Christmas blooms in Singapore

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

IF SANTA were to walk through Singapore’s streets right now, he would feel right at home, with majestic reindeers, sparkling snowflakes, adorned Norfolk pine trees, colorful lights and carolers ready to greet him and every visitor in the city.

It’s Christmas in the tropics once again, and with most of the city-state’s tourist attractions bathed in lights, Singapore is your happy Christmas village this season.

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Singapore celebrates the season with a brilliant display of lights, art installations, interactive street décor, musical performances, a wide range of entertainment activities and hard-to-resist shopping privileges that give tourists and locals a truly magical yuletide experience.

Orchard Road, Marina Bay and Sentosa Harbourfront have gone all out to celebrate “Christmas in the Tropics,” Singapore’s highly anticipated year-end event that draws millions of local and foreign tourists every year.

In the prime shopping belt that is Orchard Road, be dazzled by the 10,000 LED bulbs (36 kilometers long!) that adorn the trees and sidewalks.

Celebrating Singapore’s famous identity as a Garden City, the Orchard Road Business Association transformed the 2.2-kilometer road into a spellbinding garden of lights. Visitors walking along Orchard will be greeted by thousands of glowing blue flowers of different sizes, the central icon of the Christmas light-up’s “Christmas Blooms in Singapore” theme. Each flower is made up of five small hearts, symbolizing the heart-warming wishes of the yuletide season, bringing love, goodwill and cheer to every visitor.

When the flowers hanging from trees and lampposts are lit up at night, Orchard becomes a sight to behold!

Glittering lights of all colors will also draw you to the different shopping malls on Orchard Road. Decked out in their holiday best, 11 malls are vying for the “Best Dressed Building Contest” with their respective themes, offering guests a delightful shopping experience.

Upscale Takashimaya Shopping Centre shines with Swarovski elements, Tanglin Mall’s décor depicts “A Christmas Carol” in the city, ION Orchard shakes up the Christmas glitz, Tangs celebrates an enchanting Christmas while Orchard Central welcomes the season with an OC attitude.

Over at Marina Bay, the Marina Bay Business Association (MMBA) offers a dramatic bayside experience with “Christmas Alive at Marina Bay,” a celebration that casts the spotlight on musical performances, art installations and interactive street décor.

Tourist attractions like the Singapore Flyer, the Helix Bridge and Esplanade are lit up in Christmas colors, while sidewalks feature art installations that will fascinate the young and old alike. The bay’s main motif décor of white sparkling snowflakes, live Norfolk pine trees and majestic reindeers brings visitors back to the traditional Christmas, and at the same time gives them a fresh perspective of celebrating the season.

As they stroll around Marina Bay, visitors can interact with giant reindeers with magnificent antlers that extend beautifully and light up upon sensing your presence.

With the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts students as partners, the MMBA has created an arts-inspired Christmas experience that reflects Marina Bay’s roots and identity as an arts and cultural precinct.

Festive mood

Visitors have several options to enjoy the spectacular display of lights—go on foot, hop onto a Christmas tour bus or take a leisurely Singapore River cruise to soak in the view of Marina Bay’s iconic landmarks. Better yet, get on The Flyer and enjoy a breathtaking, 360-degree view of the bay and the whole of Singapore, 165 meters above the ground.

On Dec. 23 and 24, spend the evening at the Marina Square for the mass caroling, which will feature a 1,500-strong choir and musical performances by groups from different Asian countries, including the Philippines.

If that is not enough entertainment for you, head out to Sentosa Island and enjoy the mesmerizing display of lights at the charming and vibrant Sentosa HarbourFront.

Resorts World Sentosa alone put up S$2 million (P66 million) worth of lights, iconic arches, fairytale tableaus, roving fairytale characters and Southeast Asia’s tallest Christmas tree, at 38 meters, to give its visitors a Fairytale Christmas experience.

Countdown

Come New Year’s Eve, revelers can choose to welcome the New Year with a spectacular fireworks display either in Clark Quay or Marina Bay.

Like everywhere else, the Christmas celebration is not complete without shopping and food, and Singapore is sure to impress shopaholics and foodies this time of the year.

When you’ve grown tired of the art and light display, take a break and enjoy the culinary treats at TWG Tea (passionfruit tea, lobster timbale and Scottish smoked salmon are highly recommended), a Singaporean brand of fine, luxury tea at the ION Orchard, or at the Brawn Steakhouse at the Marina Bay Financial Centre for the sautée spicy tiger prawns and the US black cherry wood-grilled sirloin. At Resorts World Sentosa, you can rely on Singapore Seafood Republic’s black pepper crab and chili crab to take you to food heaven!

If the gastronomic treats don’t work for you, retail therapy just might! Head on to the newly-opened 30,000-square-foot H&M store along Orchard Road for trendy, affordable fashion finds (its end-of-season sale is still on). You will also find items on sale in most shops, like Zara, Uniqlo, Esprit, Cotton On, Forever 21, Topshop and Topman, and in almost every store on Orchard (it’s 50% off at Calvin Klein and DKNY!). Visa card holders can get S$10 gift vouchers for a minimum purchase of S$200, so swipe away!

Yuletide show

For entertainment, visitors can look forward to at least four new attractions this month. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition will offer the young and old a world of adventure from Dec. 3 to the end of January at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS). Also at MBS, Broadway’s biggest blockbuster, Wicked, will cast its magical spell on audiences at the MBS Grand Theater from Dec. 6 to Feb. 26, 2012. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is also ongoing at the ArtScience Museum in Marina Bay, and takes visitors 100 years back in time to experience the legend of the ill-fated Titanic. The exhibition features about 275 artifacts recovered from the shipwreck.

This Saturday, Transformers The Ride will make its world debut at the Universal Studios Singapore, with Transformers director and executive director Michael Bay joining the launch.

There’s much to look forward to, explore and experience in the Lion City this season, so whether you’re in Singapore for the sights, entertainment, food or shopping, Christmas in the Tropics is sure to bring you the holiday cheer. Happy holidays!