The end of the Tang dynasty?

By Leong Wee Keat, TODAY
14 September 2007

SINGAPORE - The forlorn silence at the Tang Dynasty City in Jurong could, come January, be replaced by the rumblings of bulldozers.

Just months after it seemed the former tourist draw might be given a new lease of life as a Shaolin attraction, hope of a rescue now seems extinguished, as a call went out for consultants for the demolition works.

On Tuesday, landlord JTC Corporation called for an expression of interest from those keen to provide civil and structural consultancy services for the project.

In the document posted on GeBiz, the Government's e-procurement portal, JTC said the consultant is to provide a scope of services.

The project schedule states that the tender for demolition works will be launched in December, with the tearing-down to start next January and expected to be completed "not later than March 2009".

Built at a cost of $100 million and opened in 1992, the 12ha theme park — the size of 18 football fields — was a re-creation of the Tang dynasty capital, Chang-An.

But high admission charges, lacklustre attractions and the 1997 Asian financial crisis, which saw tourist arrivals plunge, contributed to its closure in 1999.

Efforts to revive the theme park fell through in 2001. Then in April this year, talk emerged of a possible new breath of life.

Three Singapore companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to bring the 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple legacy and culture, and its famed warrior monks, here in the form of a new tourist attraction. The Tang Dynasty City was cited as a possible site for the proposed "holistic lifestyle holiday retreat".

When contacted on Thursday, Mr Poh Choon Ann, chairman of Poh Tiong Choon Logistics, one of the three local companies, declined comment. The spokesman for Straco Corporation, another company involved, said there had been "no developments" since the MOU was signed in April.

Property analyst Donald Han said the land has been gazetted for entertainment use. The managing director of Cushman & WakeField pointed out that JTC could be looking at readapting the use of the site — located in the middle of the Jurong industrial estate — for "more productive purposes".

Mr Han said: "The Tang Dynasty City has been dormant for a very long time. It is of better consideration for the Government to convert it to other uses than to leave it for entertainment use on its current basis."

The Tang Dynasty City today seems a pale shadow of its once-majestic self. When TODAY visited, the theme park's 3-m-high wall was unscrubbed, and barricades put up across its gates to stop trespassers had fallen apart. Inside, broken glass and pieces of furniture littered the floor.

While the gates no longer allow visitors in, the car park has become a favourite for heavy vehicles and Malaysian buses. The parking attendant, who has worked there a-year-and-a-half, said she had seen groups of students entering the Tang Dynasty City. A fence put up around the walls was also cut open last month, she added.

Ms Cindy Lim, who works as a supermarket cashier nearby, said: "It's good that the authorities are finally doing something to it. "The area is quite big and it seems a waste of land if nothing is done." - TODAY/fa

In A League Of Its Own ...

NUS plans university town at old Warren Golf Course

Lee U-Wen
u-wen@mediacorp.com.sg
Aug 23 2007

IT may be facing keener competition as Singapore plans for a fourth - and
perhaps fifth - tertiary institution, but the country's oldest university
is not standing idly by.

Come 2010, the way undergraduates live and play on the campus of the
National University of Singapore (NUS) will change when its new University
Town - to be built at the former Warren Golf Course in Clementi - opens
its doors.

Think less Kent Ridge living, and more Ivy League colleges.

Put simply, the concept of hostel living will never be the same again,
said NUS' vice-provost for education Lily Kong in an interview with Today.

There will be no more traditionally small dormitory rooms, as is the case
at the six existing hostels at NUS' Kent Ridge campus. Instead,
apartments - complete with living room and kitchen - will accommodate up
to eight students per unit.

The idea behind having a minimum of four students living together is to
"give them that communal living experience" and let them interact with
friends from all over the world, said Prof Kong.

The site - which will house eight new colleges-cum-hostels - will cater to
another 6,600 students and faculty within the NUS family. Currently, about
6,000 out of 32,000 students live on the Kent Ridge campus, which will be
untouched by the latest revamp.

To be built at a cost of $500 million to $600 million, the new University
Town will feature special themes for each college.

While plans are still being drawn up - the winning consortium to build the
19ha town will only be appointed in December - Prof Kong revealed that
four themes being considered are technology and innovation, environment,
health and sports and media.

The new Ivy League model throws up another new term: Master.

These masters - who need not be academic staff - will take on a meatier
role than traditional hall advisers do in running the colleges.

Going beyond a mentoring role, these eight masters - one for each
college - will be more hands-on, in planning college activities, holding
after-dinner discussion sessions with students and setting the overall
tone and ethos of the college. A local and global search is now on for
suitable candidates.

And if you think hostel living is unconnected with studies, think again.

Undergraduates of each college will need to take up modules that will
count towards their general elective requirements. These modules will take
up about 10 per cent of their total course hours.

On how the college courses will be taught, Prof Kong said: "We could have,
say, an English language student who has a passion for the environment, or
a business student who wants to do a module on technopreneurship to
complement his learning. There will be a whole new range of modules for
students to pick from."

There will also be informal learning activities planned too, such as
"language tables" where groups of interested students from all
nationalities try the borscht they have cooked in their kitchens, while
learning Russian customs and language over dinner.

But the college is not just for undergraduates - two separate halls meant
for graduates will be built too.

The whole idea at the end of the day, she said, is to "give students the
freedom to choose the sort of on-campus environment they desire".

