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10 THINGS TO SEE, DO, & VISIT
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1.
HAW PAR VILLA
If you are a Chinese child of a certain upbringing, your parents would have certainly brought you to Haw Par Villa to scare you onto the straight and narrow. What was intended by the Tiger Balm brothers to be the “Oriental Disneyland” has since been a cautionary tale of what happens to children who behave badly; what with its delightfully tacky 1,000 statues and 150 dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology and Confucianism morality tales. Come for the folklore, stay for the gory scenes of what happens to sinners when they reach Chinese hell. In its heyday, the Tiger Balm Gardens - or Haw Par Villa as it is now known - was the recreational destination; today its a nostalgic trip for my generation as well as day-trips for schoolchildren who need some sense scared into them, the old-fashioned way. The graphic scenes are pushed into uncanny valley territory thanks to the crackling soundtrack of 1920’s swing and jazz music. My personal favourite song to admire the morbid scenes of sinners being punished is the cheery tune of “Let’s Misbehave”.
HAW PAR VILLA
If you are a Chinese child of a certain upbringing, your parents would have certainly brought you to Haw Par Villa to scare you onto the straight and narrow. What was intended by the Tiger Balm brothers to be the “Oriental Disneyland” has since been a cautionary tale of what happens to children who behave badly; what with its delightfully tacky 1,000 statues and 150 dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology and Confucianism morality tales. Come for the folklore, stay for the gory scenes of what happens to sinners when they reach Chinese hell. In its heyday, the Tiger Balm Gardens - or Haw Par Villa as it is now known - was the recreational destination; today its a nostalgic trip for my generation as well as day-trips for schoolchildren who need some sense scared into them, the old-fashioned way. The graphic scenes are pushed into uncanny valley territory thanks to the crackling soundtrack of 1920’s swing and jazz music. My personal favourite song to admire the morbid scenes of sinners being punished is the cheery tune of “Let’s Misbehave”.
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2. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE
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8.
SIP A SINGAPORE SLING
AND THROW BACK A TIGER BEER
You can’t come to Singapore and not have a Singapore Sling: a Collins of gin, cherry-flavored brandy, triple sec, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine. In Crazy Rich Asians (the novel, darling) Peik Lin admits to never haven’t tried one (”Isn’t it for tourists?”) but made sure Rachel’s mother (”But I am a tourist!”) got to try Singapore’s most famous cocktail while she was in town.
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Ideally you’d sip a Singapore Sling at its birthplace: the Long Bar in Singapore’s iconic Raffles Hotel. I always enjoy afternoon tea at this institution, and am looking forward for the hotel to reopen this year. In the meantime, head to Loof where you can enjoy a Singapore Sling(and the local Tiger Beer) with a view of Raffles Hote and Marina Bay Sands in the distance. Two iconic Singaporean drinks against a backdrop of 2 iconic Singaporean buildings (one classic, one ultra-modern) in one of the city’s most fashionable rooftop bars. While you’re there,have the Loof Original Ramly 23 burger and Loof’s signature chilli crab waffle fries.
9.
GARDENS BY THE BAY
Even if you didn’t watch the movie, you would easily recognise Gardens By The Bay from the trailer as the reception venue for Colin and Minty’s ‘wedding of the century’ (or from almost every Instagram post geotagged in Singapore, for that matter). The vast verdant complex with its many sections, from pavilions to lakes and everything in between is impressive enough - my personal favourite is the Cloud Forest (below), a multilevel, misty temperature-controlled biodome packed with lush mountain vegetation which is a welcome respite from the heat - are impressive enough. But the undisputed main attraction are the evening Light Shows in the Supertree Grove, when the giant trees light up and dance to themed musical medleys. I’d recommend watching the Garden Rhapsody Show at 7:45 pm from ground level, then climbing up to the OCBC Skywalk to witness the second show at 8:45 pm from 22 metres above ground.
Finally, one of Singapore’s most distinguishable modern landmarks: the curiously shaped Marina Bay Sands. Reminiscent of an enormous ship balancing precariously atop 3 skyscrapers, I imagine a biblical story in which a space-age Noah's Ark remained on its unlikely perch after the apocalyptic flood receded. Digressing: in both the novel and the movie, the closing scene takes place in Marina Bay Sands, both versions which while wildly different still deliver sequel-ready scenarios. Outside of fiction, Marina Bay Sands is also full of drama. It’s an enormous integrated resort with a luxury hotel (where all the gamblers flock to, so expect a lot of high-octane peacock-ing in the nightclubs, bars, and casinos) as well as the world's highest and largest infinity pool (You know, that one that you can’t escape from on social media). I am especially partial to a drink and nibbles at Ce La Vi restaurant and skybar, it is the prime spot for people-watching as it draws a stylish crowd of both locals and internationals. I hope you enjoyed my little guide to Singapore as well as a glimpse into the culture behind one of my favourite novels. x |
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