Mid-Autumn festival with sprawling lantern sets

Gardens by the Bay lights up Mid-Autumn festival with sprawling lantern sets


A child poses with a lantern at the Mid-Autumn Festival @ Gardens by the Bay. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Gardens by the Bay is all set to bask in the glow of its Mid-Autumn Festival celebration which will run from Friday (Sep 22) to Oct 8.


A couple pose with a pumpkin lantern display. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Themed Autumn Abundance, the festival will have large-scale lantern sets of bountiful harvests and good fortune, nightly cultural performances, a food street and craft booths.


The Waters of Prosperity lantern display.


The Waters of Prosperity lantern display has 70 carp lanterns. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

One of the dazzling displays is Waters of Prosperity – the largest lantern display at Gardens by the Bay to date, spanning 1,250 sq m. 

It sits over the waters of the Dragonfly Lake painting a glowing portrait of a fishing village teeming with carp fish.


The Splendour of Blooms display over the lake. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Another striking water display straddling the lake is Splendour of Blooms, which features 250 waterlily lanterns floating among fishes and ducks, each one lighting up to the rhythm of accompanying music.


The Grains of Gold display. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)


One of the 4,000 glowing rice stalks in the Grains of Gold display. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Nearby, a paddy field dubbed Grains of Gold gleams with 4,000 glowing rice stalks as two farmers and an ox plow the ground. 

The glowing grains symbolise the importance of rice as a source of food as well as a source of income for many.


Visitors taking photos of the Trail of Abundance lantern display. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)


Ant lanterns carrying harvest along a pathway at Gardens by the Bay. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Picturesque lantern displays – from cornucopias of harvest crops to life-size ant lanterns carrying produce – adorn the park.


Dragonfly lanterns on one of Gardens by the Bay's Supertree. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)


Dragonfly lanterns perched on the Dragonfly Bridge. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Another illuminating sight is the 100 iridescent, larger-than-life dragonfly lanterns perched on the Supertrees and Dragonfly Bridge in the Flight of the Dragonflies display. In many cultures, the dragonfly is seen as a guardian and associated with luck and prosperity.


Malay dance group Artiste Seni Budaya. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

The event will also see the celebration of diverse performances. For example, Malay dance group Artiste Seni Budaya will present traditional songs and dances that depict the act of harvesting and gotong royong (community spirit) during festive celebrations in kampungs.


The Autumn Harvest display inside the Flower Dome. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

While visitors enjoy free access to the Gardens’ grand sets, they will have to purchase tickets to the indoor Flower Dome - which range from S$8 to S$28 - in order to view the bounteous field of fruits, vegetables, flowers and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes at the Autumn Harvest display.

The festival will officially be launched by Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee on Friday at 7.30pm.

Source: CNA

Alipay launches mobile payment at Changi Airport to target Chinese travellers

Alipay launches mobile payment at Changi Airport to target Chinese travellers

Chinese online and mobile payment platform Alipay on Thursday (Sep 7) inked a five-year deal to roll out its payment option at Changi Airport to target Chinese travellers.

The agreement with Changi Airport Group (CAG) will see Alipay's mobile payment option rolled out on a wide scale at the airport, including duty-free shops and dining outlets, the partners said in a joint news release.

Alipay is being progressively introduced at the airport and is already available at more than 78 shopping and dining outlets there, they added.

It will also be available as a mode of payment at Terminal 4 when it begins operations on Oct 31.

CHINESE TOURISTS TO GET TARGETED SHOPPING, DINING OFFERS AT CHANGI

Travellers from China are among the top spenders at Changi Airport, and their purchases accounted for a third of its record S$2.3 billion in retail sales last year, according to the media release.

As part of the new agreement, Alipay and Changi Airport will provide "customised and targeted" shopping and dining offers to Chinese passengers through the Alipay platform.

Alipay users will also get information on ongoing promotions and location-based details on shopping and dining options at the airport.

CAG’s senior vice president for airside concessions Teo Chew Hoon said the airport already provides various customised services for Chinese travellers, including Mandarin-speaking shopping concierge services and a Chinese version of the airport’s online shopping portal, iShopChangi.

"The Alipay mobile platform provides a brand new payment option to further enhance our Chinese travellers’ shopping experience here at Changi, while also providing personalised information and offers for their enjoyment," she said.

Alipay International head Douglas Feagin added that the partnership would help the airport better target Chinese customers via "big-data-based marketing capabilities", with users at different locations and with different profiles receiving targeted marketing content.

This is the first partnership between Changi Airport and a Chinese mobile payment partner.

Source: CNA/mz

More rain expected in first half of September: Met Service

More rain expected in first half of September: Met Service

The first half of September is expected to be wetter than the last fortnight of August, the Meteorological (Met) Service said in an advisory on Thursday (Aug 31).

With the prevailing southwest monsoon season forecast to extend into the next month, there will be short thundery showers during the late morning and afternoon on seven or eight days.

Widespread thundery showers accompanied with gusty winds are also expected on one or two days between pre-dawn hours and the morning.

Rainfall for this period is expected to be slightly above normal, the Met Service added.

The daily temperature on most days is expected to range between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius. However, the temperature may fall as low as 22 degrees Celsius on a few rainy days or rise as high as 34 degrees Celsius on others.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

Cash top-up services removed from 11 MRT stations' passenger service centres

Cash top-up services removed from 11 MRT stations' passenger service centres

Commuters will no longer be able to use cash to top up their travel cards at the passenger service centres (PSCs) of 11 MRT stations from Friday (Sep 1).