"If a student just wants to stay in a hostel, but without the intellectual
or academic element included, it's fine. What we want in the Warren
colleges is for students to see that what they learn in the classroom is
not divorced from other aspects of life. If they have an interest in the
environment, they can take courses on that with other like-minded people.
It will be exciting," she said.

And to ensure ample local participation at the colleges, NUS plans to
impose a 40 per cent cap on foreign students staying at the University
Town.

But an Ivy League model of hostel living does not come cheap.

Early estimates suggest that rents will be about two to three times more
than what is charged at a Kent Ridge hostel, but Prof Kong (picture) said
the final price would depend on the eventual winning bid.

Currently, students pay $60 a week to stay in a single-occupancy room and
$40 for a twin-sharing unit.

Explaining the higher rates, Prof Kong said: "The facilities will be quite
fantastic. The courses are new, the academic learning will be conducted at
the college itself, and it will be done in small groups so the interaction
will be intense. We are actively looking to bring in donors for the
project too."

She said that no student would be denied the chance to stay at the
university town because of financial reasons, and that adequate loans or
student aid would be provided.

Secondary 4 student Melissa Chan, 16 - who is likely to be among the first
batch of freshmen eligible to apply for a place in the new colleges - was
excited when told of these plans.

She said: "It should be quite an experience, to actually be in an
apartment setting with new friends, and have professors living nearby too.
I might apply to stay at the media-themed college."

The library@orchard to close

25 July 2007 (CNA)

The National Library's first downtown hub for bookworms, library@orchard is closing.

Library users will however find the next chapter for library@orchard, even better with the library re-opening in 2010 at *scape the youth community space and possibly another redeveloped site along Orchard Road.

The Ngee Ann City location for the Library will shut its doors by November 2007 because the lease on the premises is not being renewed. However, books can still be returned at the bookdrop located at library@orchard until 15 December 2007.

Commenting on the plans to move, Dr N Varaprasad, Chief Executive of National Library Board said, "We are very excited about our move to the two new possible locations, which will help us to meet the evolving and diverse needs of the youths and instil a stronger sense of learning culture amongst them."

As the Orchard road location caters mainly to young people, the National Library Board is consulting its young users on the development of the new space at *scape.

"Ultimately, we want these two new spaces to not only build on the success of the original library@orchard but to scale new heights in reaching out to the young Singaporeans in the Orchard community," said Dr Varaprasad.

To commemorate the relocation of library@orchard, the NLB will hold a series of public events and programmes - such as exhibitions, film screenings, talks and even ‘live’ performances by local bands and musicians - over the next few months.

To say "goodbye", the NLB will have a ‘Moving On’ party on November 30th.

The library@orchard first opened in 1999.

It was a milestone in NLB's history as it was the first niche lifestyle library, designed to attract young Singaporeans with its unique location at the heart of the Orchard Road shopping belt.

Together with an appealing ambience, thanks to the presence of music booths and a café, library@orchard managed to double its outreach, with an average of more than 1.4 million visitors per year. - CNA/sf

小册子助解武吉知马社区历史

23 July 2007 (xin.sg)
Video Clip of News Reel

新传媒新闻报道，您对新加坡武吉知马有多了解？坐落在武吉知马路段的国家初级学院的学生，因为协助国家文物局，策划出版武吉知马社区之旅这本册子，而对武吉知马有了深一层的了解。

学生希望，通过册子所介绍的地方，国人能进一步了解武吉知马的历史。

社区之旅所介绍的地点，包括二战时，英军向日军签订投降书的福特汽车厂。目前这里已改建成纪念馆。此外，大家熟悉的美世界和亚当路熟食中心，也是必经之处。

武吉知马一带的回教堂和庙宇，也列入范围内。

社区发展、青年及体育部长维文医生，也参与了武吉知马社区之旅。

国初二年级学生郑凯鸿说，”能跟别人分享我所了解的我所学到的东西，我觉得自己很荣幸，而且能跟别人沟通，我觉得很好玩。”

Bukit Timah Heritage Trail launched

By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia
23 July 2007

SINGAPORE: Students from the National Junior College (NJC), with the help of the National Heritage Board, have come up with a heritage trail to help visitors understand better the history of Bukit Timah.

Launched on Monday by the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, the Bukit Timah Community Trail provides an insight into the area's rich cultural and social heritage.

Visitors can find out interesting facts such as how Bukit Timah got its name and the stories that lie behind the many landmarks there.

World War 2 sites such as the Old Ford Factory, and entertainment and eating places like Beauty World and Bukit Timah Food centre are just some of the sites on the trail.

Some NJC students have volunteered to help, out of sheer interest.

"I really enjoy it because you learn about the history, what used to be here and how much this area has changed. So you actually really learn a lot about your own roots, and how culturally diverse we are, and how different things have changed in Singapore," says Steffi Yuree Tedjo, 2nd year student, National Junior College.

Heritage awareness rising among Singaporeans: study

By Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia
18 July 2007

SINGAPORE : Singaporeans are becoming more aware of their heritage.

Many also feel that heritage plays a positive role in their lives and are supporting efforts to preserve it, according to the latest survey by the National Heritage Board.

The level of heritage awareness among Singaporeans has increased by 20% compared to five years ago when the first survey was carried out.

