The birthday of Mazu, the goddess of the sea and the queen of heaven, is one of the major festivals that is celebrated at temples dedicated to the protector of seafarers and fishermen, Mazu, who is also known as Tian Hou. Mazu temples in Singapore include the Thian Hock Keng, Wak Hai Cheng Bio and the Kheng Chiu Tin Hou Kong — all of which are located close to former landing points for Singapore’s early Chinese immigrants. The festival thus, not only celebrates the 10th century Song Dynasty maiden turned well-loved deity, but also the links to our past. The photographs that follow, are from the Thian Hock Keng’s Excursion for Peace during the birthday festivities on 1st May 2024 (23rd day of the Chinese lunar month).
Difficult as it may now be to imagine, but the sea once washed right up to Telok Ayer Street which today has the largest concentration of National Monuments in Singapore. It was along the street that some of the first waves of settlers to the new East India Company factory of Singapore came ashore. Feeling great relief at completing a journey filled with fear and uncertainty, many would have felt the necessity to offer a prayer of gratitude at the shrines and altars set up by those who came before them. Most in the collection of monuments that we see today, house or housed the religious institutions that these places of prayer grew into.
Telok Ayer or Water Bay, before reclamation, c. 1870 (Sachtler & Co). The three towers of the Nagore Dargah, the roofs of the Thian Hock Keng and the 1850s pagodas of the Keng Teck Whay and Chong Wen Ge are visible.
One monument that stands out because of its location at the corner of Boon Tat and Telok Ayer Streets in is the former Nagore Dargah, which has a fascinating tale to tell. It was where immigrants arriving from Nagapattinam – one of the major ports of embarkation in Tamil Nadu offered prayers of thanks to the Sufi saint and protector of seafarers, Shahul Hameed.
The former Nagore Dargah. Its three towers feature niches in which oil lamps could be lit.
The former dargah or shrine is modelled after another in Nagore near Nagapattinam, which was erected around the burial site of the saint. The dargah in Nagore would have been where would be travellers stopped at before making their sea journeys, attracting both Muslims and Hindus. Today, the dargah has become the Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre, a showcase of Indian Muslim history.
Festivities at the Thian Hock Keng
For many of the Chinese coming ashore, it was to Mazu, that prayers would have been offered to. Also known as Tian Hou — the Queen of Heaven, Mazu has a wide following amongst members of China’s coastal communities, who revere her as the protector of seafarers and fishermen, and by extension, the protector of to those embarking on sea journeys. The old waterfront in way of Telok Ayer boasts of two temples dedicated to Mazu, erected by two of the largest communities of Chinese in Singapore, the Hokkiens and the Teochews.
Thian Hock Keng during the Mazu Festival
The two temples, the Thian Hock Keng and the Wak Hai Cheng Bio or Yueh Hai Ching, are the oldest temples of the respective communities, as well as a point of focus. They are where the traditions of the immigrants are kept alive, and are filled with colour and celebration during festive occasions. One occasion that they both share is of course the birthday of Mazu, which falls on the 23rd day of the the 3rd Chinese lunar month – 1st May this year, 2024. A photograph of the celebration on 1st May at the Thian Hock Keng featuring the Mazu Excursion for Peace, is shown below.
Hop-On Hop Off, which in the frrst weekend, takes us to Chinatown, Kampong Gelam and Little India.
There are many other interesting programmes and installations, two of which are highlighted below. For a full list of programmes for Singapore Heritage Festival 2024, which runs from 1st to 26th May, kindly visit https://www.sgheritagefest.gov.sg/.
HOMEGROUND: We Built This City Also, held in conjunction with the festival is the Homeground installation, HOMEGROUND: We Built This City. This year, it is laid out on the lawn of the National Museum of Singapore and coveS the themes of Nature, Commerce, Community, Residential and Governance. The installation features five displays that detail the evolution of Singapore’s public housing, and a landmark of Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Singapore Botanic Garden s’ bandstand gazebo and also features the whimsical artwork of Cheryl Teo.
Festival Director David Chew with artist Cheryl Teo at HOMEGROUND: We Built This City.
A Rare Opportunityto visit a Living Architectural Conservation Laboratory in a 1880s Shophouse, and get some hands on!
NUS ArClab @ 141 Neil RoadA showcase of jiǎn nián, the traditional decorative technique using ceramics that are fired and deliberately broken Art-noveau decorative tiles, which were imported and were often used to display the status of a house’s occupants – get a chance to learn to clean them! 3-D scanning workshop.
The view from a reimagined sea … to an earthly abode of the goddess of the sea.
It may be difficult to imagine it now, but there was a time when the sea washed right up to Telok Ayer Street.
Those were times when the street was a landing point. Many who came ashore here would have left home and family to embark on a journey that was filled as much with hope and promise, as it would have been with apprehension and uncertainty.
Coming ashore having survived a passage across tempestuous seas, the newly arrived had much to be grateful for. Shrines placed so homage could be paid to the heavenly beings whose powers of protection had been called upon were a necessary first stop. As the communities grew, in both numbers and wealth, these shrines of gratitude were made more elaborate, and serving as focal points for the communities that erected them.
One such shrine turned elaborate place of worship was the Thian Hock Keng, a focal point for the Hokkien community and the subject of the photograph. Dedicated to the protector of seafarers, Mazu, the temple is a joy to photograph in its various moods.
More on the temple, its activities, and Telok Ayer Street can be found in these posts:
Good Friday at the Church of St Joseph at Victoria Street is a special occasion. The church’s commemoration of the solemn occasion is when the church’s Portuguese influences are best seen, especially in its elaborate re-enactment of the events that followed the crucifixion of Christ that is accompanied by the visual spectacle of a candlelight procession.
The church is thought of as the spiritual home of the small but prominent community of Portuguese Eurasians, many of whom have their roots in Portuguese Malacca, is thus commonly referred to as the “Portuguese Church”. It was established in 1853 by the Portuguese Mission, whose work in Singapore dates back to 1825 (the current church building dates to 1912). The former parish of the Portuguese Diocese of Macau (and before that the Diocese of Goa) was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Singapore in 1981, with the Macau Diocese maintaining links with the church until 1999, when the last Macau-appointed rector also left.
Here are some photographs from the church’s commemoration of Good Friday on 29 March 2024:
Candles are lit as part of the procession, transforming the grounds of the church into a sea of candlelight. While not as well attended as before — when the church grounds would be filled to the brim with many more spilling out onto Queen Street, the procession is still a visual spectacle.
The re-enactment involves a life size figure of the body of Christ, which is lowered from a cross. Similar re-enactments take place in churches in Goa, Macau and Malacca, as well as in churches elsewhere.
The letters INRI by the way represents the inscription “Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum”, which in Latin, translates into “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews” representing what was an inscription made in three languages (as per John 19:20) — Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
The procession.
The procession re-enacts the journey that Christ’s lifeless body took after being lowered from the cross to the site of his burial — a Portuguese influenced tradition of the church.
The image of Our Lady of Sorrows, a representation of Mary, following the bier carrying the figure of Christ.
A member of the church’s congregation playing St. Veronica who is believed to have wiped the blood and sweat of Christ on his crucifixion on Calvary.
Not only has the crowd shrunk, the candles have too! I recalled candles being carried that were as much as six feet long and which had to be supported by pieces of wood.
Changi is many things to me. It is a place, unspoiled in some parts, of great natural beauty, a place of much history, and most of all, a place whose magic is timeless. Changi has given me many moments of joy. I frequented Changi as a young child, and in my youth. There were many Sundays by the beach, strolls through the old village and then concretised version of it. I have also had many stay in the area’s government holiday bungalows and even had a party for my National Service Run-Out-Date (now referred to as Operationally-Ready-Date) at one that quite sadly, was demolished not too long ago. Even if a huge chunk of the Changi that was dear to me as a child was taken away by the development of Changi Airport, the space Changi has on offer, its calming views of the sea, and places in abundance which modernity seemed to have forgotten, it continues to be my favourite place of escape to this very day.
Changi Point, where time seems to slow down, and where time seemed to have passed very slowly, is where focus has been placed in the the Changi Heritage Trail, the latest in the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) series heritage trails. This and the 23 heritage trails before it, are a wonderful gift that NHB has given to us in Singapore. Through them we gain a much deeper appreciation of everyday places in Singapore and gain a better understanding of what made them what they’ve become. We also learn about the interesting tales that may be embedded in these places, their communities, and how their connections with the place may have developed over time.
Changi’s past, or at least its documented past, goes back to the early 1600s, when it was marked in maps as Tanjong Rusa. A Portuguese map, produced by Malacca-based Manual Godinho de Erédia and published in 1604 to aid in the discovery of the legendary islands of gold, depicts this, as does a 1607 Dutch map made by the de Bry family that records a ferocious sea battle fought in 1603 off the coast of Tanjong Rusa between the sea powers of the period, the Dutch and Portuguese. Both this maps, show how Changi was recognised as a strategic location, well before it became an essential component of the coastal defence systems built in the 1930s to protect the Naval Base in Sembawang.