The move was announced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and TransitLink last month and is part of Singapore's move towards a fully cashless public transport system by 2020.

The 11 stations involved are: Admiralty, Bedok, Bukit Panjang, Buona Vista, Farrer Park, HarbourFront, Hougang, Lakeside, Pasir Ris, Serangoon and Yew Tee.

Cash top-ups for those stations are still available at existing general ticketing machines (GTMs), as well as convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Cheers. About 150 service agents have been deployed to these stations to help commuters – particularly seniors – adapt to the new change.

Since the announcement on Aug 11, fewer cash top-ups have been recorded. According to TransitLink on Friday, “the average number of top-ups performed at the PSCs per day decreased by 37 per cent in the two weeks after the announcement”.

TransitLink said commuter response has been encouraging.

“Commuters did not have much of an issue when our service agents guided them to top up their travel cards at the GTMs, and mostly found e-payment processes simple,” said the spokesperson.

About 150 service agents have been deployed to these stations to help commuters adapt to the using general ticketing machines, instead of passenger service centres.

“Our figures show that the average number of top-ups performed at the GTMs per day has increased by 32 per cent in the two weeks after the announcement. The average number of top-ups performed per day at GTMs through e-payment modes increased by 19 per cent,” he added.

TransitLink noted in particular that “the average number of seniors who performed top-ups at PSCs per day dropped by almost 40 per cent”.

In contrast, the percentage of senior citizens who used GTMs for their transactions increased to 46 per cent as of Aug 27 - up from the 28 per cent recorded in July among seniors at the 11 stations.

Service agent Veronica Sim, who helped commuters with the transition, said some commuters - particularly the elderly - have displayed some resistance to using the ticketing machines.

“I told them it’s very simple, ‘three steps only, I teach you’. Then they say ‘okay’. Then after learning I say, ‘is it simple?’ Then they say ‘yes, very good, very simple, much easier than last time’,” Madam Sim said.

The 70-year-old, who has been using the ticketing machines for her own top-ups, added the gradual transition would be helpful for seniors who may find it challenging at first: “I will ask them to try to familiarise (themselves) with the machine first by using cash. Once you know the machine well, you can convert to credit card or ATM card (when you top-up).”

Sim Puay Geok, 72, who had always transacted by cash at the passenger service centres, said she is now used to using GTMs: “Now I’m used to it already. They told me now (how to use it) and I can. It’s not so bad, it’s easy.”

However, for 88-year-old Tan Beng Yew, going completely cashless at the ticketing machines will take some time.

“I have a NETS card, but I think using cash (to pay) is much easier. I’m familiar with cash,” he said.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

St John's Island launches first curated trail, guided tours

St John's Island launches first curated trail, guided tours

The first curated trail at St John's Island was officially launched on Saturday (Sep 2), along with free guided tours led by trained volunteers.

The 2.8km trail, which starts at the entrance of the main jetty, has 15 stations marked out with signboards. Visitors will see coastal forests and coral reefs, and may spot birds such as the great-billed heron, reptiles such as the gold-ringed cat snake and the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, according to the National Parks Board (NParks), which is organising the tours.

During low tide, visitors can walk along the intertidal flat at the lagoon and look out for sea stars, sea cucumbers, crabs and marine snails. The trail also brings visitors to the Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre, where visitors can learn about local marine life.

The free guided tour will cover 1.6km and take visitors to 14 stations on the trail. It takes around 90 minutes to complete, and up to 45 people can take part in each tour. A map is available on NParks' website for those who want to explore the trail on their own.

The tours will take place on the first weekend of every month starting in October. Registration begins this Sunday at 2pm via the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park website.

“The centre of gravity of our conservation approach cannot be to keep people away from nature,” said Mr Desmond Lee, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and National Development, at the event.

“Instead, we want to instill a sense of wonder and appreciation among Singaporeans for our blue and green areas.”

SISTERS' ISLAND MARINE PARK PUBLIC GALLERY EXPANDED

New exhibits were also launched on Saturday at the Sisters’ Island Marine Park Public Gallery on St John’s Island.

The new exhibits include live specimens in a viewing pool, a mangrove mesocosm to study ecosystem behaviours, as well as a virtual reality experience for an immersive "dive" tour around the marine park.



A new extension at the Sisters’ Island Marine Park Gallery includes a mangrove mesocosm to study ecosystem behaviours. (Photo: Deborah Wong)



Visitors can take a virtual "dive" tour around the marine park. (Photo: Deborah Wong)

The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park Public Gallery first opened in 2015, while the marine park was designated in 2014. The marine park spans 40 hectares, encompassing Sisters' Islands, the western reefs of St John's Island and Pulau Tekukor.

The region was chosen for its rich biodiversity and conservation efforts aim to enhance the marine habitat there, NParks said.

More features are expected to be added in the next two years, such as a boardwalk on Big Sisters' Island, intertidal pools as well as a floating pontoon.

Regular ferry services to St John’s Island departing from Marina South Pier are available twice a day on weekdays and up to five times a day on weekends and public holidays.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

Extended operating hours for train, selected bus services during F1

Extended operating hours for train, selected bus services during F1

The operating hours for SBS Transit and SMRT trains and some bus services will be extended for this month's F1 Grand Prix race, both operators said in separate press releases on Monday (Sep 4).

From Sep 15 to Sep 17, train services on the North-East Line (NEL) and Downtown Line will be extended by about half an hour. Services on the Punggol and Sengkang LRT systems will also be extended to coincide with the last train arrivals on the NEL.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~