6 local landmarks will turn United Nations blue on Saturday

6 local landmarks will turn United Nations blue on Saturday

SINGAPORE - Six landmarks around Singapore will be among the 200 or so icons across the world to be lit up in blue on Saturday night to commemorate United Nations (UN) Day.

From 6.45pm till midnight, the roof of Changi Airport Terminal 1, the Esplanade, the bandstand at Singapore Botanic Gardens, the facade of the new National Gallery, the Singapore Art Museum and the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay will be taking on the official colour of the UN to mark its 70th anniversary.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs chose these landmarks for their iconic status and historical significance. The Singapore Botanic Gardens, for example, was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in July this year.

On participating in the "Turn the World UN Blue" initiative, National Gallery Singapore chief executive Chong Siak Ching said in a statement: "The National Gallery Singapore is proud to light up in blue on UN's 70th anniversary, joining other iconic monuments across the world to support the UN's global initiative and to celebrate 50 years of Singapore's membership in the UN."

Changi Airport Group's senior vice president of corporate and marketing communications Ivan Tan also said in a statement: "Travel promotes a better understanding of our different cultures and builds stronger ties between people from all corners. We are pleased to join in the #UN70 celebrations by turning the roof-top lantern of our Terminal 1 blue."

Around the world, over 60 countries will turn their landmarks blue at nightfall in their respective time zones. Singapore will be one of the earliest to do so.

Landmarks in other countries that will be lit up include:

- the Empire State Building in New York, United States

- Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa

- the Great Pyramids of Giza in Giza, Egypt

- the Little Mermaid Statue in Copenhagen, Denmark

- Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

- Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, the United Kingdom

- the Sapporo TV Tower in Sapporo, Japan

- the Anjar Unesco World Heritage Site in Lebanon

- Etihad Towers in the UAE-Abu Dhabi, and

- Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia.

joseow@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on October 24, 2015.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

 

Tomorrow is United Nations Day. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the UN, iconic landmarks across the globe will be...

Posted by Vivian Balakrishnan on Friday, 23 October 2015
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.