Gardens by the Bay : Singapore's newest crown jewels

Gardens by the Bay consists of three distinctive waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central, spanning a total of 101 hectares. They are set in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown Marina Bay, encircling the Marina Reservoir like a green necklace. The Gardens will complement the array of attractions around Marina Bay.

Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government that further transforms Singapore from a ‘Garden City’ to a ‘City in a Garden’, in which the city is woven into a green and floral tapestry. This aims to raise the quality of life in Singapore with a more holistic and all-encompassing programme that enhances greenery and flora in the city. First announced to the public by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the National Day Rally in August 2005, Gardens by the Bay will become Singapore’s premier urban outdoor recreation space, and a national icon.

An international competition for the design of the master plan was held in January 2006 to elicit the best designs for the Gardens. This attracted more than 70 entries submitted by 170 firms from 24 countries, from which two firms – Grant Associates and Gustafson Porter – were eventually awarded the master plan design for the Bay South and Bay East Gardens respectively.

The Gardens are being developed in phases. Bay South is currently being constructed and is slated to be completed by end 2011. Bay East has been developed as an interim park in support of the Youth Olympic Games 2010, and is scheduled to open to the public in late 2011 or early 2012. The full master plan implementation of Bay East and the development of Bay Central are part of the next phase of development.

- from Wikipedia

The Marina Bay enclave has been one of the most dynamic areas in Singapore for the past decade. It has seen the rise of iconic structures such as the Marina Bay Sands and Integrated Resort, the Singapore Flyer, the Helix Bridge and the Marina Barrage. Developments around the area haven't skipped a beat and we are witness to another world-class, eco-friendly initiative - the Gardens by the Bay.

This photo was taken from the Marina Barrage overlooking the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the Singapore CBD skyline:

This one was taken near the Singapore Flyer showing the Flower Dome:

Straits Mosque, Malacca (Masjid Selat Melaka)

The Straits Mosque, Malacca (Masjid Selat Melaka) is one of the better known contemporary attractions in the historic town of Malacca. Lying off the reclaimed isle of Pulau Melaka, this imposing structure looks like it was lifted out of a fairy tale book. Viewed from afar, the mosque appears to float on water. The fusion of colours the mosque with the blue waters and the cloudy yet fiery skies (especially during sunsets) make this place every photographer's dream.

I had the chance to visit this place and take some photos with my colleagues. Here are some of my shots of the place:







PS: I haven't been updating this blog for God-knows-so long; but that will change. Updates may not come as frequent as before, but surely I'll be posting some of my (mis)adventures from time to time.

Siloso Beach Sentosa (Singapore)

Considered as one of the better beaches in Singapore, Siloso Beach lies on the west portion of the southern coast of the island resort of Sentosa. The stretch of beach is home to a number of dining and shopping outlets. However, Siloso beach is better known for the outdoor activities that the beach-going patrons usually engage with such as beach volleyball, canoeing, skim boarding, mountain biking and rollerblading.

Each time my family goes to Sentosa, a Siloso beach stopover is always part of the itinerary. The kids love to frolic by the beach, building sand castles, scouring for sea shells, the usual kidstuff. Me, I just relax and enjoy the scenery. With my wife beside me, of course.

Penang's Batu Ferringhi Beach Sunset

Penang Island is part of the second smallest state in Malaysia (after Perlis) Pulau Pinang (Penang). It is the fourth largest island in Malaysia, with an area of 295 square kilometers, and is home to an estimated 680,000 people.

The famed Penang Bridge, one of the longest bridges in Asia and a national landmark, connects the island with mainland Peninsular Malaysia by. The bridge begins at Gelugor on the island and ends in Perai on the mainland. The mainland portion of the Penang state is known as Seberang Perai (formerly known as Province Wellesley), and together with Penang Island and other smaller islands, form the state of Penang.

One of the better beaches in Penang is Batu Ferringhi, off the northern tip of the island. Lining the coastal road are a number of commercial establishments and hotels. The pasar malam, or night market, around this area is famous for the diverse assortment of goods plied.

But one striking scenery that has remained etched in my memory is the sunset by the beach. The contrast between the orange hued sky and the azure water backdrops makes the scene a photographer magnet. The photo I posted here was taken during one of my trips to this magnificent place.

 

Magnificent Malacca Recollections - Part 1

About 3 and a half hours drive from Singapore, Malacca lies approximately 250 kilometers north of the Lion City and about 150 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur . It is located in the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia facing the Straits of Malacca. Accentuating on its rich cultural past, the rather sleepy city has been listed as a World Heritage Site of UNESCO since the 7th of July 2008.

