Why Should You Be at the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2015?

With the last day of the year approaching in less than 3 days, the question posed to you by friends is “How are you spending your countdown?”

Here is one of your best options if you are still uncertain. Be a part of the Marina Bay Singapore countdown.

1. Bask in a night of lights, camera and action.

By lights we mean 3D projection on buildings such as the Fullerton Hotel Singapore. Titled “Reflections of our Past, Present and Future”, it features a montage of sketches and graphics depicting scenes of Singapore’s history as well as present-day Singapore.

Be prepared to whip our your phone and take photographs or video of the projection as the three minute extended version of it plays every half hourly from 8.15pm to 11.15pm on New Year’s Eve and a final run at 11.55pm.

Enjoyed watching the video clip of the projection? Nothing beats watching it live for yourself, so grab your friends and family and head down to Marina Bay on the 30^th.

2. Themed Lighting on Selected Buildings

If you think that you will enjoy the 3D projection on the Fullerton Hotel, 5 buildings in Marina Bay will also feature a synchronized themed lighting in our national colours.

The Ocean Financial Centre, OCBC Centre, Maybank Tower, One Raffles Place and Millenia Tower will be lit in red and white and feature the number ‘50’, lasting 5 minutes every half hourly from 8pm to 11.30pm.

3. Lighted Wishing Spheres

Do you observe red and white spheres floating in the Bay? Wonder what they are for? No, they are not just part of the decoration. For the first time, 5,000 red spheres have been added to the usual white spheres to form a giant number ‘50’ in the Bay. They are wishing spheres because they carry more than 600,000 wishes from members of the public.

4. Fireworks with Music

Photo Credit: Darren Soh

The firework display this time round will last 8 minutes and this display is specially choreographed to a score composed by local talents Julian Wong and Riduan Zalani. Think fireworks with music, like a music video. A segment of the Music will feature 400 drummers performing ‘live’ at the lower boardwalk in front of the Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza.

5. Events and More Events for Everyone

A map of the activities around the Bay:

Celebrate December will include a range of activities including music performances, craft workshops and other activities for all ages. Entry is free.

Drumgaia feature drum performances as part of the firework display.

Marina Waterfront Bazaar offers a shopping experience for the public and there will be tidbits and drinks available for sale.

Celebrate with the World 2015 is a ticketed concert that features local artistes and both international and local DJs. There will be a carnival zone with games for families.

Celebrate SG50 features superstars and celebrities such as Stefanie Sun, Kit Chan and Dick Lee and an outdoor party with DJ Tinc. 

Go Chinese This CNY Season with Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant

Does the traditional Chinese food you know of bore you? Perhaps the best dishes are still those cooked by your grandparents. While this may be so, give them a treat this Chinese New Year and let the chefs at award-winning Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant cook up a storm for all of you.

At Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant, you will step in hungry and leave with a satisfied, full tummy. While the food may be traditional, the ingredients used are of high quality and the flavor of the various dishes will not disappoint you.

So when you think of Chinese New Year, the first thing that comes to mind is the Yu Sheng. Look at the design of the Yu Sheng. It says 2015 and even shows a goat, if you are fast to observe.  Have fun tossing Yu Sheng as a family and enjoy a time of family bonding.

We, as Chinese, love soups.  It’s not all about the ingredients but most importantly, it is about the way the soup is brewed. Good soups usually take many hours to brew and with one sip you can tell how flavorful it is.  That is the case for the Double-Boiled Supreme Bird’s Nest in Whole Chicken.  The thing about this soup is that it doesn't consist of your shark fin soup which all older generations rave about but at the same time, I am certain they will have nothing but compliments. It is so good that if my grandma was there to taste it, I am sure she will agree with me.

One special dish that was offered at this restaurant was the Wan Hao Deluxe Abalaone Pen Cai. Before this, I knew not about the existence of this dish but it has its origins in China and Chinese New Year would not be what it is if this dish was not prepared during the festive season.

It includes 3-head fresh abalone, conpoy, sea cucumber, fish maw, dried oyster, mushroom, live prawn, roasted pork belly with yam, roasted duck, chinese cabbage, sea moss, fried bean curd sheet, mustard green and radish. Yes, that’s a lot of ingredients and seafood lovers will definitely enjoy this dish.  We had a great time indulging in this dish and were pretty much full after this.

Perhaps I should mention that I have a lot of complaints about Chinese restaurants simply because I am a picky eater. I don't eat spicy food, can't stand the smell of fish and due to a drug allergy, I can't take herbal food. So I must say that the food served at Wan Hao was overall rather pleasing to my taste buds and I didn't face any of these issues. Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant is the place you should head to if you are looking for a restaurant which serves tasty Chinese food that appeals to family members of all ages.

Visit www.singaporemarriott.com/CNY for more information.

Dining reservation hotline: 6831 4605