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OVERTURES<br />
NEWS AND EVENTS<br />
27 <strong>2019</strong><br />
SEP<br />
-31 <strong>2019</strong><br />
OCT<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
NIGHTS OF FRIGHT<br />
With Halloween fast approaching, Universal<br />
Studios Singapore is preparing once again to<br />
transform its park into a ghoul’s playground.<br />
This ninth edition of Halloween Horror Nights<br />
will serve up scares and screams for 16 nights,<br />
with many excitingly eerie attractions based on<br />
familiar characters from the world of horror.<br />
Awaiting guests is the fright of their lives in<br />
one of the many haunted houses spread over<br />
two scary zones. There will also be interactive<br />
shows and games, designed not just to frighten<br />
visitors, but also to dish out healthy doses of<br />
fun in the spirit of Halloween. Head to Universal<br />
Studios Singapore on Sentosa Island.<br />
halloweenhorrornights.com.sg<br />
Photos Jeremie Schatz<br />
29<br />
SEP<br />
-7<br />
OCT<br />
<strong>2019</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
PHUKET, PHANG NGA<br />
THE VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL<br />
Each year, the islands of Phuket and Phang Nga<br />
burst into colour, with yellow and red with flags<br />
lining every Chinese temple and decorating almost<br />
every street. Participants in the festival also dress in<br />
nothing but white, while restaurants either change<br />
their menus to serve up only vegetarian food or<br />
simply close their doors for this period.<br />
Also referred to as the Nine Emperor Gods<br />
Festival, the origins of the nine-day festival and<br />
its ceremonies are uncertain, but believed to<br />
be associated with a 19th century travelling<br />
Chinese opera group that contracted malaria<br />
and miraculously recovered after praying to the<br />
nine gods and abstaining from meat. In the<br />
modern version of the festival, participants<br />
consume only vegetarian food, abstain from<br />
alcohol, remain celibate and engage in other<br />
practices to purify the mind, body, and spirit.<br />
Acts of self-purification can be gruesome<br />
and bloody, as participants walk on hot coals,<br />
climb an 8-metre ladder made of sharp blades<br />
and pierce their cheeks and tongues with<br />
swords, guns and even bicycles – a sight that<br />
is not suitable for everybody. Check out our<br />
Gallery pages for some stunning images!<br />
OCT<br />
14-18 <strong>2019</strong><br />
VIETNAM<br />
CYCLING ACROSS VIETNAM<br />
The Laureus Cycle Challenge Vietnam is a<br />
charity event that brings together cyclists from<br />
across the world to raise funds for a noble<br />
cause. Departing from Ho Chi Minh City on<br />
<strong>Oct</strong>ober 14, cyclists set off on a five-day tour<br />
that takes them through four picturesque<br />
destinations – from the idyllic beachside village<br />
of Mui Ne to French-colonial getaway Dalat in<br />
the cool Central Highlands to the desert-fringed<br />
Phan Rang before wrapping up in the beautiful<br />
oceanfront city of Nha Trang on <strong>Oct</strong>ober 18.<br />
Led by sporting celebrities such as Britain’s<br />
Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton,<br />
the group of 100 or so selected applicants<br />
ride up the coast, covering more than 100<br />
kilometres a day through lush mountains, pine<br />
forests and paddy fields before making a final<br />
descent down to the stunning coastline.<br />
Cyclists of all abilities are welcome to<br />
apply for this once-in-a-lifetime challenge,<br />
which offers them an opportunity to meet likeminded<br />
people as well as experience Vietnam<br />
like they’ve never seen it before. Funds raised<br />
will go directly to Model City Hong Kong,<br />
a sports-led initiative to treat and prevent<br />
mental health issues in Hong Kong’s at-risk<br />
youth. just-challenge.com/vietnam<strong>2019</strong><br />
22
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