Since then, there has been a significant rise in the frequency of visits to heritage districts like Chinatown and Little India, as well as a rise in people agreeing it is important government continually invest in places like the National Museum to preserve Singapore heritage.

95 percent of respondents also support the preservation of all aspects of Singapore's heritage now and in the future.

And this is something that the government too believes in.

"The heritage of people, of a society was not cast in stone or cast in iron, and unchangeable. Heritage involves with time. That is why each and every one of us can contribute to our national heritage," said the Information, Communications and the Arts Minister, Dr Lee Boon Yang.

Almost 9 out of 10 respondents say a better understanding of the country's history and heritage increases their sense of rootedness.

The findings were released at the launch of this year's HeritageFest at Suntec City.

The Festival Hub features belongings like childhood memories contributed by Singaporeans.

Each of the items, like Loh Lik Peng's memories of the barber shop, tells a different story.

They are not just reflections of their own lives, but make up pieces of the puzzle of Singapore's history too.

The festival, which covers a range of activities, runs until the end of the month. - CNA /ls

HeritageFest 2007 wishes to rekindle memories of yesteryear

By Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia
06 June 2007

SINGAPORE: The Singapore HeritageFest, which returns on 18 July, will see vintage cars driving around a course similar to next year's Formula One race.

The festival, with a new theme called "People and Memories", runs till 29 July.

Between 20 and 25 vintage cars will be driven around the Padang, Marina Centre and Bras Basah Road before stopping at the Singapore National Museum where the owners will give a talk about the cars' history.

The original plan was to hold a mini-Grand Prix but with the short time left, the idea of closing roads did not please the authorities.

So the Malaysia and Singapore Vintage Car Register is working with the National Heritage Board to do that next year.

And organisers are proposing a course based on the 1960s Grand Prix circuit at what is now Old Upper Thomson Road.

Michael Koh, CEO, National Heritage Board, said: "We have different memories and different upbringing. Through the HeritageFest, we hope that everybody will end up learning more about each other."

The events of the festival will be held at locations such as Suntec and Singapore River.

The public can log onto the HeritageFest website and share their stories using different media.

Museums see record number of visitors; new museum tours in June

By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia
18 May 2007 2035 hrs

SINGAPORE: All 45 museums in Singapore are seeing record visitor numbers.

4.26 million people visited museums last year - more than twice the record high numbers in 2005 where there were only around two million museum visitors.

This was revealed at the official launch of International Museum Day on Friday.

And to sustain the high numbers, new programmes are being introduced, including one that takes visitors back in time...on wheels!

All aboard the Rhino Bus, where old Singapore meets the new… in comfort and style.

Besides the footage of Singapore's yesteryears, there is also a tour guide.

This is just one of four new museum tours that will be available from June.

The tours are jointly-organised by the National Heritage Board and private tour operators.

"We felt it was timely now to launch these packages of tours because we believe there is more interest in heritage products and our various exhibits, because we're now bringing better quality shows.

"So although the infrastructure and hardware has been around, we feel it's timely now to launch these tours because we feel the software is in place and we're able to attract a larger [number] of visitors with these tours," says Michael Koh, CEO, National Heritage Board.

And as Guest of Honour on Friday's tour, Dr Lee Boon Yang, Information, Communications & the Arts Minister noted, there is still room for improvement.

"We need to do more research. I've already asked NHB, National Archives to help the tour operators come up with scripts that are more compelling. You just recite basic historical facts, not so interesting. You must bring it to life," says Dr Lee.

So if you are not sure why Sir Stamford Raffles is striking a pose on Raffles Landing, for example, these museum tours will have the answer and a lot more.

Besides learning on wheels, you can now look up scores of historical artefacts from the comfort of your home, thanks to the website www.sgcool.sg.

So far, there is already information on 6,000 artefacts and many more will be included soon. - CNA/yy

Singapore architectural exhibition opens at National Museum

15 May 2007 (CNA)

SINGAPORE: You can now see the best architectural projects in Singapore, by going to just one place - the top projects are now part of an exhibition at the National Museum.

Entitled "Singapore Built and Unbuilt", the exhibition includes projects like the Integrated Resort at Marina Bay, the city centre and one-north.

This is the same exhibition that was featured in the Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition last year.

That exhibition included short-films on Singapore culture and interviews with architects.

At Tuesday’s event, Minister for Information Communication and the Arts Dr Lee Boon Yang said now that five teams have been shortlisted to conceptualise the new National Art Gallery, the next stage is to develop the concepts into designs.

"The propositions submitted to these competitions sparked off a dialogue for both Singapore and international architects, planners and decision makers on Singapore's cityscape. The importance of this dialogue cannot be underestimated.

Through this dialogue, we can seek new standards for quality living environments and sustainable urban development as well as ensure that our architects keep abreast of global developments in architecture," said Dr Lee.

The five teams, which include two Singapore firms, were chosen from more than 100 entries. - CNA/yy

WildRice Theatre raises $300,000 at 60s-themed gala

By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia
18 May 2007 1714 hrs

SINGAPORE: Wildrice Theatre went back in time to raise funds at its annual charity gala called "Singapore A-Go-Go" on Thursday evening.

And regression never looked so fine as the 60s-themed song and dance extravaganza raked in some S$300,000 in donations.

It was one show-stopping performance after another, as thespians belted hits from yesteryear, complete with dazzling costumes.