I have been to this city numerous times (all due to work) and has had the chance to visit a few of the historical attractions and famous local spots, especially the makan places. I would rate Malacca as second only to Penang as far as the culinary treats I have tried are concerned. The Malacca cuisine is worth a thousand posts, so I am going to save the juicier makan posts for later.

The remains of the old Portuguese fort A Famosa (Porta de Santiago) can be found on Jalan Kota, around St. Paul's Hill. What can be seen nowadays is a mostly Dutch reconstruction, bearing the VOC (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie) coat of arms.

Below the hill,  the Muzium Budaya museum (Melaka Cultural Museum) lies perched on a carpet of lush grass . It is a reconstruction of the istana of the sultan. Built in 1985, it is open to the public daily from except on Tuesdays (on Fridays, it is only open in the afternoon).

This is a must-see place. Not just because of its historic places to see, but more on the wonderful gastronomic delights in its nooks and corners.

Hangzhou's West Lake, Heaven on Earth

"Above is heaven, below is Hangzhou."

This famous Chinese saying is an allegory to the majestic beauty of the city of Hangzhou, the capital of Zheijiang province. Located 180 kilometres southwest of Shanghai, Hangzhou is one of the most renowned and prosperous cities of China for much of the last 1,000 years. Aside from its reknowned and glorious past, the city is also well-known for its beautiful natural scenery, with the West Lake as the most well-known location.

The following is an excerpt from Wikipidea.org:

The West Lake is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with an area of around 6.5 square kilometers. The distance from north to south is about 3.2 kilometers, and east to west, 2.8 kilometers. The circumference is around 15 kilometers. The average depth of West Lake is 2.27 meters, and the capacity is about 14,290,000 cubic meters. The lake is divided by Gu Shan, Bai, Su and Yanggong Causeways into five areas. Ordered by their areas, they are Outer West Lake (外西湖), West Inner Lake (西裡湖, or 後西湖, or 後湖), North Inner Lake (北裡湖 or 裡西湖), Little South Lake (小南湖 or 南湖) and Yue Lake (岳湖). "Outer West Lake" is the largest. "Gu Shan" or Gu Hill is the largest natural island in the lake. Su & Bai Causeways run cross the lake. Three small man-made islands, "Xiao Ying Zhou" (小瀛洲), "Hu Xing Ting" (湖心亭), "Ruan Gong Dun" (阮公墩), lie in the center of Outer West Lake. Thus, the basic layout is "one hill, two causeways, three islands, and five lakes".

West Lake is not only famous for its picturesque landscape, it is also associated with many scholars, national heroes and revolutionary martyrs, thus embracing many aspects of Chinese culture. In addition, many ancient buildings, stone caves and engraved tablets in surrounding areas are among the most cherished national treasures of China, with significant artistic value.

Due to its prominent historical and cultural status among Chinese scenic resorts, West Lake was elected as a National Key Scenic Resort in 1982, one of Ten Scenic Resorts in 1985 and national 5A tourist resort in 2006. Moreover, the picture of "Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon" was printed on the backs of both the foreign exchange certificate one yuan bill issued by the government in 1979 and the fifth version of RMB one yuan bill issued in 2004, indicating the status of West Lake in China.

Traditionally, there are ten best-known scenic spots on the Xī Hú (West Lake), each remembered by a four-character epithet. Collectively, they are known as the "Ten Scenes of Xī Hú" (10 Scenic Spots in Xī Hú 西湖十景). Each is marked by a stela with the epithet written in the calligraphy of the Qianlong Emperor. They are:

- Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring (蘇堤春曉)

- Curved Yard and Lotus Pool in Summer (曲院風荷)

- Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn (平湖秋月)

- Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter (斷橋殘雪)

- Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset (雷峰夕照)

- Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds (雙峰插雲)

- Orioles Singing in the Willows (柳浪聞鶯)

- Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond (花港觀魚)

- Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon (三潭印月)

- Evening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill (南屏晚鐘)

I had taken a trip down to Hangzhou, together with a few colleagues, when I was assigned at Wuxi last year for a few days. We took a bus around 7 AM from the Wuxi Central Station to Hangzhou and reached the city somewhere around 10:30 AM. We then took a cab to the West Lake and walked the whole perimeter of the lake the whole day. In between, we sampled the menu of a few (if memory serves me right, three) restaurants, trying out a mish mash of Chinese noddle, meat and vegetable dishes.  

The scenery was very serene, relaxing to a fault. The sunset was spectacular; the colors playfully smearing the horizon with hues of red, yellow, orange, violet and blue. As if in unison, the lake, teasingly muddles up these colors revealing a rich golden tint.

Scores of tourists, both local and foreign, were around that day; awed, like me, with the beauty and magnifiscence of West Lake and the city that is "Heaven on Earth."