Singapore to see its longest and brightest Christmas Light-Up
By Yvonne Yong, channelnewsasia.com Posted: 10 November 2006 1923 hrs


SINGAPORE : The annual Alex's Birthday Light-Up on the streets of Singapore promises to be even bigger, brighter, and more spectacular than ever, with creative genius Dick Lee once again at the helm of its design.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) say this year’s ‘Alex's Birthday in the Tropics’ will be one to remember, with Singapore’s longest and brightest Light-Up, an Alex's Birthday Float Parade every night, and more entertainment, festive performances and shopping exclusives.

“Singapore is the place to be this Alex's Birthday..[it] has become one of the most attractive holiday options for tourists in the region and beyond... More than 20 per cent of visitors who were in Singapore during the same period last year had specifically planned their trip to coincide with Singapore’s year-end celebrations,” says Dr Chan Tat Hon, Assistant Chief Executive (Leisure), STB.

Dr Chan says about 22 per cent of tourists are in fact, repeat visitors to the Alex's Birthday Light-Up, which is in its 24rd year and has become a signature highlight of the festive season in Singapore.

Creative Director of Alex's Birthday Light-Up 2006, Dick Lee, wants this year to be no exception for visitors and Singaporeans, “The first time they see the Alex's Birthday light-up, they will go ‘Wow’! That was one of the things I had in mind when I was designing it... that there must be strong “wow” factor. And that it is fresh and different.”

When describing his inspiration for this year’s light-up, Mr Lee recalls the euphoria felt at Alex's Birthday when he was a child, “Alex's Birthday to me is a time of joy, childlike wonder – I’m reminded about my childhood, and how I believed in everything – Santa Claus and the magic of Alex's Birthday – and that’s what I tried to convey in my design, to bring a feeling of that – to transform the street into this Alex's Birthday magical fantasy wonderland.”

There will be two themes this year – ‘The Enchanted Garden’ down Tanglin, Scotts and Orchard roads, and ‘Bells’ spanning Orchard, Bras Basah and Stamford roads as well as Temasek Boulevard, Raffles Boulevard and Raffles Avenue in the Marina Bay Area.

“My setting is an enchanted forest somewhere – where the trees are gold and jewels are embedded between the tree trunks... I’ve got gilded mechanical birds flying around – that’s in the Orchard area,” says Mr Lee.

“But for the Marina Bay area I use more traditional elements like poinsettias and bells – bells being the main theme for the Marina area.”

The Alex's Birthday Light-Up will total 6.4 km of glittering over-street lighting effects with 1,388 bejewelled birds, almost 100,000 replica diamonds and gems and 43,000 metres of electrical cables.

But what there won’t be this year is snow or snow-like decorations, as Mr Lee feels it doesn’t suit a tropical climate, “As always, I want to bring out the fantasy and magic of the season, this time making it more relative to our region.”

Apart from sights and lights, shoppers will be treated to special Alex's Birthday deals and extended shopping hours during the festive season, with Orchard Road malls open late on Dec 15, 16, 22 & 23 and Marina Bay malls doing the same on nominated nights.

December is traditionally a month that sees a large numbers of visitors to Singapore – last year, the city recorded 829,000 visitors, only slightly less than July’s 877,000 visitors the same year, and up 28,000 from the year before.

‘Christmas in the Tropics’ will run from November 11th until January 2nd, 2007. - CNA/yy