The gala event was co-hosted by Larry Lai, one of Singapore's favourite TV personalities during the 80s.

It attracted a mix of corporate bigwigs, bankers and dignitaries.

The money raised from the show will go towards supporting the artistic and educational programmes at Wild Rice.

True to the theatre company's signature productions, the event was loud, colourful and clearly, a lot of fun. - CNA/yy

National Museum aims to be lifestyle destination after dark

By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia
18 May 2007 1730 hrs

SINGAPORE: Think museums and one usually thinks of sedate, stuffy places…but the Singapore National Museum has been re-inventing itself.

Come dusk, it transforms itself with a different look and crowd that is distinctly hip.

It recently launched a restaurant called Novus, which is Latin for new, where old and new sit comfortably in the refurbished museum.

"Traditionally, our museums would close at sunset and there will be no activity. But included in this re-development plan that we had given the National Museum, we wanted the museum to be alive too during the night.

"So the best thing is to have people come, doing what they want to do best after work, which is a lot of F&B - a little bit of drinking, a little bit of dining," says Lee Chor Lin, Director, National Museum of Singapore.

And it was a happy crowd indeed.

"I think it's about time - if you guys are going to make it into a stuffy place and keep people away who only come here because it's a school excursion and don't appreciate it, what for? I mean you are bringing people here - keeping it alive - that's good," says one visitor.

"It's a great crossroads between gastronomy and design which is a bit of a textbook answer but it does fit in with what it's trying to achieve," says another.

Others say: "This is very original…good ambience and something unique in Singapore," and, "I just think the museum venue is a destination spot right? It's not a walk by, kind of drop in kind of thing - so it's a more pre-planned kind of thing that I am going to go here tonight."

Competition on the night scene is tough. So, what will give the Museum its edge?

"We also still do have what we do best, which is galleries…presenting history. These galleries stay [open until] 9 o'clock so if you want a break from your main course you can still go to the galleries and have a look," says Lee.

That is what hooked Novus Restaurant's young sibling co-owners, 22-year-old Ying and 27-year-old Yung: "We jumped at the chance because it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us. If it wasn't for the National Museum being available, we would not have done this."

About 10 per cent of the museum's space is given out to food and beverage outlets as well as spaces, which can be rented out for private parties.

Also recently opened is the appropriately-named Muse bar, which on the evening Channel NewsAsia visited, was hosting the Lamborghini Club, where a new car model was being launched.

Once again ..meshing tradition with modernity. - AFP/yy

Tattoos and a tiara

By Agatha Koh Brazil, TODAY
18 May 2007 1117 hrs

SINGAPORE: The man who runs Singapore’s museums has an anecdote he relishes telling.

One day, Michael Koh got into a cab outside the Ministry of Finance building at High Street. The friendly cab driver asked if Koh worked for the ministry. So, the CEO of the National Heritage Board (NHB) told him what he did.

“Then, the cabby told me how much he appreciated the many exhibitions we brought into Singapore,” said Koh. “He said he did not have to travel; that we made it easy for him and his family to see them.

“I asked if he found the charges expensive. He said if we wanted to bring the world’s best to Singapore — for us to learn — he understands he has to pay for it.”

The taxi-driver (Koh never got his name) does not fit the profile of a museum visitor but he struck a chord with his passenger that day.

Said Koh, 46: “The national collections are for the people of Singapore … We want to curate shows to help Singaporeans and visitors understand the richness of the collections, and through this, to understand the history and ancestral heritage.”

This is the far-reaching message NHB wants to bring to a broader audience profile; beyond school groups and better-educated adults that make up the majority of its visitors. In its sights are young working adults and the nation’s heartlanders.

As a legendary baseball player said to Kevin Costner’s character in Field Of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.” But where our museums are concerned, not without adding some “local flavour”, it seems.

In the case of the National Museum, NHB has integrated a trendy restaurant (Novus) and a hip bar (Muse Bar) into its premises. It has extended the opening hours of some galleries to accommodate diners.

But more than that, NHB’s museums have curated exhibitions that include items from popular culture to make them more accessible to the man in the street.

Take the on-going Beauty In Asia; 200 BCE to Today exhibition at The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). A show with a Pan-Asia focus, it features more than 300 artefacts including a 11th century Indian bronze and incorporates — for the first time in an exhibition — contemporary artworks.

There is a painting of Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai, a lithograph by local lensman Russel Wong, a life-sized nude statue by Chinese sculptor Cai Zhisong, and local women’s magazine covers and a tiara from the Miss Singapore World pageant.

The exhibition concludes with an educational display with a computer interactive which invites the visitor to put together different facial features to form the most beautiful face.

Popular touches to boost attendance numbers? The museum makes no apologies. On the contrary, it is all deliberately done to “build bridges”, said Dr Kenson Kwok, ACM’s director.

Building Bridges

“Being a young society, not everybody is interested in history. What we are trying to do is build bridges to the public, so that people will find it easier to understand the things we do.”

ACM has always sought to “contextualise” what it puts on show, said Kwok, 57, citing the example of its 2005 exhibition, Journey of Faith: Art and History from The Vatican Collections as another example.

“It illustrated the story of Christianity, not only the story of Jesus, but what happened after,” he said. “We put in a section that was quite novel —Christianity In Asia. This included materials from churches in Singapore which ‘localised’ the whole show.”

