SINGAPORE - A 100m-long sand sculpture chronicling Singapore's transformation will be on display at Sentosa's Siloso Beach from Aug 7 to 10, as part of the SG50 long weekend.
Called Sands of Time, the sand sculpture is the longest sand sculpture on Siloso Beach by far, ranging from 3 - 4.2 metres tall.
The sand sculpture comprises of seven scenes chronicling Singapore's evolution over the past 50 years. It will be set behind a two-dimensional sand mural and each scene will have its accompanying audio track, Sentosa said in a statement Thursday.
Some of the scenes include the first National Day Parade in 1966, the Singapore heartlands, and local iconic quirks like Singlish, Durian, Ketupat and Teh Tarik.
Led by Singaporean JOOheng Tan, the team of five sand sculptors took nearly one month to complete the construction of the exhibition.
It showed Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mdm Kwa Geok Choo and the young Mr Lee Hsien Loong, as well as Singapore's journey from a third-world country to a prosperous nation.
The video also re-enacts Mr Lee's hospitalisation in the ICU at Singapore General Hospital, the flowers and cards he received, followed by his tearful funeral procession after he died on Mar 23.
grongloh@sph.com.sg
Longest sand sculpture on Siloso beach featuring iconic Singapore scenes
Scene: A Day to Remember / “Every time we look back at this moment when we signed this agreement which severed Singapore from Malaysia, it will be a moment of anguish," Singapore’s Founding Father, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew
"For me, it will be a moment of anguish because all my life…you see, the whole of my adult life…I have believed in Malaysian merger and the unity of these two territories. You know, it’s a people connected by geography, economics and ties of kinship,” Singapore’s Founding Father, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Scene: First National Day Parade in 1966 / The first National Day Parade saw Singaporeans streaming in to City Hall as early as 7.00 am to get good seats.
Contingents representing the military, schools and civil groups marched past City Hall, before Singapore’s first leaders President Yusof Ishak, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and other members of the government.
Backing the idea of time, are the iconic quirks that make up the Singaporean DNA, including our passion for food, our colloquialism, our unique laws and our fun and games.
Scene: Our Heartlands / They say home is where the heart is. And most Singaporeans hold the places where we’ve lived and grown up in dear to our hearts. These are everyday physical spaces that we hold fond memories of with our loved ones
Scene: Sentosa – The State of Fun! / Over the last 43 years, Sentosa has transformed from a destination only accessible from mainland Singapore by ferry, to one with a connecting train line, a cable car service, a causeway bridge for vehicular traffic and even a garden-themed boardwalk .
Scene: Our Home / There was a time when people said that Singapore wouldn’t make it but we did! Within a short span of 50 years, we have overcome many obstacles to see the transformation of a simple fishing village to a fine world-class metropolis today.
While we take a glimpse at the impressive Singapore skyline, the clean streets, low crime rates and efficient systems we enjoy today, we honor our pioneers who have been instrumental to our success story.
Talented sand artist creates touching SG50 tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew
The video ends with a scene of this year's National Day Parade, against the backdrop of the modern Singapore skyline and a large SG50 logo as Singapore celebrates its golden jubilee.
