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Singapore celebrates 51st anniversary of independence

Xinhua, August 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

Singapore celebrated its 51st anniversary of independence on Tuesday with this year's National Day Parade (NDP) focusing on imagining the future, and uniting Singaporeans in the next chapter of nation-building.

Singapore's President Tony Tan Keng Yam, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong together with nearly 10,000 participants attended NDP 2016 at the National Stadium, where NDP was last held a decade ago.

The theme of NDP 2016 is "Building our Singapore of Tomorrow", the committee said this year's NDP is not just about "what" Singaporeans are celebrating, but also "who" and "why", which serves as a call to action for Singaporeans to build their future collectively.

Echoed with this year's theme, new elements such as indoor fireworks, 3D projection displays, unmanned technologies like drones and dynamic aerial performances were incorporated in NDP 2016 to present futuristic concept. Meanwhile, traditional crowd-pleaser like the Parade and Ceremony, State Flag Flypast, and outdoor fireworks display were all retained.

Laid out in six chapters, the show started from the story of Badang and the Singapore Stone. Badang, a young slave who dreamed of becoming strong and free in the legend, represents the strength and resilience of Singaporeans in the face of hardships and challenges.

In the followed "Our Four Civilizations" Act, performers showed the diversity of race and culture in Singapore. These values and traditions were inherited from the forefathers who came and made the island their home.

Proceeding to the next chapter, an aerial unicorn, the image borrowed from Prime Minister's simile that Singapore is like a unicorn, flied against the sea of rainbow-colored lights produced by the audience's LED wristbands, symbolizing the hopes and dreams of the younger generation.

In line with the forward-looking theme, the show also featured a large Sky City prop made up of multiple iconic buildings in the city state in the chapter named "Our Singapore of Tomorrow". The 6-storey blocks were brought to life using 3D projections to give a glimpse of the city in the future.

Wrapping up this year's NDP, participants of the show performed theme song together, recited the Pledge and sang Singapore's National Anthem while outdoor fireworks lighted up the sky around the National Stadium. Endit