SINGAPORE 4

SINGAPORE AS I SEE IT!

THE MERLION - has been erected as a symbol to welcome all visitors to Singapore. It was formally installed at a ceremony on September 15, 1972 by the then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

MERLION

The Merlion is the mythical symbol of Singapore and is a 'must visit' place for tourists who come to Singapore. Here, one can take lots of photography with the Merlion (a half-fish, half-lion statue) which measures 8.7 meters tall and has a fountain of water spurting out into the picturesque Marina Bay.

ORCHARD ROAD - is the main shopping street in Singapore – which is named after the fruit orchards that the road led to it, is now flanked by malls, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs and hotels.

ORCHARD

Apart from the Orchard, one can find lots of shopping opportunity at places like Jurong East, Jurong West, Bugis, IMM (factory outlet), China Town and Little India.

JURONG EAST

CHINA TOWN also called Niu che shu (ox water) is a subzone and ethnic enclave located within Outram District, featuring Chinese cultural elements.

It occupied the Pagoda Street where street peddlers once sold their wares all along Pagoda Street. Clustered on both sides of the street next to Sri Mariamman Temple, these hawkers would squat on the pavement with their goods displayed haphazardly on old bits of newspapers, on pieces of cloth or on top of bags.

CHINA TOWN

Pagoda Street got its name from the entrance tower that frames the Indian temple, which is not actually a Pagoda but a gopuram. Most of the shop houses on this street were built after 1842, when the land along Pagoda Street was granted to the public.  By 1862, the street was fully built up. Opium dens and slave traders (coolic traders) - including the biggest coolie house Kwong Hup Yuen dominated the place. The two trades fed off each other, quietly encouraged by the colonial authorities. Many coolies, condemned to a hopeless existence, turned to opium for momentary relief frm their hardship. At the end of the spectrum were the Hindu devotees who flocked to Sri Mariamman Temple for prayers. In 1972, Pagoda Street was visited by Queen Elizabeth II, who was in Singapore for a state visit. 

PAGODA STREET

Today, the Pagoda Street is part of the China Town – where traders displayed their goods such as souvenirs, clothes and food. There is also a Chinatown Heritage Centre which house memories and untold stories of Singapore's early forefathers. One can also visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Mariamman Temple and Masjid Jamae around this area.

GARDENS BY THE BAY

GARDENS BY THE BAY – is a recent Singapore's tourist attraction – where it consists of three gardens namely Bay Central, Bay East and Bay South.

FOUNTAINS AND GARDENS

Bay Central is a garden with a waterfront walk that connect the other two gardens; Bay East completed in stages, and Bay South which is the largest garden showcasing tropical horticulture and includes tree-like structures up to 50 meters high that dominate the Garden's landscape.

The Garden is best visited at night due to its thousands of lighting bulb surrounding the structures, trees and plants, here.

ONE FOR THE ALBUM

Next to the Gardens By the Bay is The Sands Casino, do try your luck at the hundreds of jackpot machines available here. I did try my luck at the jackpot and I left the place richer by SS100.

IMPRESSIVE RAIN VORTEX AT JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT

JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT - one of the latest attraction is the HSBC Rain Vortex inside the airport itself, which is the world's largest indoor waterfall stands at 40 meters tall; the Shiseido Forest Valley; an indoor garden spanning five storeys and the canopy Park at the topmost level, featuring gardens and leisure facilities.

MAY 17 - JUNE 9, 2019