This, as well as a wealth of other intriguing aspects of Changi’s past, captured in the 23 wonderful sites that the trail features, is contained within the trail’s well-researched companion guide booklet. There is also a trail map, in which one finds suggested routes of discovery organised around three themes: Bungalows and Beaches in Changi, War and Peace in Changi, and Gateways and Communities in Changi, all of which are give a great sense of what is really a unique part of Singapore, what it was, how it developed, and most importantly for me, a painful wartime past that should never be forgotten. The latter is why it is important to share stories of Changi. One way this is also done is through the annual Battle for Singapore commemoration. It is also why I think what’s left of the old Changi should be kept the way it is.
Soft copies of the companion guide and map can be downloaded from https://go.gov.sg/roots-changi-heritage-trail. The map will be made available in all four languages from June 2024. Limited printed copies of the companion guide are also be available at Siglap Community Club, Changi Chapel and Museum, and Asian Civilisations Museum.
Bungalows and Beaches in Changi (1 hour with public transport) 4km
The route explores Changi’s past and present as a leisure destination.
Changi has long been home to Government Bungalows. Bungalows, recreational facilities such as sailing and beach clubs, and holiday chalets are found in present day Changi , many of which have links to the past as a leisure destination and as a military base. Taking a walk along this route will bring you close to some of these places, all of which have a tale or two to tell.
Route Highlights:
Bungalows and Leisure in Changi The Manasseh Bungalow – the oldest house in Changi (See also: History Misunderstood)
E S Manasseh’s Holdiay Bungalow, which was a popular spot for honeymooners.
Inside the E S Manasseh’s former holiday home today. The bungalow was taken over by the War Office for a school. It was used later as a transit hotel in the days of RAF Changi and had a brief spell as part of the Cheshire Home in part ofthe 1970s and 1980s.
Changi Cottage, which LKY took a rest in following the stressful days of separation from Malaysia in August 1965, is bes viewed from the boat to Ubin.
Built as a holiday residence for the Governor and other senior officials in 1950, Changi Cottage was a go to place of escape for the Prime Minister and other members of Government in the early years of independence. It can now be rented by members of public for stays.
Changi Sailing Club
The Changi Sailing Club Jetty. The club has its roots in a yacht club established in the 1930s. Sporting pursuits were an essential feature in the military.
Changi Beach Club
Changi Beach Club, which has its roots in the Officers’ Club from the days of RAF Changi. The club features a uniquely designed clubhouse built in 1950 that projected over the beach. It was designed by Palmer and Turner. As the beach club, I visited it as a child and I recall swimming in the salt water pool that it then possessed.
Fairy Point Chalet 7, a former married officer’s residence built at the end of the 1920s.
Did you know? That Fairy Point was named after a wooden bungalow owned by Mr Gottlieb, a magistrate. The bungalow was demolished for a senior officers’ residence known as Fairy Point House or Fairy Point Chalet 7 in 1929. The cluster of buildings on Fairy Point Hill and Batu Puteh Hill next to it was where the first structures built by the War Office came up and is thus the oldest section of the cantonment.
The bungalow, was one of several bungalows put up as retreats in an area of extreme natural beauty. The charm of Changi was already well known in the 1840s, when the government built Changi Bungalow held the reputation of being a “fashionable place for picnic parties”. Built of timber, Changi Bungalow was the predecessor of a series of bungalows that the government has maintained in and aorund the site of Changi Cottage until this very day.
War and Peace in Changi (1.5 hours with public transport) 7.6km
Changi was developed as a military cantonment from the end of the 1920s, in and around which a system of coastal defence was also placed to defend the maritime entrance to the naval base.
Changi Point in particular, contains a wonderful set of military structures that were designed to maximise the comfort of soldiers in the tropics. The structures were templates for barracks across the rest of Changi built in the 1930s, as well as Gillman Barracks and Nee Soon Barracks. Changi was also where a prison came up in 1936, which was placed at the southern end of an area that was used to hold internees, both civilian and Prisoners of War (POWs) during the Second World War. The period would leave an indelible mark on Changi, which will always be associated with the depravation, pain and suffering of captivity. There are also many stories of resilience, of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of great adversity. It is in Changi Chapel and Museum that many of these stories are now told.
The War and Peace route is a great way to discover these stories and also understand Changi’s military past a lot better.
The cantonment at Kitchener Barracks (which housed the Royal Engineers until early 1942) contained the first barrack structures of this kind. Construction of which began at the end of the 1920s up to about 1935. These blocks, mostly along Hendon Road, were later repurposed to housed units associated with HQ Far East Air Force (FEAF) as part of RAF Changi from 1946 to 1971.
A tour for Battle for Singapore, 2024, during which I explained how an air strip was put in by the Japanese forces (with POW labour) and how and why that came to be used for landing heavy transport planes after the war ended. This would form the basis for the establishment of an air station, RAF Changi in the former army cantonment.
Amongst those held as POWs, there are some who spoke of being tasked with the gruesome task of clearing the remains of the victims of Sook Ching at Changi Beach (the beach beyond the footbridge at Changi Village, where a Sook Ching marker can be found)
Old Changi Hospital (seen here during a Discovering Singapore’s Best Kept Secrets visit that I organised in collaboration with SLA) has its roots in the RAF Hospital established in 1947 as part of RAF Changi. The three-floor Block 24 seen here, was originally a barrack block of Kitchener Barracks. The taller six-storey building, Block 161, was an addition to the hospital in 1962.
Did you know? That Changi Hospital was where more than a thousand RAF babies were welcomed to the world?
Many who were born there come back to have a glimpse of their place of birth, as do many who were warded at the hospital. The hospital was best remembered for the views and the environment that it provided for rest and recuperation and had the reputation of being the best in the RAF.
Gateways and Communities in Changi (2 hours with public transport) 12km
It is often the communities and the people that make a place. This is also the case in Changi, which was home to a varied lot. Beyond the military personnel, Changi supported a multi-racial community. Some worked for the military in areas such as catering and housekeeping. There were also those who ran businesses catering to the day-to-day needs of the soldiers and airmen, including tailors, sundry shopkeepers, photo stores operators, and food and beverage establishments. Changi Village, grew out of this and the modern version of it provides a reflection of this past.
Route Highlights:
Changi Point Ferry Terminal
Jetties and landing points have long been a feature of Changi Village. The image is of one of the two jetties at Changi Village from which passengers could hire boats to Pulau Ubin, Pulau Tekong, Johor and elsewhere, c. 1930s-40s (The Hebblewhite Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore)
Changi Point Ferry Terminal, 2015. The ferry terminal which is near the village is a successor to the landing points of the past and provides a link to Pulau Ubin and also Pengerang in Johor.
Changi Point Footbridge and Sungei Changi (Changi Creek)
A wooden footbridge once carried people over Sungei Changi (Changi Creek) from the village to the beach. This was replaced by a concrete bridge in the 1930s, which has become quite an icon in Changi Point.
Changi Beach
Changi Beach in the 1960s and 1970s was a popular destination for a picnic. Those were days when you could drive up right up to the beach, find a shady spot under a tree and have your picnic out of a cra boot. Popular fare was curry chicken with French loaves, or fried bee hoon or mee goreng, all home cooked. Very often, families consult tide tables published in the newspapers before heading to the beach when the tide was high, that was best for swimming. It was also quite common for to see extended families being carried on the back of borrowed lorries bound for the beach. Also a common sight were sampans, large rubber tyre inner tubes being put up for hire.
Pill Boxes were onces a feature at Changi Beach. One even had a beach side cafe operating from it.
Changi Village
One of six new NHB markers. This one at Changi Village provides insight to the village and its community. The present day village, developed by HDB in the 1970s, replaced the old. Today you will find businesses such as Charlie’s Corner, which has a link to the past.
Changi Milk Bar, 1947-48 (Image Courtesy of Royal Airforce Changi Association)
Charlie’s Corner’s owner Charlie Han’s father co-founded the Changi Milk Bar, a popular spot for RAF Servicemen in the old Changi Village.
Sree Ramar Temple
The original Sree Ramar Temple building in 1946 (Image Courtesy of Sree Ramar Temple). The temple started off as a shrine containing an image of Sree Ramar under a sacred fig tree and a temple building was erected in 1946. The temple, which was always very visible as it was positioned along the main road to Changi Village (now within the grounds of Changi Air Base West), has been a feature of the area ever since.
A member of the temple committee sharing about how he grew up in the village near where the mechanised car park is today. He looked forward to rainy days so that he could play in the water.
The temple today
Former Kampongs of Changi
While the physical reminders of the coastal kampongs of Changi may have disappeared, what remains are the memories of those who lived in them. Mdm Isiah Majid, a former resident of Kampong Ayer Gemuroh recalls the fresh water spring that the village was named after and was well known for. She also recounted popular village activities such as “berkarang” or coastal foraging and how kapur (slaked lime) was produced from burning cockle shells in Telok Mata Ikan. Kapur is used in producing whitewash, which was sold to villagers and shoe whitener.
There were also coastal villagers around Changi Point, along the area of the boardwalk (Changi Point Coastal Walk) near the sailing club, where Kampong Batu Puteh was. Two graves along the boardwalk are a reminder of the kampong, which on maps had a mosque and a cemetery.
Changi Airport
Changi Airport’s most recognisable feature is its control tower, seen here as viewed from Jewel Changi Airport. The airport’s runway occupies an area where Kampong Ayer Gemuroh once stood. Changi’s aviation history is linked very much to its wartime past and started with an airstrip put in during the Japanese occupation. The returning British found the airstrip (with strengthening) suitable for their large transport planes and out ot that rose RAF Changi and the Headquarters of the Far East Air Force. Proposals to build an international civilian airport also surfaced. An announcement was made in 1948 that an international airport that was to have been the “best in the world” would be built.
