SINGAPORE : The Padang won't be the only place for National Day
celebrations this year.
A mega carnival opens at Marina three days before National Day, and
for nine days, Marina South will be transformed into a mammoth
theme park.
Organisers are hoping to draw at least 500,000 visitors.
The Carnival at Marina will be a good warm-up for the year's
biggest party at the Padang.
Promising something for everyone, the carnival, which covers over
300 football fields, will have two themes: one showcasing defence
equipment and the other featuring arts, sports and Singaporeans'
favourite past-time, food.
The Total Defence Showcase will display, in true military style,
dynamic weaponry and even rides on military vehicles.
Said Brigadier General Loh Wai Keong, chairman of EXCO NDP 05, "We
have a few unique items that other locations will not have. First
of course we have the sea, where the navy will be. We will take
visitors out to sea. They will have a chance to take a look at the
various naval craft and even go onboard the lightning ship tank and
on the 9th, there'll also be a submarine."
Exclusive to the carnival at Marina, visitors will get a chance to
take an exciting adventure ride over cross-country terrain,
stimulating battlefield conditions, on a specially designed
vehicle.
The carnival is also roping in the Singapore Tourism Board to help
in setting up sectors featuring food, sports and the arts.
Said Lynette Tang, deputy chairperson of Celebrate Singapore, "We
are using the carnival at Marina as a platform to tell the world of
all the different flavours and activities you can experience in
Singapore.
"We've put together a booklet of coupons and the coupons are made
up of different deals from shopping vendors to restaurants, to
rides so if you're a visitor and you come to Singapore, you can
actually get great discounts and free deals only in the month of
August."
And if you are unable to get tickets to the National Day Parade at
the Padang, the carnival at Marina will make sure you won't be left
out with a live telecast of the event on giant screens.
But come prepared: roads to Marina South will be closed to traffic
during the carnival.
Visitors are advised to take public transport and move on to
shuttle services provided. CNA /ct