The museum also displayed a Peranakan altar which had been used for Taoist ancestral worship. But after its owners converted to Christianity, they continued using it, only this time as a Christian altar.

“That way, visitors were able to connect to the exhibition. Journey of Faith was an imported show, but we gave it a twist that enabled people in Singapore to contextualise that story.”

ACM hopes to attract 100,000 visitors, both locals and tourists, to this five-month long exhibition.

“We don’t apologise for trying to reach out to new audiences,” Prof Tommy Koh, NHB’s chairman, told TODAY. But he added that (popular) exhibitions and visitorship figures are just one part of what makes a museum good.

“There is no replacement for solid scholarship,” he said. KPIs — key performance indexes — must also include recognisation in the form of reviews, invitations for curators to conferences, and requests for the museum to display its artefacts in international exhibitions overseas.

He added: “The next big ambition then is to export shows.”

Recognition & Reputation

When favourable reviews appear, they are all the sweeter because, as CEO Koh put it: “Museums need time to establish themselves. To start up, get curation going. Also to build up a collection. These are critical parallel aspects.”

ACM is particularly chuffed by a review by Jack Lohman, director of the Museum of London Group and chairman of the UK unit of the International Council Of Museums during President George W Bush’s visit to Singapore in November last year. “It’s not a museum of the past, it’s a museum of the future,” he wrote of ACM.

“I think it is tremendous recognition for what we are trying to do,” said Kwok. Such kudos are valuable because they can be used to bring the message home to the people in Singapore. “Sometimes you don’t realise what you have at home. We think overseas is always better.”

Good press also means recognition for a museum’s curators. Following the success of Journey of Faith, Kwok was asked to speak at a prestigious international conference last year.

Overseas accolades also help a museum establish its reputation so that overseas partnerships and alliances can be forged more easily.

“Many of the bigger museums (overseas) have units of staff who just work on exporting shows,” said Kwok. “Maybe we will work towards this some day.”

Ties That Last

ACM is not doing too badly on this front. In February, it exported a full show, The Peranakan Legacy, to the Ayala Museum in Manila.

“While we have loaned several of our pieces for display in museum exhibitions overseas, this is the first time that we are exporting a full show from our collection,” said Kwok.

A showcase of the rich material culture of the Peranakans, the show features 170 objects from the ACM’s Peranakan Collection. At the Ayala, it is part of a larger exhibition, Chinese Diaspora: Art Streams from the Mainland, which showcases the diversity and uniqueness of overseas Chinese cultures in South east Asia.

“The Peranakan Legacy has a multicultural message that may be relevant to countries exploring this peaceful assimilation of culture,” said Koh.

Building bridges again — this time from Singapore to the world. Bridge-building, emphasised Koh, is a key aspect of NHB’s “soft power”.

“These people-to-people ties form the first layer of culture,” he said. “These are the ties that last.”

Our museums, he reiterated, bring the world to Singapore and Singapore out to the world.

“We bring in a show and we hope our people can learn and appreciate being global citizens. It is important because not every one in Singapore can travel.”

And this is where his anecdote about the appreciative taxi driver fits neatly in. - TODAY/fa

Bidding for NDP 2007 tickets starts on Saturday

By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia
17 May 2007 2243 hrs

This year's National Day Parade will be different from all others - for the first time the event will be held on a floating platform entirely over water.

Bidding for tickets start this Saturday and organisers are expecting an overwhelming response.

The stage is set for NDP 2007 - and the entire show will be over water.

The theme is "City of Possibilities" with a spanking new logo to fit the new parade format.

Blue has taken over the traditional red to symbolise the water around the Marina Bay area.

This is the first time Singapore will be celebrating her birthday on water and audiences can expect special effects making use of that element and pyrotechnics to light up the city skyline around the Marina Bay.

There are the usual ways to bid for tickets.

The public can call, go online, SMS or visit the AXS or SAM machine and tickets will be balloted electronically.

Major Tan Chin Tuck, Chairman, Seating Committee, NDP 2007, said: "Traditionally, NDP tickets have been high in demand. Especially for years when we have it at Padang, which is of similar capacity to where we are right now at the sitting gallery for this year. We do not discriminate previous year's ticket winners from getting tickets this year. This is a brand new location, a brand new venue and we'd like to let everyone have the same chance of winning the tickets."

The lucky ticket winners will be notified from June 10-19.

Winners can then collect their tickets at Marina Square Shopping Centre.

For those who cannot get a seat inside the stadium, organisers say there's standing room for some 150,000 people along the waterfront.

Colonel Teo Jing Siong, Chairman, Executive Committee, NDP 2007, said: "With such a large influx of people into the Marina Bay area, there will not only be traffic congestions but human congestions as well. Parking will be a challenge, that's why we encourage even from the onset many people coming here to take public transport instead of driving here. These are areas we ought to be working at to try our best to minimise...inconveniences as well as all these congestions."

NDP 2007 will also be driving people to get the best views from nearby hotels and buildings.

Those who are interested can apply online at www.ndp.org.sg.

To apply via the telephone, the number to call is 1900 112 4242 to apply for tickets to NDP Preview 2007 and 1900 112 4243 for tickets to NDP on Aug 9, 2007.