The father of Mr Joshua Woo was a contractor who worked on the Changi Airport Control Tower.
Did you know? That in 1946, plans were made for a civil airport in Changi that in a 1948 announcement, was to be the “world’s best airport”?
While the idea was abandoned soon after as there were concerns on the sandy subsoil, it would be a prediction that would be fulfilled some 4 decades later. Changi continued to be developed by the RAF. In 1952, the military airfield actually welcomed the first civil passenger jetliners calling at Singapore on regular services (Kallang Airport’s runway had been deemed inadequate). Paya Lebar would be built in 1955, and in 1981 Changi Airport, considered by many to be the world’s best or among the world’s best was opened.
From 22 Mar to 21 Apr 2024, the Flower Field in Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome, brings Kyoto to Singapore — with yet another dimension is added to what has become an annual Sakura floral display that is now in its ninth year. For the first time, the display features a day-to-night experience, as visitors can immerse in the Japanese traditions of hanami or cherry-blossom viewing, as well as a nighttime experience known as yozakura or night cherry blossoms. The display features the blooms of some 140 trees of over 40 varieties, including plum blossoms from Europe.
Kyoto’s famous Kinkakuji is being recreated, giving visitors a chance to also have the yozokura night cherry blossom viewing experience for the first time in Singapore.
This year’s theme revolves around the experience in Kyoto, and specifically the Golden Temple or Kinkakuji. The UNESCO World Heritage temple has been recreated for the display along with recreations of traditional Miyama Village style thatched houses, elements of Japanese gardens such as engawa, a veranda found in traditional homes, a sozu — a bamboo water fountain, the chozuya — a large basin with wooden dippers used to purify oneself at sacred spaces and the ema — small wooden plaques hung at shrines to offer one’s prayers.
Programmes and Promotions for Sakura, Blossom into the Night
TOURING SPRINGTIME JAPAN Flower Field Hall Admission to Flower Dome applies on opening day on Saturday, 23 March 2024. Admission is free on Sunday, 24 March 2024.
The rich tapestry of Japanese culture and cuisine is showcased at Touring Springtime Japan, where a line-up of activities relate to some of the best that Japan’s six key regions have to offer! Learn about each of the prefectures and the culture and food of these regions, as well as sample delicious snacks from Japan. Don’t miss the chance to experience the age-old tradition of mochi pounding, where a wooden mallet is used to vigorously pound flour into a sticky, delicious mochi cake.On Saturday, March 23, ticket holders to Flower Dome will be the first to experience these exciting cultural experiences. Programmes will then be open to all members of the public for free on Sunday, March 24.
Cultural experiences / programmes include: HIBIKIYA
Watch Japanese drum group Hibikiya play the recognisable beat of the taiko and other traditional Japanese instruments as well as perform traditional dances.
23 March 2024, 1.30 pm to 2 pm and 3.30 pm to 4 pm
YOSAKOI
Yosakoi is a unique Japanese style of dance and vibrant melange of tradition and modernity. Using a unique instrument known as the Naruko, clapping sounds are made to the beat when dancing.
23 March 2024, 5 pm to 5.30 pm
JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY
This traditional Japanese cultural activity, also known as Chanoyu or Chado, involves the ceremonial preparation and serving of matcha and a Japanese sweet.
23 March and Sunday, 24 March 2024, 10.30 am to 11 am, 11.15 am to 11.45 am, 1 pm to 1.30 pm, 1.45 pm to 2.15 pm
30 March, 31 March, 6 April and 7 April 2024, 11 am to 11.45 am, 12 pm to 12.45 pm, 1 pm to 1.45 pm, 2 pm to 2.45 pm
MOCHITSUKI DEMONSTRATION AND EXPERIENCE Witness expert mochi makers demonstrate the age-old tradition of transforming rice into delightful mochi. Don’t miss the opportunity to take a turn at wielding the wooden mallet and pounding your own mochi.
23 March 2024, 1 pm to 1.45 pm, 5.45 pm to 6.30 pm 24 March 2024, 2 pm to 2.45 pm, 5.45 pm to 6.30 pm
Free public programmes:
KOTO Flower Field Hall
Marvel at the lush sounds of Japanese koto by Koto Group of The Japanese Association, Singapore. 24 March 2024, 1 pm to 1.15 pm
JAPANESE FOLK DANCE Flower Field Hall
Dance along with Minyo Club of The Japanese Association, Singapore as they showcase folk dances handed down from all over Japan.
24 March 2024, 1.30 pm to 1.45 pm
AIKIDO DEMONSTRATION Flower Field Hall
Aikido, also known as “The Art of Peace”, is a Japanese martial art that embraces harmony. Instead of clashing head-on, practitioners learn to redirect and blend with an opponent’s energy, using throws and joint locks for self-defence without inflicting harm. 24 March 2024, 1.45 pm to 2 pm and 3 pm to 3.15 pm
SUZUME ODORI Flower Field Hall
Often the highlight of the Sendai Aoba Festival, the popular Suzume Odori – which means “Sparrow Dance” in English – thrills audiences with its unique, birdlike movements and brightly-coloured fans and costumes. The performances are brought to visitors by the Japanese members of Sendai Suzume Odori Singapore.
24 March 2024 Time: 3.30 pm to 3.45 pm, 5.30 pm to 5.45 pm
JCC CINEMA: JOSEE, THE TIGER AND THE FISH Flower Field Hall
In this heartwarming anime, Tsuneo is a university student and Josee is a young girl who has rarely gone out of the house by herself due to her being unable to walk. The two meet when Tsuneo finds Josee’s grandmother taking her out for an evening walk.
24 March 2024, 3.45 pm to 5.30 pm
ANIME GARDEN
Make a return after four years on 30 and 31 March.
Includes appearances by regional cosplay artists and the popular Cosplay Singles Competition. There is also an exciting concert line-up of Japanese artists, including legendary anisong singer Hiroshi Kitadani, a marketplace offering merchandise and works by regional artists and creators, as well as a selection of Japanese food and drinks.
Details of Events for Anime GardenCOSPLAY SINGLES COMPETITION Supertree Grove Free
Cosplayers show off their costuming, armour-making, wig design, make-up, and even acting skills in a fun and friendly competition. The top three winners will receive attractive cash prizes. Sunday, 31 March 2024, 6.15 pm to 7 pm
CELEBRITY COSPLAYER MEET & GREET Flower Dome & Supertree Grove There is no admission charge at Supertree Grove but a ticket is required to enter Flower Dome. Limited to 100 pax at Flower Dome. Queue starts 30 minutes before the session.
Take photos with Thames Malerose, Mikki, Baobao, and Xiaoyukiko at Flower Dome and join them for an autograph & Hi-Touch session at Supertree Grove! Bring your official merchandise to participate!
Saturday, 30 March and Sunday, 31 March 2024, Various timings
JAPANESE MUSIC CONCERT Supertree Grove Free
Japan Music Night Featuring Hiro (MY FIRST STORY), TeddyLoid and WISE! (Teriyaki Boyz). This debut performance in Singapore also marks Hiro, TeddyLoid and WISE!’s first time performing together.
Features Japanese acts Hiro from MY FIRST STORY, TeddyLoid, and WISE! If you love anisong, check out these special live performances by Hiroshi Kitadani and NANO! Theme: Japan Music Night Performers: Hiro (MY FIRST STORY), TeddyLoid and WISE! (Teriyaki Boyz). It will see Hiro, TeddyLoid and WISE!’s first time performing together for the first time.
30 March , 8 pm to 9 pm
I Love Anisong NANO, a Japanese bilingual singer with roots in New York, first captured global attention in 2010 by posting English covers of Japanese songs on YouTube, garnering widespread acclaim. After debuting in 2013, NANO marked a milestone with their inaugural live concert “Remember your colour.” at Shinkiba Studio Coast, where all 2,500 tickets sold out within just a day.
Hiroshi Kitadani, a legendary figure in anime music, is celebrated for lending his vocal talents to the iconic anime series One Piece, where he performed the first, fifteenth, nineteenth (in collaboration with Kishidan), twenty-second, and twenty-sixth opening themes.
31 March 2024, 9 pm to 10 pm
STAGE PERFORMERS Supertree Grove Free Enjoy performances by incredible homegrown talents plus international performers direct from Japan!
30 March 2024, 4 pm onwards Features: Sparkle Guitar Ensemble, Mike Miller, Allen 徐广利, Narutee, Ryoko, Kirameki FUTURE, DEARKISS, Golden Mix
31 March 2024, 4pm onwards Features: Tokimeki JUMP, AIJOU, Rae Atrista, alt.titude, Dear Kiss
ANIME MARKETPLACE Supertree Grove There is no admission charge to Anime Marketplace but charges apply at the booths.
Relax and have fun at the Anime Marketplace! Treat yourself to yummy Japanese street eats and snag exclusive anime merchandise at the retail booths.
