Cabinets of curiosities

Beneath the bustle of Raffles Place lies a hidden trove of valuables. But it is more than just gold bars and jewellery that are kept within the secure vault of UOB's Safe Deposit Box Centre.

- Mark Cheong Executive Photojournalist

Under one of the Central Business District's busiest outdoor atriums lies a basement vault holding the valuables of thousands of people.

But it is more than just gold bars and jewellery that are kept within the four walls of the UOB Safe Deposit Box Centre's vault.

For one customer, the safe deposit box that she has held for over three decades stores unconventional treasures, such as the umbilical cords of her four children and snips of their baby hair.

"It's something special which money cannot buy, and it isn't common, so I decided to keep them as keepsakes," she said, asking not to be named. She also keeps gold bars and jewellery, and important physical documents like her will in her box.

The vault stands in a discreet corner of the bank's basement.

Inside, rows of reinforced stainless steel cabinets line the chamber from floor to ceiling, fluorescent lighting shimmering off cold metal in the silence.

Customers sign in at the front counter before they are led past the huge vault door to the row where their box is kept.