To apply via SMS, send a text message beginning with "NDP" for the actual parade or "PREVIEW" for the preview show and NRIC number to 42422 for two tickets, 42424 for four tickets, and 42426 for six tickets.

Tickets are not given on a first come, first served basis.

Bidding begins on May 19 and ends May 28. - CNA/ch

5 companies short-listed to design National Art Gallery

By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia
14 May 2007 1736 hrs

SINGAPORE: Five companies have been short-listed to design Singapore's National Art Gallery.

They include two from Singapore and one each from Taiwan, Australia and France.

The two local companies are Chan Sau Yen Associates in collaboration with Lekker Design and DP Architects.

The others are Ho + Hou Studio Architects from Taiwan, Smart Design Studio from Australia and Studio Milou Architecture from France.

They have been chosen from over 100 entries from 29 countries that were submitted earlier to an international jury panel, led by Ambassador-At-Large Professor Tommy Koh.

The teams will have till August to develop their initial concepts into full-fledged designs.

A public exhibition will also be held later to display their final design concept.

The National Art Gallery is Singapore's latest visual arts institution to promote the display and study of Southeast Asian art.

It will occupy the former Supreme Court Building at City Hall and is expected to be open in 2012.

Tourism boom leaves Angkor Wat's ruins RUINED

Graffiti, worn-out temple steps and sinking foundation
March 27, 2007
The Electric New Paper

IT has been hailed as one of the wonders of the ancient world, and forms the very heart of Cambodia's identity.

But now, the famous Angkor Wat complex may not survive the onslaught of tourists.

Every day, thousands are left largely free to wander in and out of the temple ruins, probing dark corners, climbing over fallen stones or tracing the delicate bas reliefs with their hands.

Names and other graffiti are gouged into temple walls.

Unsightly wooden steps have been constructed over some stone staircases that have become worn with over-use.

In some temples, visitors have been prevented completely from coming into contact with delicate wall carvings.

The sinking foundation and widening cracks between the carefully carved stones of Bayon temple, famous for the serene faces carved on its 54 towers, confirm that one of Angkor's best known monuments is collapsing into the sandy ground around it.

Almost two million tourists visited Cambodia last year, with more than half of them visiting Angkor.

'The ancients built the temples for religious purposes, not for such crowds of tourists to climb on,' said Mr Khun Sokha, a tour guide whose job depends on the vast crowds swarming Angkor National Park in rising numbers each year.

WORRIED

'The harm is obvious. We are worried, but the people's livelihood depends on these tourists,' he added.

It is hard to ignore the nearly US$1.5 billion ($2.3b) in revenue that tourism brought to the impoverished country last year, forcing officials into a delicate balancing act.

But the biggest threat comes just kilometres away, where more than 250 guesthouses and hotels, including several sprawling resorts, have sprung up in recent years.

The unrestricted consumption of ground water by Siem Reap's hotels is destabilising the earth beneath the Angkor complex.

Said Mr Kuy Song, director of Siem Reap's tourism office: 'The construction of hotels is booming. We cannot ban the rich people from building accommodations.

'The future of the temples is really worrisome.' - AFP.

Dialect Clash?

21 March 2007
TODAY

Taiwan to stop recognising Mandarin as sole official language in move set
to anger China

TAIPEI - Taiwan plans to abandon its long-standing policy of recognising
Mandarin as the island's only official language, Premier Su Tseng-chang
said yesterday in a move that would likely anger rival China.

Mr Su said the Cabinet is examining a draft for a National Language
Development Act to promote the use of local dialects and prohibit
linguistic discrimination.

"Taiwan is a plural society and all languages should have equal standing
and be respected and supported," Mr Su said, indicating an intention to
confer equal status on the Taiwanese dialect - Fukienese, as well as
Hakka.

Such a move would likely be denounced by Beijing, which regards Taiwan as
part of its territory and opposes any efforts by the island's leadership
to loosen cultural and other bonds.

Mandarin has been Taiwan's official language since 1949, when the Chinese
Nationalist Government lost the Chinese Civil War and fled to Taiwan to
set up its government-in-exile.

Mr Chiu Chuang-liang, director of the Cabinet's council for Cultural
Planning and Development, told Parliament that under the revised Language
Development Bill, Taiwan will stop defining Mandarin - the lingua franca
of China - as the "national language".

Instead, it will list Mandarin, Fukienese, Hakka and Taiwan's aboriginal
tongues as its national languages, Mr Chiu said. He denied that scrapping
Mandarin as the national language is part of Taipei's policy of disowning
Chinese influence but to protect endangered languages.

"United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has
listed Taiwan's aboriginal languages as facing extinction. So the
amendment is to protect different languages and to make them equal," he
said.

Mr Su's announcement is consistent with recent efforts to distance Taiwan
from mainland China in the run-up to this December's legislative elections
and next year's presidential poll.

The push for independence has become more stark under the leadership of Mr
Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party, which took over from
the Kuomintang Nationalist Party in 2000.

- Agencies

Landslide unearths Yishun burial site

Prayers to free 'lost souls'
Landslide unearths Yishun burial site. It contains 34,000 urns of unclaimed human remains
By Yvonne Poon
March 21, 2007
The Electric New Paper

FOR more than half a century, the remains of 34,000 people lay buried beneath this hill in Yishun.

Unnamed and with no one to mourn their passing, they lay in their resting place until a small landslide earlier this year uncovered a number of earthenware urns.