30 March and Sunday, 31 March 2024, 3.30 pm to 10 pm
ANA X GARDENS BY THE BAY SAKURA GIVEAWAY
Win a pair of economy class tickets to ANYWHERE in Japan! Wander beneath a canopy of delicate cherry blossoms and immerse yourself in the ethereal beauty of Sakura season at Flower Dome. Just scan the contest QR code at the Sakura floral display to answer a simple question and stand a chance to win!
This contest is brought to you by All Nippon Airways (ANA).
Terms and conditions:
Contest period: 22 March to 21 April 2024 The lucky draw is open to Singapore residents, 18 years old and above. Only one entry per registered ANA member is allowed. Repeated entries will not be considered.
The Church of St Joseph at Victoria Street was established by the Portuguese Mission to serve the spiritual needs of the Portuguese / Portuguese Eurasian community in Singapore. Having maintained its ties with Portugal through the colonies of Goa and then Macau, up to 1999 (it came under the jurisdiction of the respective Dioceses until 1981, with the Bishop of Macau making clerical appointments until 1999), it is still where some of the religious traditions of the Iberian peninsula are practiced to this very day.
A procession for the Feast of St Joseph on 19 Mar 2024.
One very visible tradition is the religious procession, which takes place at least once a month and on special occasions. The largest of these processions (in terms of attendance), takes place on Good Friday. That is when the grounds of the church is transformed into a sea of candlelight.
His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, blessing Parochial House.
One procession that took place this week, was held in honour of St Joseph, to whom the church is dedicated to. It was an especially happy occasion for the church as it also coincided with the blessing of Parochial House, which together with the church itself, was closed some 7 years ago for refurbishment. The blessing of the house, the mass and procession that followed was graced by His Eminence Cardinal Willam SC Goh, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore.
The refurbished Parochial House received its TOP over the weekend.
Life in Singapore can be maddening at times. One of the world’s most congested territories, the city-state has a population density that translates into there being less than 124 square metres for every person, a space no larger than a HDB five room flat! This becomes quite evident at rush hour, at lunch time, or before and after mass participation events when the use of the Chinese expression, 人山人海 (which can be translated to “a mountain of people, a sea of people”), would well describe the city’s pavements, underpasses, MRT stations, shopping malls, trains, and buses.
Thankfully, one thing that Singapore does also have are an abundance of spaces to find an escape in. This is the case even in the urban centre, where little nooks and crannies, quiet spaces to cool off, and even roof tops with a view can offer respite. There are also fabulous parks and gardens. Further afield, parts of the now well trampled former Rail Corridor can still provide that sense of isolation that it used to when the trains were running, as do a collection of nature parks and sections of Singapore’s nature reserves to which access is provided.
I am often drawn to the magical quality that these spaces exude. It could be provided by the calls of nature, the smallness that one feels amongst the trees, the play of light and shadow or the pure joy of seeing sunlight streaming through the trees.
Ten Magical Spaces
[1]
Under the Giant Rain Tree | Fort Canning Park
Rain trees, instantly recognisable due to the umbrella like shape of their crowns, offer shade from the intense tropical sun. Their crowns can spread up to a massive 30 metres across. Native to tropical America, they were introduced to Singapore in the 1870s and have been among the most commonly planted roadside trees.
[2]
The Tunnel of Trees | Marang Trail
The Marang trail starts at the foot of Mount Faber, taking a path through an area of secondary tropical forest, and ascends 70 metres to the top of Mount Faber. A tunnel of trees — formed by the lush canopy at the start of the trail can be a sight to behold.
[3]
Walking amongst Giants | Former Rail Corridor at Kranji
Albizias, are another tree species that is not native to Singapore. Fast growing with thin trunks, they propagate rapidly across disused plots of land and pose a danger to walkers and hikers due to their frailty. They however grow to great heights and are thus used by birds as nesting sites. The rail corridor used to be lined with them, while some have been removed due to safety concerns, a section of the former corridor that will soon see development at Kranji is still lined with them, giving the impression of walking among giants.
[4]
Into the Light | Thomson Nature Park
Thomson Nature Park was established in a narrow wedge of land sandwiched between Upper Thomson Road and Old Upper Thomson Road. It was once home to a settlement of immigrants from Hainan, some of whom cultivated rambutans. The villages were one of the last to be supplied with electricity. Lorong Pelita, one of the roads in the area, possibly reflects this fact as pelita is Malay for oil lamp. The park is especially beautiful in the early part of the day, especially on a misty morning with sunlight filtering through the trees.
[5]
A Feeling of Being Watched from Above | Lower Peirce Trail
Colugos or flying lemurs are amongst the strange creatures that inhabit the forests of Singapore. They can be seen clinging on to trunks of trees and their ability to glide gives them a relatively long and wide reach. They have been spotted around the Central Catchment Reserve, Bukit Timah Reserve, Rifle Range Nature Park and above the boardwalk along the Lower Peirce Trail. Nocturnal creatures, they possess large eyes and whilst on the boardwalk you may get this feeling of being watched from above.
Besides that feeling of being watched, parts of the trail carry you past a stream by which you could be serenaded by a chorus that has been described as sounding like dripping water. A closer inspection of some of the low lying vegetation may reveal the source of the chorus — tiny copper-cheeked tree frogs no longer than the length of your last finger.
[6]
Lake District | Central Catchment Reservoirs
The development of Singapore’s first impounding reservoirs, MacRitchie, Lower Peirce (pictured above), and Upper Seletar — and also Upper Peirce later, created a series of water bodies close to the fringes of the Central Catchment Reserve. Parks and look out points offer beautiful vistas of what can be thought of as Singapore’s lake district.
[7]
Changi Rocks! | Changi Point Coastal Walk
A place that has been close to my heart for much of my life, Changi was where I took many a holiday at as a child. Changi Point, west of Changi Village, is still very much how it was back when I first visited the area in the early 1970s. Mixed with old buildings of an almost intact 1929 to 1935 built Kitchener Barracks is still intact, as are many additions put in by the RAF when it took over after WW2. Some of these structures became additional holiday bungalows in the 1970s, others were used in various ways including as Commando Camp. Steeped in history and home to POWs in the early part of the occupation, many fascinating tales of the past are found in them. The biggest treat is the area’s unaltered natural beauty. A walk around the Changi Point Coastal Walk, is always a joy, taking me by a sea I knew well from my many childhood dips in it. The boardwalk also takes a route past rock formations that are stand out even in early 20th century postcards, natural elevations, and a set of cliffs that one might not expect to see in the manmade Singapore of today.
[8]
The Pier | Lim Chu Kang Nature Park
Cashin House in Lim Chu Kang Nature Park is always a joy to visit. The “house” — the sensitively rebuilt sea pavilion structure that the Cashins referred to as “The Pier” offers a perspective of living by the sea. Built as a pier for the export of rubber from Alexander Cashin’s Sungei Buloh Estate in 1906, rooms were added to the end to serve as quarters and later a holiday home. One of the first points of landing during the Japanese invasion of Singapore in February 1942, the site by the house was where an Australian battalion put up a heroic fight, holding position against the odds before eventually withdrawing.
The Pier would be enlarged and serve as the home of Alexander’s son Howard from the 1960s and vacated following Howard’s death in 2009. With the marine environment wreaking havoc on the structure of The Pier, a decision was taken to have it rebuilt for it to be useful in the longer term. Being in the house, puts you close to nature, and well within sight of the coastal mangroves that are currently being restored. At low tides, a crocodile or two may be spotted basking in the sun on the mudflats. Visiting the house once, stokes the desire to come back for more. While the house is not opened to the public, visiting it is possible through NParks organised tours and programmes to it.
[9]
The Gateway to the Past | Kampong Tengah, Sembawang
The presence of mysterious gate in Sembawang, one that seemingly leads nowhere, has made the area it is in the subject of much speculation. Imaginative tales are told of the gate. If some of these are to be believed, the gate, may be a portal to another dimension, or one that through which energy of a supernatural nature flows.
There is a less sinister explanation for the presence of the gate, having been the main gate of the seaside property of Chua Boon Peng of Cycle and Carriage fame. It was one of a small collection of seaside homes developed by Mr Chua, another of which was the home of architect and artist James Westwater Ferrie whose artistic endeavours included watercolours of the area’s seascapes.
The houses are long gone, as have the villages that once brought life to its surroundings. The rather forlorn gate is best visited in the mornings an hour or so after sunrise, when the place often takes on a magical quality given by the light of the rising sun filtering through the trees.
[10]
A Bar at which You Could Meet a Mermaid | Coastal Sembawang
Sandbars were and still are a common sight along many parts of coastal and even offshore Singapore. They often, especially the ones offshore, make for interesting photographs. One large sandbar can often be seen at the lowest of tides just east of Sembawang Park in the area close to Kampong Wak Hassan and the former Kampong Tengah. The sandbar provides opportunities for stunning photographs, especially during sunrise, as well as a great view of the ships being repaired at the former Sembawang Shipyard (now Seatrium Admiralty Yard), which will soon be shutting its doors. The yard, developed out of the former naval dockyard, together with the port facility operating in the former stores basin, is the last working remnant of the massive British naval base set up in the 1930s to defend British interests in the Far East.
Senoko Fishery Port, which has its roots in the Teochew run fish businesses of the old Kangkar fishing village at the end of Upper Serangoon Road, has less than two weeks before it shuts for good. Once home to the remnants of Singapore’s fishing fleet, which moved from Kangkar — when it boasted of 90 boats — to Punggol in 1984, before ending up in Senoko in 1997, the so-called port operates in more recent times as a fish wholesale market.
