buried there. While many of the bodies have been exhumed and transferred to other cemeteries, who knows what other mysteries it might still hold?

3. Old Protestant Cemetery in Malaysia

(Photo: Getty Images)

This cemetery is located in George Town, and is a Class 1 Heritage Site. Most significantly, there are many graves of infants in the cemetery, the victims of the harsh lifestyle in the early days of Penang. It’s maintained by the Penang Heritage Trust. An interesting fact is that it lies in a grove of frangipani trees, and we’ve all been told what frangipani means…

Even the “Time Raiders (盗墓笔记)” wouldn’t want to bid farewell to such an interesting site. (Shaw Organisation)

4. Limestone tombs of Kamhantik of Philippines

With such an exotic name, you know there’s a lot of rich history to these tombs. Located in Quezon, this is actually the remains of a thousand-year-old village. It is comprised of fifteen tombs (or at least, that’s how many they’ve found so far) carved into limestone croppings in the jungle, and is significant for being both a place for the living and the dead to stay. The tombs are similar to Egyptian sarcophagi, and they’re described as being “the first of its kind” in Philippines.

5. Manila Chinese Cemetery in Philippines

(Photo: Getty Images)

It’s dubbed “the Beverly Hills of the dead” because gigantic, fully furnished mansions are built on the tombs of the dead so that the living can be near to them. Visitors often stay for a few days, but there are those who’ve decided they might as well live near their ancestors permanently. It’s almost surreal to see a small town that’s built upon the dead.

Are there any other tombs that you think the next “Time Raiders (盗墓笔记)” movie should take place? Let us know what you think!

Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.