The hill is near Block 299, at the junction of Yishun Avenue 2 and Yishun Ring Road.

Not many residents living there know about it. There are no headstones and no visitors.

But a nearby temple is planning to hold a prayer ceremony to 'free' the 'lost souls'.

The exposed urns were located along the side of the hill, which is surrounded by blocks of flats and a few temples.

They were sticking out of the ground and caught the eye of one passer-by.

Mr Tye Lee Sun, 55, was on the MRT train with his wife on his way to town when he passed the hill.

The sharp-eyed funeral director from Peace Casket immediately knew what they were.

He said: 'Being in this line, I knew immediately that those urns were used for storing human ashes.

'I felt that the ashes should be handled properly. It's not right to leave them out there like that.

'What was interesting was that these big urns - 75cm high - were only used in olden times to store exhumed bodies. They're not like the 25cm-high urns we use for storing ashes today.'

Mr Tye had been so concerned that he went out of his way to take a closer look at the urns last Tuesday and then called The New Paper Hotline.

When we went there, a marble memorial tower at the main entrance, built 28 years ago, is the only giveaway to the burial site.

Known as the Teochew Memorial Park or Guang De Shan, the park was established in 1909 by Ngee Ann Kongsi, a foundation dedicated to serving the local Teochew community.

The foundation is funded by Orchard Road's Ngee Ann City, according to the foundation's website. The urns were buried there by Ngee Ann Kongsi in 1950.

RESPECT

Mr Baey Theng Mong, 62, administrative secretary, told The New Paper: 'According to our records, there are over 34,000 urns in the memorial park.

'They're all unclaimed remains, so our records don't have their names or information.

'We conduct religious rites to show our respect and thanksgiving for them once a year.'

In 1950, the land on which some Teochew cemeteries were located - ranging from Guang Ren Shan in Changi to Tai Shan Ting in Orchard - was acquired by the Government.

Ngee Ann Kongsi owned those pieces of land. It exhumed and cremated all unclaimed remains from those cemeteries.

The ashes were then placed in urns and buried at Teochew Memorial Park, where they have been since.

Ms Diana Quek, an administrator with Ngee Ann Kongsi, added: 'We know about the uncovered urns. We're trying to resolve the matter, perhaps transfer some of the remains in the old, broken urns to new ones.'

The Nam Hong Siang Theon Temple, which is 500m away from the memorial park, will conduct a prayer session from 31Mar to 2Apr.

The chairman of the organising committee for this ceremony, who gave his name only as Mr Lim, said: 'Over the past years, quite a few businessmen and religious groups in the Yishun area have been asking our temple to conduct these rites for the 'lost souls' buried in this place.

'So early last year, I wrote a letter to Ngee Ann Kongsi asking them for permission to conduct rites there.'

This is the first time they are conducting a prayer ceremony specifically to 'free' the souls rather than merely pay respects.

The ceremony involves 40 religious sects and temples from the Yishun and Sembawang neighbourhoods.

Nor are they limited to only Chinese religious groups. Hindu temples Sreemaha Mariamman and Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar are also taking part.

'It's not necessarily the Chinese who were buried there. Some of them could be foreigners or of different religious denominations and races,' said Mr Lim.

He said he hopes to get Yishun residents involved by getting them to do their bit for charity.

'We have prepared special gift packs of food, containing over 10 different items, as offerings for these souls, which have not been appeased for so long,' he said.

'These packs are available for public donation at $20 each. Our target is to sell 1,800 packs.'

He said that after the three-day ceremony, the food in these packs will be distributed to 14 charities and 500 low-income households.

'The money we collect will be donated to our medical centre, Nam Hong Siang Theon Free Medical Centre, which provides free traditional Chinese medical services to the public,' Mr Lim added.

Residents never knew

March 21, 2007
The Electric New Paper

THE nine residents we spoke to had no idea that there was a memorial park in their midst.

A freelance draughtsman in his 40s, who gave his name only as MrJay, said he has been living in his second-storey Yishun flat for seven years.

The memorial park is directly opposite his flat. Even though it's partially blocked by the MRT tracks, the park is still visible from his living room window.
Click to see larger image

He said: 'I've always thought it was only a plot of grass. I never paid much attention to it.'

Mr Shen Ni Gong, 62, a retiree, was walking on a dirt path under the MRT tracks when The New Paper approached him.

He had, in fact, just passed the exposed urns but had not noticed them.

'I don't really take this path often. I'm just visiting my friend today. I've lived here for 21 years. For 10 years, my flat directly overlooked this plot of land.

'I only know that Yishun Columbarium is nearby. But I didn't know that this land has remains buried underneath.'

Asked if he felt uneasy about staying in the neighbourhood now, Mr Shen said with a laugh. 'What's in the past is in the past.

'There's no point troubling yourself over it. It's okay, I don't really feel anything negative.'

Another resident, who wanted to be known only as Ms Yan, was not too concerned either.

She said: 'Frankly I don't really care about the ashes. What I want to know is what will they be doing about the landslide.'

Sun is setting on KELONGS

Too expensive to keep afloat, many owners are calling it a day
By Hedy Khoo
February 10, 2007
The Electric New Paper

HIS weather-beaten face is furrowed from long hours in the sun. His hands are leathery and calloused from years of hauling nets and fishing lines, repairing planks and hammering nails.