A parting glance at Senoko Fishery Port (1997 to 2024)
Home to a tightly-knit community of 25 traders, the area of the port is intended for redevelopment — word has it that the site will host an expansion of the Micron Semiconductor plant. This will see the displaced fish traders move to the much larger Jurong Fishery Port at which all such businesses will be consolidated.
While the move is welcomed by some, who look towards the larger customer base in Jurong, many others are saddened by their last link to Kangkar’s once famous fishing port, the small but loyal customer base in the north, and the community and the air of friendly competition in which the businesses operated.
For their clients, many of whom are northern base, it also means the time and expense of having to traverse across a much larger distance to obtain supplies.
The fishery port will operate for one last time on 17 March 2024, after which most of the businesses there will move to their new western home.
Lian Yak — which has been in business since 1955 and is the oldest fish trader in Senoko. The company, which operated first in Kangkar, also ran a fleet of fishing boats.
Amongst the military aircraft on the tarmac at the Singapore Airshow 2024, was a German Air Force’s Airbus A400M that seemed to have stolen the show — when visitors from China were allegedly barred from viewing the aircraft during the show’s public segment.
Aside from the brouhaha over the incident, it has to be said that the highly versatile three-in-one platform is one mightily impressive aircraft. Not only can it be reconfigured with its ability to carry a variety of modular mission payloads that will allow it to switch between missions such as tactical airlift, strategic airlift, and in-flight refuelling in a flash, its main landing gear with 3 pairs of wheels on either side, gives the airlifter the ability to land in remote locations in which only small and unprepared landing strips may be found and can even land on sand. The design of the landing gear also permits the aircraft to “kneel” to lower the ramp in order to load large vehicles into its cargo hold.
Two of the A400M’s four controllable pitch props.
The 400M’s voluminous 340 cu m cargo hold accommodates a large range of military vehicles, as well as helicopters, modular cargo, intermodal containers and heavy equipment. Loads of up to 37 tonnes can be carried. For tactical airdrops, up to 116 fully equipped paratroopers can be carried. Jumps can be made through side doors or the ramp, with two simultaneous streams of jumpers. Cargo drops of of containers or pallets of up to 25 tonnes can also be made at low altitude. Reconfigurable in a matter of two hours as an air-to-air refuelling tanker, the 400M has an built-in fuel capacity of 63500 litres, which can be enhanced through up to two modular 7200 litre cargo hold tanks. An entire range of probe-equipped military aircraft from jets down to helicopters can be serviced with the aircraft’s wide flying speed range.
Among the debutants at the Singapore Airshow, the Airbus ACH130 Aston Martin Edition helicopter takes the cake. The limited edition luxury corporate helicopter draws on the Aston Martin DB11 for inspiration and boasts of its interiors and exteriors having been designed in collaboration with the British luxury sports car maker.
The cool helo on display at the airshow, which is said have cost something to the tune of EUR 3.8M, is that of Aussie tech entrepreneur John-Paul Thorbjornsen. JP, as he likes to be known as, flew the aircraft on an epic 41-day, 10,000-nautical mile journey to take the helo to Australia for its delivery.
The shrouded tail rotor of the ACH130
The helicopter is one of only 30 limited edition ACH130s, with customers in Australia, Europe, Latin America, New Zealand, North America and South East Asia. Launched four years ago, production was initially limited to 15 units, before being extended to another 15. The edition was also refreshed last year and features an updated range of liveries and interiors.
Passenger seating in the Limited Edition ACH130’s Aston Martin DB11 inspired interior.
The Pier, which was last the home of lawyer and sportsman Howard Cashin and his wife Lily in 2009, has been reborn.
Sensitively rebuilt with salvageable elements such as roof and floor tiles, bricks, timber fretwork and window frames, and an iron grille gate of the older house incorporated, Cashin House — as it is now known as, is a great joy to behold. Looking resplendent, the rebuilt house was unveiled by Minister for National Development, Mr Desmond Lee on 25 November during the 30th Anniversary celebrations of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and can now be visited through NParks through sign-ups for specially curated programmes and activities (it is otherwise closed to the public).
Cashin House reborn
Built originally in 1906 as a pier to transport rubber from Howard’s father Alexander Cashin’s Sungei Buloh Rubber Plantation, accommodation was added to it in the 1920s. The pier would become a seaside escape and on the evidence of aerial photographs, featured a bathing pagar at one point in time.
Contrasts and contradictions: a view from the mangrove lined NW coast of Singapore across the Selat Tebrau to the developed southern coast of Johor.
A landing site for during the Imperial Japanese Army’s invasion of Singapore on the night of 8 and early morning of 9 February 1942, the grounds of the house was a place of interest for both IJA war veterans and surviving Australian defenders who were known to have dropped by when the house was expanded and turned into a home for Howard Cashin and his then wife Gillian in the early 1960s. It was also during this time that the house was visited a number of times by the late Sultan Ismail of Johor (grandfather of the reigning Sultan).
The Pier remained in the hands of Howard Cashin until just after his death in 2009. In 2013 it was announced that the house was to be a gateway to and expanded Sungei Buloh Nature Park. In 2020, NParks announced the expanded section would be known as Lim Chu Kang Nature Park within a greater Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network that would include the Kranji Marshes and also extend eastwards to include the Kranji Mangroves and the Mandai Mangroves.
The house brings one close to nature.
The house on the pier is one of two sea pavilions left in Singapore. It was also rebuilt to provide for its safe and long term use. In a setting that is unlike anywhere else in Singapore, the house is not just a marker of history, but also of a world and a way of life that has long been forgotten. More on the house and its history can be found in the Instagram reel below and in these posts:
With Minister Desmond Lee, NParks CEO and Director of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, senior officers of URA, and Sungei Buloh volunteer Adriane Lee at the unveiling of Cashin House on 25 Nov 2023 (Photo: Minister Desmond Lee’s Facebook post)
Much has been made about the “mysterious” solitary Japanese tomb sitting on the southern slopes of Mount Faber. The tomb, which could be thought of as a memorial to a painful time in Singapore’s history, contains the remains of a member of staff of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ (MHI) Kobe shipyard, a naval architect by the name of Komoto Ekasa (or Omoto Egasa). Komoto was among an group of 94 MHI staff who had been sent from Kobe to Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in January 1942 in anticipation of the Fall of Singapore. Arriving in Singapore on 2 March 1942, the MHI employees’ immediate task had been to revive the damaged Singapore Harbour Board (SHB) repair facilities at Keppel Harbour to the point that it could be put in operation to support the war effort.
The solitary tomb on the slopes of Mount Faber.
Enlisting the help of former executives and workers of SHB, MHI’s team was able to rapidly restore three of SHB’s graving docks at Keppel Harbour in a matter of weeks. By the third week of March, emergency repairs could be carried on the Imperial Japanese Navy oiler Tsurumi, which had been hit by a Dutch torpedo in the waters of the East Indies early that same month. By June, much of the repair facilities had been fully restored and was subsequently run as the No. 1 yard of MHI’s Syonan Shipyard (Syonan Shipyard’s No. 2 Yard was at Tanjong Rhu). Unfortunately for the hardworking Komoto, who had been appointed as the shipyard’s manager, he fell ill and passed on the 18th day of July 1942.
Singapore Harbour Board Repair Facilities included graving docks at Keppel Harbour and Tanjong Pagar.
Komoto’s efforts would however not be in vain. While MHI’s Syonan Shipyard may have been unable to support the Japanese shipbuilding efforts due to material and machinery shortages as was intended, it proved to be a great asset to the Japanese fleet as a repair yard. Some 2364 ships were repaired by the shipyard from March 1942 to August 1945 even if only a handful of ships were built. The yard was also able to provide employment to local workers, with the number of local employees exceeding 3000 at the peak of its activities. The facilities would however suffer from shortages of spares, a lack of maintenance, and also damage from Allied bombing in 1944 and 1945. By the time of the Japanese surrender in August 1945, much was left in a state of disrepair. Extensive rehabilitation work and expense was required after the war to restore the facilities.
The cellar of the much storied Keppel House. There has even been speculation that Yamashita’s gold is buried beyond the walls at the far end.
About Komoto Ekasa (小本江笠)and his link to Keppel House
Born in March 1895, Komoto was a graduate of Department of Marine Engineering of Tokyo Imperial University and joined MHI’s Kobe Shipyard and Machinery Works soon after his graduation in 1920. His death and place of burial was apparently not forgotten and several members of the naval architect’s family have paid visits to the grave over the years. A participant during a recent tour I conducted to Keppel House mentioned that a granddaughter of the naval architect had been in contact with her and had revealed that Omoto along with several other Syonan Shipyard staff members were residents of house (which the site of the grave had once been on the grounds of) during their time here. More on Keppel House can be found at: A house on which Singapore’s modern port was built.
A Discovering Singapore’s Best Kept Secrets tour to Keppel House on 29 Oct 2023. The tour was conducted with the kind support of the Singapore Land Authority.
The National Museum of Singapore is literally going big in the commemoration of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s 100th birth anniversary. With National Day just around the corner, images of Singapore’s first Prime Minister are being projected across the museum’s façade as part of its National Day façade light-up from 21 July to 9 August 2023 (7.30pm to 12 midnight).
