I went to this temple in 1993. It’s still there, but there are a lot more Buddha statues. Now the whole trail up the mountain (some 460 stairs) is lined with life-sized gold-painted Buddhas in astonishing variety: These are the ones you can see from the main pavilion about two thirds of the way up. […]
As you could probably see from my previous post, we saw a lot of Hong Kong from the surface of the surrounding water. Hong Kong is a bunch of islands, some of which are largely uninhabited. We visited Lamma Island to do some hiking, swimming and sightseeing. Pix below. One thing I didn’t get pictures […]
Singapore is always comparing itself to Hong Kong, and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Singapore’s train system is the MRT; Hong Kong’s is the MTR. I haven’t been to Hong Kong since 1993. It’s changed a bit. For instance, these buildings used to be on the waterfront. Now, thanks to land reclamation and […]
I like this one. It’s abstract, symmetrical, nicely finished, and a good swirly contrast to the right angles all around it.
This is a nice, if nostalgic, sculpture on the River Walk across from the Asian Civilizations Museum. Thisis what used to happen in this area, before it became tourist eateries and financial buildings. And people love it – they stroke the bullock, they pat the shoulders of the laborers, they’ve rubbed it shiny in lots […]
This is on the River Walk, a prominent tourist area downtown. It’s enormous and bulbous. I think it’s ugly, but apparently this scuptor has some pull – there’s another ugly bulbous piece near the Hilton on Orchard Road. Below is the rear view: I don’t think anybody really likes this statue. You can see that […]
The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is also the Lantern Festival. The lanterns are traditionally made of silk over a wire frame, and little towns have parades and contests to see who produces the best one. Here’s Singapore’s version of that tradition, based in the main tourist district along the river downtown, with sponsorship from many companies. […]
Here are some pictures of Chinese Gardens on a rainy afternoon, with the lanterns in place but not lit. They’re still terrific – a spot of red really brightens the place up. Singapore’s version of the terracotta soldiers, with cheerful decorations. The bridge from the main entrance. The building in the background is an apartment […]
There are many lanterns down at the Esplanade, but last night we saw these 4 characters there as well: From left to right: The woodcutter in the moon, who must cut down a cassia tree there, although it keeps regenerating branches; the irrascible archer, Hou Yi, who shot down the nine extra suns; his wife, […]
Yup, it’s that time of year again. The end of Ramadan, the middle of Yom Kippur, and the delightful Chinese frenzy of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. It’s also the big lantern festival, so here are some sights from our very own Chinese Gardens in Jurong East. This is the Stone Boat on the left, on […]