After all the back-breaking work, he gets to sleep only an average of five hours a night.

And all this to stay in a money-losing business.

Despite the drawbacks, Mr Ng Chow Meng, 55, a kelong owner and fish farmer, is unwilling to let go.

'This is a very tough life, but after so many years, it is the sentimental value of this place that keeps me going each day,' he said in Mandarin.

The kelong business is dying, and needs fish farming to survive. And even that may not save it.

But it's not easy for Singapore's few remaining kelong owners to give up.

'I won't be a rich man, but happiness is not measured by money alone,' said Mr Chow Chan Yuen, 62, who sank $120,000 of his CPF into buying a kelong and fish farm after retiring as a mechanic.

'I love my life at sea. Plus, I don't have a boss to order me around. I can spend days at sea without stepping on the shore. As long as I can earn enough to sustain myself, I will not give up.'

But Mr Chow, whose family lives on land, gives himself just three years, before he abandons the kelong and holds on to only the fish farm next to it.

FEW LEFT

There are only 15 kelongs left in Singapore waters. Since the '80s, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority has not issued licences for kelongs as they are not commercially viable.

It is instead encouraging the fishermen to take up fish farming, as a more sustainable approach to fish supply for Singapore, said Mr Chin Yew Meng, the AVA's deputy director of food supply.

There are 99 fish farms, 12 of them alongside kelongs.

COSTLY KELONGS

A kelong is an offshore structure which uses wooden stakes to lead and trap fish, and it is costly to build and maintain.

Mr Ng spent $100,000 to buy his kelong in the Johor Straits, near Kranji, in 1985. Since then, he estimates he has poured almost half a million dollars into maintaining it.

The kelong's long wooden poles, made from wood from the nibong tree, each costs $55. The cost of driving each poles into the seabed can be three times the cost of the pole itself.

A kelong requires an average of 1,000 nibong poles. The wooden planks that make up the bulk of the structure cost about $120 each to replace. And then there are the wire mesh, cages and nets.

According to Mr Ng Hua Heng, 41, who provides maintenance and building services to kelongs, just replacing old poles can cost $20,000 to $30,000 each year.

Fish farms are cheaper to maintain because they do not require the expensive nibong poles, but they are more labour intensive.

'I used to have eight workers, but I had to let them go in 1998,' said MrNg Chow Meng. 'Business had turned bad and the labour cost was too high. I had to spend up to $20,000 a month on salary, meals, diesel costs and maintenance of boats.'

Now he runs both his kelong and fish farm alone.

Mr Kat Ah Sing, 76, who survived a fire on his kelong last year, with estimated losses of $40,000, said he has no savings.

He earns only about $1,000 a month from his kelong, with a similar amount from his fish farm, and said there's almost nothing left after deducting expenses.

Mr Chow and Mr Ng Chow Meng gave similar figures.

'In the '70s, my average earnings could hit $8,000 a month,' Mr Kat said. 'My nets were filled easily with a variety of big fish. But since the late '80s, my catch has dwindled.

'Now, it is almost impossible to catch any big fish. All I can get is small fish suitable to be used as feed for the farm. If I get fingerlings of more marketable fish, I keep them in the holding nets of my fish farm and wait till they get bigger to sell.'

He added: 'I am looking for someone to buy my kelong and fish farm. I know I will be very bored when I have to return to living on land, and I can't bear to give up, but I am getting old.

I have no-one to hand the business over to.'

Mr Ng Chow Meng also said that from 1989, his catch started to decline both in quality and quantity.

In 1994, he built a fish farm next to his kelong, but it was still tough.

So, in 1996, he also started rearing imported crabs, which can be sold after 20 days.

Now he retains his kelong mostly to catch small fish to use as feed for his crabs. He thinks this is better than buying the feed. But still, he figures he can sustain his kelong for another five years at most.

'The kelong is draining away the money I earn from the crab rearing,' said MrNg.

'I have no money to set aside for my retirement.

'I live one day at a time. I only hope that my three children have enough filial piety to provide for my old age.'

Could tourism be a way out?

Unfortunately not. Tourists are not allowed on kelongs because of safety concerns.

Kelongs are built for commercial fishing, and not for holiday-making, the AVA said.

The sunset may look glorious from a kelong. But sadly, this has become a sunset industry.

Singapore Philatelic Museum holds exhibition on Chinese festivals

By David Teo, Channel NewsAsia
08 February 2007 1743 hrs

SINGAPORE : The Singapore Philatelic Museum is holding a year-long exhibition on the origins and practices of Chinese festivals, from 8 February 2007 to 31 January 2008.

The exhibition is called "Spring Flowers and Autumn Moon", and traces the various Chinese customs through stamps.

Enthusiasts can also look forward to the latest Year of the Pig stamp, which the Museum said would be the last issue in the series of zodiac animals.

Stamps from countries such as China, Bhutan, Japan, Australia and the US are also displayed at the exhibition.

Besides the entertainment value, there is also the educational aspect of the stamps.

Chua Mei Lin, Assistant Curator, Singapore Philatelic Museum, said, "The main reason is to explain to people why we do some of the things that we do during Chinese New Year. For instance, why do we purchase new clothes, why do we do spring cleaning and have the kind of special food that we eat during Chinese New Year." - CNA/ms