The images, come from snippets of a short film ‘LKY100:The Life and Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew (1923–2015)‘ made by Royston Tan. Honouring Singapore’s founding prime minister and his contributions to the country, the 5-minute long film is now being presented in the concluding section of the museum’s Singapore History Gallery. The film features the late Mr Lee sharing a special message created from a collage of key speeches across his career, taken primarily from National Day Rally speeches delivered in English, Malay, Mandarin and Hokkien, which emphasise the importance of multiculturalism to Mr Lee.
Filmmaker Royston Tan
A scene from the film
LKY 100 Digital trail
The film also complements a digital trail of the same name that was launched in April this year. The trail requires users to use their personal mobile devices, which can be registered by scanning a QR code at the Singapore History Gallery at level 1, or at the ‘Semangat yang Baru: Forging a New Singapore Spirit’ exhibition gallery.Upon completing the trail, visitors can redeem a gift from the vending machine at the Singapore History Gallery exit at Level 1. The gift is inspired by Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s iconic red box.
The gift inspired by Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s iconic red box (image courtesy of National Museum of Singapore).
The red box on display at the Singapore History Gallery.
Navigating the digital trail (image courtesy of National Museum of Singapore).
The view from what is Esplanade Park today, 8 decades and more than a world apart. What the photos have visibly in common is the Fullerton Building, then the General Post Office, and today the Fullerton Hotel.
The older photo shows the desolate scene on the morning of 16 February 1942, the morning after Singapore’s fall to Japan. Taken on what seems to be part of the unfinished reclamation ground in way of the Esplanade (on which Queen Elizabeth Walk would eventually be built), the scene in one that is in stark contrast to the view of the same area today, taken from a somewhat different position but showing the same general view of what is today the CBD. The modern scene is of course one that many across the world would be familiar with, being one that receives a fair amount of coverage around the world during Singapore’s F1 night race weekends each year and one that is a great showcase of the Singapore success story.
The story behind the 1942 photo, or rather the photographer behind the first photo is perhaps not talked about enough in Singapore. It was one captured by an Australian POW by the name of George Aspinall, who was behind a series of very bravely taken photographs that documented among other things, the cruelty of a part of Aspinall’s time as a POW. During part of his captivity, Aspinall was able to conceal a camera that an uncle had given him prior to his departure for Singapore. Remarkably, Aspinall also managed to conceal a stash of x-ray negatives and processing chemicals that he had discovered, taking them with him to captured the horrors that POWs were subjected to working along the so-called Death Railway. With the chemicals, he was able to process the x-ray negatives that he had used in his camera. While he may have disposed of his camera before his return from the death railway for fear of it being discovered, Aspinall managed to hold on to the precious processed negatives, some of which survived being buried in a latrine bore hole in Changi prison.
Among the photographs that Aspinall captured as a POW in Singapore were those that were taken during the Selarang Barracks (Parade Square) Incident, during which more than 15,000 POWs were squeezed into the the Selarang Barracks parade square to persuade the men to sign a non-escape statement. More on George Aspinall and his photographs can be found at https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C340159.
i Light Singapore, Asia’s leading sustainable light art festival, makes a return this June. Fourteen installations feature at this year’s festival, the theme of which, A New Wave, along with the festival colour choice of blue, places a focus on the relationship that we have with blue spaces. The use of energy-saving lighting and/or environmentally friendly material have been been central to festival installations. This year is no different, in the hope that festival goers and the general public adopt sustainable lifestyles and make eco-conscious choices of their own.
Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and presented by DBS, i Light 2023 also features a line-up of programmes during the three and a half week festival. The festival runs from 1 to 25 Jun 2023, with installations turned on from 7.30pm to 11.00pm daily and is extended to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. More information on the festival can be found at https://www.ilightsingapore.gov.sg/.
Step into a giant musical garden and be surrounded by an immersive jungle of light, colour and sound. At Trumpet Flowers, visitors get the opportunity to create a unique floral symphony using interactive keys that control the towering musical and light instruments.
Inspired by gramophones, these super-sized flowers burst to life occasionally with a specially commissioned musical score by Otis Studio, accompanied by some of Sydney’s finest jazz musicians.
Résonances Louis-Philippe Rondeau in collaboration with ELEKTRA (Canada) Open Plaza, OUE Bayfront
Résonances is an interactive installation that embodies the inexorable passage of time. It seeks to reveal the limit between present and past.
As an arch of light appears in darkness, a temporal portal emerges. When visitors cross this threshold, their image will be projected onto the adjacent wall and seem deployed in time through the slit-scan technique. In this visual metaphor, the past constantly takes over the present, and visitors will see their own image fade inexorably into the oblivion of white light. The artwork emphasises that all light is the manifestation of events that have already occurred; the twinkle we see in the night sky is but a bygone snapshot of the stars.
Block Party Jeremy Lin, Jedy Chen, Dexter Hong Plug & Play (Singapore) Entrance of Marina Bay Link Mall
The dynamic relationship between humans and the environment is explored in Block Party, where visitors can participate in collaborative placemaking through the playful medium of dance.
Familiar public housing blocks in Singapore come to life as they react to movement prompts from visitors, taking on personalities of their own. As one bends and twists with the buildings, gardens bloom spontaneously over their facades.
This interactive feature is a reminder of the power we wield to shape our surroundings and make a difference to the world. Through light-hearted interactions, participants are called upon to take responsibility for the environment and a sustainable future.
Glacier Dreams Refik Anadol Refik Anadol Studio (USA) and Julius Baer Façade of ArtScience Museum
Inspired by both the beauty and fragility of glaciers, Glacier Dreams is the result of a groundbreaking, long-term research project involving machine learning, environmental studies and multi-sensory media art.
Visual materials collated from publicly available data and institutional archives, together with glacier images personally collected by Refik Anadol in Iceland, are processed through machine learning algorithms and transformed into Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based multi-sensory narratives.
The artist, together with his Los Angeles-based team, hopes to raise awareness of climate change and rising sea levels through poetic glacier-themed experiences, and also contribute to the study of glaciers with their existing AI tools.
Aquatics Philipp Artus (Germany) Under Esplanade Bridge (near Merlion Park)
Aquatics is an interactive animation depicting sea creatures swimming around and interacting with one another. It explores the emergence of life through abstract shapes and movement.
Using a tablet, visitors can design their own creatures and add them to the underwater world.
By witnessing the beauty of animal locomotion in its natural habitat, participants are reminded of the urgent need to preserve biodiversity and ecosystems.
Blue energy is harnessed from the chemical potential of a salinity difference between the sea and river waters. Blumiwave is an interpretation of this renewable energy source.
Seen from afar, sculptural waves appear to crash at varying heights and directions. Upon closer inspection, these are in fact made of a carefully weaved fabric of safety nets and scaffolding — everyday objects that the interior designers at DP Design encounter at construction sites. Here, the team transforms materials normally perceived as unsightly into a space that invites multiple interpretations of the mundane and its possibilities.
All plastics used to assemble Blumiwave will be recycled by local social enterprise Magorium after the festival. Supported by DBS Foundation, Magorium converts plastic waste into a sustainable construction material called ‘NEWBitumen’ that can replace crude-derived bitumen to pave roads sustainably.
Symphony 1 Chan Wan Kyn, Linknito, Linez The Grand Lowlife Orchestra (Singapore | USA | Morocco) Mist Walk
Symphony 1 is a light-based architectural entity that inhabits space. Like a living being, its ethereal and translucent organic form populates any location.
Masses of twisting vine-like structures emit an icy glow to fill the space before sprouting into sprigs of crystalline flowers. The sprawl of its existence is a comment on nature and our relationship with it, contradicting yet also enhancing the brutal denseness of urban spaces it finds itself in.
Encircling a sapling in his arms, Tree Man provides sanctuary for a young tree while carving out an inner sanctum for visitors. The act of nurturing and connecting with our environment is emphasised in these whimsical light sculptures.
Emitting light with heads that are shaped like digital screens, the artwork invites reflection on humans’ insatiable preoccupation with devices, which could be detrimental to our circadian rhythms. As one enters the arms of Tree Man, light switches across a spectrum of colours, and sparse melodies on top of a forest-inspired soundtrack are triggered, leaving one to wonder if we can ever find a balance between the digital and natural world.
Light Anemones Malte Kebbel Studio Kebbel (Germany) The apex at The Promontory at Marina Bay
Light Anemones is a versatile light sculpture that evolves with time and space. It seeks to portray the captivating world beyond the water surface, where the mysteries of the deep sea and the wonders of underwater creatures come to life.
During the day, the sculpture’s surroundings and sunlight are reflected on the curved titanium-stainless steel mirrors. In the night, linear beams appear due to the play of light along the sculpture’s concave and convex structure with a rotating centre. As light from the three sculptures interact with one another and merge with mirrored silhouettes of neighbouring buildings, people and landscape, a complex symphony of light, sound and imagery is composed — as though from a different time continuum.
the things left unsaid Brigette Teo Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media (Singapore) Breeze Shelter
the things left unsaid is a manifestation of the artist’s unspoken thoughts and feelings about growing up in a time of seemingly never-ending doom. Repeatedly confronted by news of a gloomy future and an impending climate catastrophe, the artwork acts as a refuge from despair.
