Be enchanted in Singapore this Christmas

 Once upon a Christmas time, there lived in a faraway land Prince Noel. From his magnificent palace, he surveyed his kingdom and, in particular, gazed longingly at the beautiful Princess Ballerina, whom he loved, who lived in a magical carousel. He watched Princess Ballerina dance all day long to the music of the Enchanted Harp. He decided to declare his love for her come Christmas Day.

However, when Christmas Eve arrived, he found the princess missing when he looked out of his window. He rushed to her carousel. He heard music, and he turned around to see the Enchanted Harp singing to him. “Follow the Crystal Snowflakes,” it said.

Guided by snowflakes that glittered and twinkled, he came upon a crystal ball that showed Princess Ballerina dancing in a distant land. He trudged on with this vision of the princess in his mind. But after a long walk, he grew tired and numbed by the cold.

He found himself at the edge of the Crystal Forest, which he had heard of before. He walked in, wary that he might get lost, but as he went deeper into the forest, he heard a tinkling sound that grew louder and louder.

He looked up to the sky and saw a silver chariot being led by silver swans. Sitting in it was the beautiful Crystal Fairy.

The swans landed in the snow, and the Crystal Fairy alighted and walked up to the prince to ask him if he was lost. When he told her about his quest, she volunteered to lend him her chariot to look for the princess.

Just before the stroke of midnight, as the snowflakes melted, Prince Noel found himself at a palace of crystal and gold. Joyous Christmas carols could be found from within. He realized he was close to finding Princess Ballerina. Inside, he found her and proposed marriage to the princess.

On that Christmas Day, Prince Noel and Princess Ballerina were married, and they lived happily ever after.

This, in a nutshell, is the theme of this year’s annual Christmas in the Tropics celebration in Singapore. Conceptualized by Dick Lee, who was creative director of last year’s “Christmas Light-up 2007,” this “Fairytale Christmas” motif covers the 5.6-kilometer combined stretch of Tanglin, Scotts, and Orchard roads, through Bras Basah Road and Raffles Blvd., and ending at Raffles Ave. in the Marina Bay area.

“The Christmas I remember most vividly are the ones of my childhood where I tried to recreate at home a world I gleaned from pictures and storybooks,” says Lee. “This year, I’ve drawn inspiration from my favorite fairytales, The Nutcracker and Disney’s Babes in Toyland. The magic and wonder of Christmas is seen through the fairy tale romance of the wooden soldier and the elegant ballerina. Here, I’ve imagined them in a world faraway from our tropical shores, a Christmas fantasy world of snow, with the crystal snowflake as my strongest visual theme.”

The Singapore Christmas light-up is now ongoing and will run until Jan. 2. Coinciding with the light-up is a host of events including festive performances, entertainment events, shopping specials, concerts and dance parties.

“Christmas in the Tropics is one of the key tourism drivers for Singapore, being a season that our overseas visitors look forward to,” says Jocelyn Ng, deputy director of Leisure Marketing and Events of the Singapore Tourism Board. “With a program packed full of shopping, dining and entertainment options, it’s little wonder that one in five visitors surveyed last year planned their trips to coincide with Singapore’s Christmas celebration. We hope that this year will be no different as we create for visitors their most memorable Christmas experience yet.”

For the 17th consecutive year, Hitachi is the sponsor of the Christmas Light-up along Orchard Road. “The Hitachi Group is delighted to support the Christmas light-up for the 17th year, raising funds for those in need of help with the hope of lighting up their lives as well. Our commitment to the community demonstrates our corporate philosophy to contribute to society through technology wherever Hitachi is located,” says Shunsuke Ohtsu, Hitachi Ltd.’s chief executive for Asia.

The Orchard Road area shimmers in white and silver with red highlights. Amid glittering overhead lighting effects, iridescent crystal snowflakes drip from Orchard Road’s lush trees alongside other shiny red and silver jewels. The grand celebration arch at the junction of Orchard and Scotts roads is the site of Prince Noel’s majestic palace from which he gazes upon and falls in love with the beautiful Princess Ballerina.

The princess lives in a magical carousel, located outside Wheelock Place, dancing to the sweet sounds of the Enchanted Harp, located just outside Shaw Center.

The junction outside The Hereen is venue for Prince Noel’s search for the missing princess. Reflective icicle spirals from the Crystal Forest hang overhead the junction framed by four ice towers at each corner. One tower shows Prince Noel pining longingly for his princess, another features the shadow of the princess, while yet another features the Crystal Fairy who lends the prince her magical chariot.

The stretch of Orchard Road to Marina Bay is decorated with beautiful poinsettia floral balls highlighted by red and gold jewels to contrast against the green of the trees.

Apart from the light-up, another key highlight is the “Celebrate Christmas in Singapore” event, with the theme “Christmas — It’s All About Love.” Visitors can look forward to Christmas-themed performances nightly at various locations along Orchard Road, as well as a colorful parade of floats from Dec. 15 to 24. There is also an interactive Nativity Village at Plaza Singapura. The festivities culminate in a grand Christmas concert on Christmas night.

Other entertainment highlights during “Christmas in the Tropics 2008” include performances such as Scrooge — The Musical, The Nutcracker — Xmas Fairytale on Ice, Swan Lake, and A Crazy Christmas; the popular ZoukOut outdoor dance festival on Sentosa Island; the Jewel Christmas Musical Light Show and “Snow” Show at Mount Faber’s Jewel Box; “Classical Greece at the Louvre” showcasing priceless pieces from the famous Louvre Museum in Paris, displayed for the first time outside the museum at the National Museum of Singapore, as well as a number of countdown parties across the island to ring in the new year.

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For details on “Christmas in the Tropics 2007,” log on to visitsingapore.com/cit07.