issue 54 - AsiaLIFE Magazine

the fake trees help circulate air,
collect rainwater and harness
solar energy.
That alternative electricity
comes in handy at night, when
the 18 giants awake in a sound
and light show that brings out
an even more colourful side to
all the flowers and greenery
seen during the day. Take in
the music, smell the mysterious
scent of sandalwood, and stroll
along the network of paths
and bridges that crisscross the
park’s man-made ponds (which
were added to the land, which
was added to the ocean).
The oversized forest tells
thoughtful visitors a lot about
how far Singapore has come
and where it is headed. In its
history, the island nation has
added more than 100 square
kilometres of land, and the
Gardens by the Bay, sprouted
on some of that reclaimed land,
is similarly an outcome of such
authoritarian planning. To lure
travellers, officials had to devise
a vice-free attraction and think
outside the box of the excesses
of nightlife. Singapore’s rigid
politics and mechanical efficiency
do not exactly make for
a hotbed of arts and creativity.
That should, therefore, help
one appreciate that the unique
gardens of 18 trees, which are
spectacular if campy in a way
particular to Singapore, are no
small product of the imagination.
The formal planning that
went into the Grove targets
another group: locals, especially
working professionals.
As the population has roughly
doubled over the course of
three decades, Singapore has
grappled openly with curating
a sustainable home to keep the
talent. One result has been the
Bay Central Garden, the Bay
East Garden, and the Bay South
Garden, where most of the Supertrees
live. With the gardens,
Singapore strives for its own
Central Park or Hyde Park to
give urbanites an oasis.
Aside from green goals, a
minor theme of the Marina Bay
remodel is kitsch and grandeur
that must function in the
framework of safe politics. On
the reclaimed land, the powers
that be are redrawing the
downtown skyline of Singapore
with a mammoth ferris wheel
that dwarfs the Supertrees,
as well as a massive casino of
three towers connected by a
boat-shaped top. Don’t worry
about the vice — one needs a
foreign passport to enter the
gambling halls, so Singaporeans
themselves stay clean. But they,
and anyone who eschews foolish
betting, still can enjoy the
new Marina Bay Sands casino
and resort by climbing to the
rooftop bar. In a part of the city
where tall is the name of the
game, there’s no shortage of
great views from high-rises. But
at this hotel bar, even against
the dance music, one can find
quiet escapes to behold the
island. Look down on a waterfront
with a footbridge and
a floating sports field-turnedtheatre.
In the evening, the casino
beams out its own light show
from the three skyscrapers, but
for a better production, head
down to the nearby Waterfront
Promenade. In regular,
nightly sound and light shows,
shooting jets of water, bad 90s
music, bubbles, and (best of all)
video clips projected onto the
spraying water will serve up
about as much camp as you can
handle.
asialife HCMC 41