Comprising weaved sheets made of upcycled plastic bags draped across the space, the artwork exudes a sense of both comfort and unease, much like the mysterious phenomenon of bioluminescent algal bloom that inspired it. Above all, it is a quiet reminder of the hope and possibilities that still exist.
Also being held in conjunction with i Light Singapore 2023:
Lightwave: Turning the Tide (Ticketed)
The Promontory at Marina Bay
Timing Weekdays: Sunday to Thursday – 7.30pm to 11pm (last experience at 10.40pm) Weekends: Friday and Saturday – 7.30pm to 12am (last experience at 11.40pm)
Ticketing Admission tickets are priced at SGD5 each and can be purchased from Klook.
Lightwave: Turning the Tide imagines a future where human exploits have damaged the world around us irrevocably.
Be transported to an underwater world, visitors are left to ponder: How have we come to this?
Through three unfolding chapters of thought-provoking multi-sensorial light experiences, explore how our way of life has impacted nature, and be inspired to make a change and turn the tide.
As part of the festival, an effort is being made to get us to pledge our commitment to eco-conscious practices through small but impactful changes in our lifestyle.
Two separate pledges can be made:
The Switch Off, Turn Up (SOTU) pledge is one that calls for us to switch off non-essential lightings and turn up air-conditioning temperatures during and beyond the festival period. SOTU has been a key component of i Light Singapore’s sustainability drive since the festival’s inception in 2010. The initiative has seen building owners, corporations and businesses around and beyond Marina Bay to reduce their energy consumption in lighting and air-conditioning, and this effort continues. Participation in the programme will also be extended to the public and schools for the first time this year.
The Be a Zero Hero pledge is to encourage us to adopt zero waste habits. This includes reducing the use of single-use items and food waste. For each pledge submitted up to the first 5,000 pledges, All Clear – a sustainability enterprise providing offshore and ocean clean-ups – will remove 100g of waste from Singapore waterways. Up to 500 kg of waste will be removed as an outcome this effort. Pledges can be made online.
A visual, unique to each pledge submitted online, will be generated using Alibaba Cloud’s AI technologies and this can be viewed on i Light i Pledge’s website and as part of the last chapter at Lightwave: Turning the Tide. This initiative aims to demonstrate how a small step taken by an individual can contribute to a larger sustainability objective.
I finally managed to get up close with the trimaran variant of the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship or LCS. Developed at a time when I dabbled in the design of high performance marine craft, it was always interesting to see the many different approaches that were taken to finding a right fit of a hull form for a naval platform. And the LCS, especially the trimaran design of one of two variants of the LCS under consideration, represented an exciting move away from the tried and tested.
The USS Mobile at Changi Naval Base during IMDEX Asia 2023.
The LCS programme was the US Navy’s response to the changing nature of the threats that United States was facing. The was made especially apparent by the 9-11 terror attack on its own soil. Traditionally a blue-water navy, the LCS was conceived to fill a gap that the USN had in brown-water or littoral capabilities with a small and compact, agile, shallow draught reconfigurable platform.
The USN’s decision made in the mid-2000s to go with two configurations, a monohull and the Australian Austal designed trimaran, certainly raised eyebrows, as did the extensive use of aluminium alloy — a material that the USN had shied away from due to its susceptibility to stress corrosion and fatigue cracking, from its own experience with aluminium alloy superstructures in the post World War 2 era, as well as the concerns with the loss in structural strength of aluminium alloys at high temperatures.
Also raising eyebrows was the choice of hull form. The trimaran hull in the case of the Austal design was essentially a very slender monohull with two outriggers. It is certainly superior when it comes to minimising the drag increase due to wave generation — a dominant factor in the higher speed range at which the LCS operates. It also has a greater resistance to capsize (the slenderness of monohull is limited by its ability to remain upright). The widely spaced hulls also provide a greater deck area that is always welcome in naval platforms operationally. There is also the advantage of potentially reduced pitch and heave motions in waves due to their smaller waterplane areas, which provides the platform with a superior operability.
In operation for more than a decade — the first of class, the USS Independence was commissioned in 2010, the trimaran LCS as with the monohull variant, have been beset with problems. Cost overruns and a host of operational and maintenance issues have plagued both classes of LCS. Structural cracking, as predicted by material choice sceptics, have also been reported, leading to a reworking of structural design details. Designed to be in service for 25 years, two ships of each classes have already been decommissioned, with more expected to follow.
As for the LCS-26 (the trimaran variants are numbered evenly), USS Mobile, having been commissioned only about two years ago in May 2021, it would have incorporated the lessons the designers learnt from the lead ships in the class. As with the other ships in the class, its expansive main deck permits a large mission bay with stern door for launch of smaller craft to be laid out. On top of this a large two-bay hangar that can accommodate both the ship’s MH-60 helo and a Fire Scout drone, and a helicopter deck can be found. The ship is designed to be manned minimally and is operable with a core crew of 40, and can take up to 35 mission crew.
The USS Mobile, is here as part of a display of warships during IMDEX Asia, a regional naval exhibition that takes place every two years in Singapore. The exhibition, which serves as a showcase of the latest in naval platform, arms and sensor technologies, is often also barometer of the wants and desires of the region’s navies.
The stern door at the Mission Bay.
The Mission Bay.
On the fo’c’sle deck.
The helo bay of the Hangar.
The heli-deck.
The Hangar from the upper deck.
The HCR (Helo Control Room).
A gym set up in the Mission Bay.
A view of the stern. The main hull in is in the centre with four waterjets at the bottom that propel the ship and the stern door of the Mission Bay above. The heli-deck is on top. The two outrigger hulls can be seen on either side of the main hull.
I had the opportunity to have a first look at Bird Paradise, Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s latest attraction.
Set on a 17 ha site close to the Mandai Road end of Mandai Lake Road, the successor to Jurong Bird Park will — at least at first glance — have what it takes to build an identity of its own. While it may not have a single iconic feature, which its predecessor had in its Waterfall Aviary, the new park does have a host of features that will allow visitors a more immersive experience. The highlight of Bird Paradise for me is its eight large walk-through aviaries — twice what Jurong had, each of which brings a varied experience.
Park information
Bird Paradise opens on 8 May 2023 and tickets (single-park admission), which go on sale from 24 April 2023, will be priced at $38 for adults, $23 for children (ages 3 to 12 years old) and $20 for senior citizens, from 8 May to 26 May 2023. From 27 May 2023, Single-park admission is at the full price of $48 for adults, $33 for children (ages 3 to 12 years old) and $20 for senior citizens.
All admission tickets must be purchased online at https://www.mandai.com/en/bird-paradise.html, prior to visiting Bird Paradise. An advance time slot booking is required. All ticket holders are required to make a booking before visiting Bird Paradise.
Participation in all feeding programmes must also be pre-booked on the ticketing website. A token fee of $8 per session applies for each participant.
Bird Paradise will be open daily from 9am to 6pm. Last admission into the park is at 5pm.
Prepare to be wowed even before you enter — the cascading waterfall, which you will encounter at the drop-off to Bird Paradise / Mandai West Node.
Under the winged canopy at the Bird Paradise entrance.
The back end of the Entrance Plaza
The cascading waterfall greets visitors at the Entrance Plaza, around which orchids recall the former Mandai Orchid Gardens which used to occupy the site.
Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove Penguins being moved.
At 3,000 square metres, Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove is a multi-level, state-of-the-art indoor habitat that showcases the fascinating behaviours of penguins. Its two large acrylic tanks each hold one of the biggest water volumes in the world to house penguins. Consisting of two storeys, the cold saltwater habitat allows guests to view penguins diving into the depths and emerging onto a Sub-Antarctic beach to waddle around under a domed sky surrounded by a projection of the Southern lights, the Aurora Australis. Lighting in the tank is designed to mimic the day and night of the Sub-Antarctic islands and complement the penguins’ breeding cycles.
4 species of penguins, which are Gentoo Penguin, King Penguin, Humboldt Penguin, Northern Rockhopper.
Get a rare glimpse underneath the swimming penguins from an acrylic dome on the first storey. Head to the mezzanine level for a multimedia projection highlighting the four seasons in the life of a King Penguin’s colony and impact of climate change on penguins in the wild.
Keeper Talk at 1.30pm daily. Learn about penguin behaviour and the personalities of individual penguins from their keepers.
F&B: Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove also features a dining experience immersed in an underwater environment with the aquatic birds at Penguin Cove Restaurant. Penguin Cove Café and Shop occupies the second level, offering penguin themed pastries and merchandise with a view of penguins waddling on the beach.
Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove – a cool new home for the penguins!
Over … the Ocean Express Penguin Cove’s beach level and …
under … where one can “dive” in the world of penguins, where visitors can also immerse in a dining experience.
Heart of Africa Bird Paradise’s largest aviary
At 1.55 ha, this is the Bird Paradise’s largest aviary. It features the park’s largest number of mature trees and features an elevated walkway, suspension bridges and a lookout tower. The Heart of Africa is also where feeding sessions are held at 9.30am and 2.00pm daily.
Inspired by the forest valleys of continental Africa, Heart of Africa houses the largest number of existing mature trees, with keystone species like the ficus. The aviary is designed around an elevated canopy experience where visitors will be led into a dense forest with meandering forest streams, where they can observe birds displaying their natural behaviours.
