Strengthening ties: Singapore celebrates 2019 Bicentennial in London, brings techno garden here

To commemorate Singapore’s Bicentennial and celebrate the bilateral relations the UK and Singapore have shared since 1819, the latter unveils a multi-sensory garden — ‘Singapore: Where Explorers Meet’.

2019 is an important year for Singapore as it commemorates its Bicentennial – the 200th anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles’ landing in Singapore in 1819 – a key turning point in the country’s history. The establishment of a free port and economic opportunities attracted diverse communities and people from all over the world, linking Singapore’s trade not only with the region but also with Europe.

“These links will continue to expand and solidify .”

Speaking at the launch, Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) highlighted that the UK and Singapore bilateral relations continue to grow from strength to strength, with the two nations deeply invested in each other’s success. The UK and Singapore also enjoy strong people-to-people connections. Last year, Singapore welcomed nearly 600,000 visitors from the UK, which represents a 14% growth as compared to a year ago.”

As Singapore marks its bicentennial year, and as the UK begins a new era, these links will continue to expand and solidify with the Singapore-United Kingdom Partnership for the Future, which builds on the historical links by celebrating the nations’ shared achievements and looks to the future through the launch of new collaborative initiatives including the digital economy; sustainable business and innovation; security and defence; and education, culture and youth,” Tan added.

Cross-country collaborations between the UK and Singapore will feature prominently in ‘Singapore: Where Explorers Meet’. The ideation of this creative showcase was co-created by Singaporean creative studio, In The Wild, and British designers, Bompas and Parr.