WHEN it comes to having good fengshui, it doesn't matter whether you are in this world or the next.

Some Singaporeans have no qualms paying tens of thousands of dollars to fengshui masters for specially designed, well-placed tombs.

They do this not just for their own tombs, but those of their loved ones.

The Chinese cemetery in Chua Chu Kang has some interesting animal-shaped tombs. Most were designed by renowned fengshui master Tan Khoon Yong, 53, who charges a consultation fee of $30,800 for a design.

It costs another $10,000 to $30,000 to construct such a tomb, he said.

Master Tan explained in Mandarin: 'In other countries, the dead are buried in scenic areas such as near the mountains or by the lake.

'In Singapore, land is scarce, hence we need to design structures to create the good fengshui.'

Master Tan, who runs geomancy consultancy firm Way OnNet Group, has designed 11fengshui tombs here and 10 in countries such as China, Malaysia and Indonesia.

He was inspired to do this after visiting the tomb of a famous person in Xiamen, China, in the 1980s.

'I studied the fengshui of the tomb which has a tortoise shell design,' he recalled.

After Master Tan returned from the trip, he designed his first fengshui tomb in 1987.

The tomb, for the mother of a famous hawker here, has the head of a dragon and the body of a tortoise.

Other fengshui masters say they have also been approached to design fengshui tombs.

Fengshui master Gwee Kim Woon , 55, said some foreigners asked him to design their tombs before their death.

Master Gwee, of Fulu Geomancy Centre, has been practising for 35years. He handles one project a month and his fees depend on the number of overseas trips he has to make.

'Some clients even bought and placed their coffins at home as coffins symbolise longevity,' he said.

But not all Singaporeans turn to tomb designs.

OPT FOR CREMATION

Fengshui master Xu Yi Ting, 40, believes most people opt for cremation if they can choose a spot in the crematorium with a good fengshui position.

Master Xu explained in Mandarin: 'The soil condition may change and cause the coffin to crack. Many conditions, like a tsunami or flood, are unpredictable.

'In a crematorium, there are caretakers to look after the urns. It's a more protected environment.'

Master Xu, who's from Yi Wen Fan Fengshui Centre, said she has not designed any tombs.

It remains to be seen whether such creative tombs will actually bring luck to the families.

Despite this, those who swear by the art are willing to pay a hefty sum for it.

Mr Raymond Goh, who founded Asia Paranormal Investigators with his brother, said he noticed the animal-shaped tombs two months ago.

The 43-year-old pharmacist said: 'Some tombs have classic fengshui poems inscribed on them about prosperity and fortune.'

When Madam Tan Gek Yok's father died in 1989, she decided to engage Master Tan to design his tomb.

The 54-year-old housewife said: 'I heard that a good fengshui tomb will benefit the descendants. We spent about $50,000 on it.'

Madam Tan said the family's fishball business flourished after the fengshui tomb was built. But it went downhill when the tomb was vandalised in the late 1990s.

In 2000, the tomb was rebuilt and their family business was revived.