It has a population that contains some 80 species including eight different species of Turacos, the largest variety held in a single area. Other birds include superb starlings, red-winged starling, laughing dove, black-crowned cranes.
Features include elevated canopy experiences with suspension bridges above meandering forest streams, look out for immersive cultural elements such as Congolese pavilions and a larger-than-life artificial sycamore fig tree. Be sure to get a vantage point of the aviary at the Viewing Tower.
Feeding Sessions at 9.30am and 2.00pm daily, when a variety of bird species swoop down from the canopy for feeding-time.
A white-cheeked turaco.
A view of the suspension bridge at Heart of Africa.
The lookout tower.
A blue-bellied roller.
A taveta weaver.
Kuok Group Wings of Asia
Kuok Group Wings of Asia pays homage to the diverse habitats of Southeast Asia, through a recreation of winding bamboo forests and sloping rice terraces. Observe threatened species like the Black-faced Spoonbills and Baer’s Pochard as well as Mandarin Ducks wading in the shallow waters while charismatic hornbills soar above. For the early birds, swing by for a chance to see the Pied Imperial Pigeons flocking to their morning meal. Visitors can soak in the serene ambience while overlooking rice terraces and admiring Bali and Thailand-inspired architectural elements that have been integrated into the habitat.
More than 30 species are present such as the Australian pelican, black-faced spoonbill, Papuan hornbill, pied imperial pigeon, and milky stork
Features are a Balinese-inspired split gate, pavilions, and water-based sound sculptures.
Feeding sessions at 10.00am daily, when you can admire the view from the pavilion overlooking the paddy fields while feeding pelicans with their favourite fishes.
Part of the landscaping for this aviary is inspired by rice terraces of Asia.
The pelican feeding session that takes place at 10 am daily.
Hungry pelicans!
A sarus crane.
Hong Leong Foundation Crimson Wetlands
This aviary enthrals with a visual extravaganza of pink and red. Scarlet Macaws soar above American Flamingos set against the backdrop of a cascading waterfall, while Scarlet Ibises and Roseate Spoonbills wade across the South American wetlands.
40 species including scarlet macaw, red-and-green macaw, blue-throated macaw, scarlet ibis, roseate spoonbill, and American flamingo
Here in the Crimson Wetlands, you can hop across the lily play pockets and test your balance or take in a 20 m tall waterfall inspired by the San Juan Curi waterfall in Colombia, which pays tribute to the Waterfall Aviary of Jurong Bird Park.
There is a Keeper Talk at 12.00pm daily when flocks of macaws descend on the sound of an electric whistle, anticipating their favourite treats of macadamia and walnuts. Learn intimate anecdotes and gain a deeper understanding of their unique personalities and behaviours at this interactive Keeper Talk.
Offering breath-taking views of Hong Leong Foundation Crimson Wetlands, Crimson Restaurant is an elevated restaurant within the habitat that features a menu curated by local celebrity chef, Eric Teo.
Amazonian Jewels
The rainforests of South America are honoured at Amazonian Jewels, with its iconic ficus trees, large buttress root, terrestrial and epiphytic bromeliads and unique bird species.
More than 30 species such as golden parakeet, Andean cock-of-the-rock, saffron toucanet, chestnut-eared aracari, blue ground dove
Majestic buttress roots feature prominently in the habitat, surrounded by other unique plants from the South American rainforests.
A chestnut-eared acari.
Red-fan or hawk-headed parrots.
A maranon pigeon?
Sun conures
Songs of the Forest
Songs of the Forest sets the stage for the singing songbirds of Asia to shine, where the Bali Myna and Straw-headed Bulbul deliver a melodious symphony alongside threatened species of ground-dwelling birds. Inspired by the riverine forests of Southeast Asia, visitors can immerse in a peaceful haven characterised with large overhanging leaves and gentle streams.
Population of more than 40 species, which includes greater green leafbird, Bali myna, straw-headed bulbul, Victoria crowned pigeon, Santa Cruz ground-dove
Try out the Silent Forest interactive and keep an ear out for a forest filled with the melodious sound of birds compared to one without.
There is a Keeper Talk at 4.00pm daily, when you can discover the distinct vocalisations of each species and learn why it’s important to protect these threatened songbirds.
A Sulawesi ground dove.
A red-whiskered bulbul.
Lory Loft
Reminiscent of the much-loved Lory Loft at Jurong Bird Park, the new Lory Loft at Bird Paradise resonates the monsoon forest of Irian Jaya with gregarious lories and eye-catching parrots amid lush forest canopies. Visitors can revel in the thrills of offering the excited birds a nectar cup, enticing them to come up close and even to perch on their wrists and shoulders.
Memorialising the feeding experience at Jurong Bird Park, the experience echoes the heritage, legacy and memory of the much loved Lory Loft.
More than 10 species are present such as dusky lory, rainbow lorikeet, red-collared lorikeet, marigold lorikeet, coconut lorikeet, yellow bibbed lory.
Walk along elevated suspension bridges themed after ethnic treehouses in Papua and visit the sheltered pavilion.
Feeding sessions take place at 11.00am & 3.30pm daily.
Mysterious Papua
A bevy of cockatoos enrapture visitors at Mysterious Papua with their boisterous antics, while the southern cassowary stalks the coastal rainforest of pandanus trees and its iconic stilt roots. There are more than 20 species such as southern cassowary, Nicobar pigeon, Moluccan cockatoo, critically endangered white cockatoo and the world’s largest population of blue-eyed cockatoos under human care.
A longhouse-style bird hide offers visitors the opportunity to observe the birds up close. Look out for cockatoos perched amongst the palm-like pandanus trees with their signature orange spiky fruits.
Palm-like pandanus trees with their signature orange spiky fruits.
A Nicobar pigeon.
A Victoria crowned pigeon
A white cockatoo, which is critically endangered
Australian Outback
The arid forest-themed habitat in Australian Outback is home to iconic Australian species such as the second largest living bird in the world, the Emu. Listen for the iconic ‘laughter’ of the Laughing Kookaburras and keep your eyes peeled for the master of disguise, the Tawny Frogmouth as it camouflages as a tree branch.
Population of more than 20 species including Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, red-tailed black cockatoo, emu, straw-necked ibis, tawny frogmouth, laughing kookaburra
Aboriginal rock paintings decorate the towering rock structures, while thematic elements like a windmill and tower transport you to the Outback.
A kookaburra.
A magpie goose.
A friendly red-tailed black cockatoo.
Winged Sanctuary (not opened yet)
To be opened in two phases, Winged Sanctuary shines the spotlight on rare or predatory species of high conservation value including several hornbill species and various Bird-of-Paradise species. This zone will be a showcase of efforts undertaken by Bird Paradise to support in situ and ex situ conservation work, promoting awareness and education as well as conducting research and conservation breeding programmes of threatened species.
More than 100 species including Sulawesi hornbill, western piping hornbill, Philippine eagle.
Now rarely encountered, puppet performances were once a common sight here in Singapore. Much like street opera performances, the appearance of puppet stages more often than not, coincided with festivals celebrated at Chinese Taoist temples. While such performances may have provided entertainment to the common folk in days before television invaded our homes, they were often put up for religious purposes, with puppets also playing a part in performing rituals and in performances conducted for the pleasure of visiting gods.
Carried over by the Chinese emigrant community, various forms of Chinese puppetry have been seen in Singapore. String (marionette), rod, or glove puppets are mostly used. String puppets, which can best replicate human-like movement and gestures, carry the highest status and are thought to be most sacred amongst the various types of puppets. Belief was that puppets of deities used in rituals were brought to life by the deities they represented and the skills that the puppeteer demonstrated was imparted by the god of string puppets, also the god of theatre — a deity that is most often represented by a marionette. For this reason, string puppeteers were initially Taoist priests, due to their ability to communicate with the gods.
Over time, puppet troupes have taken over the role played by priests, with the eventual secularisation of the practice as a theatre form. Music used in puppetry has also changed, with a move from the use of nanyin music in Hokkien puppetry towards the more folk-like gezai music form that is associated with opera.
These days, all but a handful of puppet troupes keep the tradition alive. One, a Hokkien string puppet troupe known as Geyi, was founded in 2001 by Doreen Tan. Madam Tan, rather interestingly, was English educated and had no background in the traditional Hokkien theatre. Geyi is currently staging performances at the beautifully restored Temple on Phoenix Hill, Hong San See, during the elaborate commemoration of the feast day of its main deity, Guang Ze Zun Wang (广泽尊王) or Kong Teik Chun Ong (in Hokkien). The deity is widely worshipped in Lam Ann, the origins of the temple’s founders. The festival celebrations run until 16 March 2023.
The troupe during the banxian (impersonating the immortals) ritual.
More photographs taken during the Guang Ze Zun Wang festival at Hong San See:
Together with 9 other bloggers and thanks to Tigerair Philippines and the Philippine Department of Tourism, I found myself on a dream trip to Boracay in July 2013. Read about the fantastic experience I had at Boracay Island Escapade or on my blog.
Courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), I had the opportunity to have a 4 day adventure in Hong Kong with 9 other bloggers. To read our collective Hong Kong Travel Blog entries, please click on the icon below:
The Long and Winding Road 