Megan Goh (16)5 Benevolence

Describe your experiences at some local tourist attractions. How are they important to teenagers like yourself?

Although Singapore is a small country, the array of entertainment is compatible to other leading tourist destinations in Asia and millions of visitors every year. Singapore has created many attractions for tourists from all over the world to visit in this tropical climate. All these attractions not only attract tourist to Singapore it has also attracted teenagers living in Singapore. Teenagers too, entertain themselves in Singapore by visiting some local tourist attractions in Singapore during their school holidays. Usually accompanied by close friends.

I too, have visited most local tourist attractions in Singapore. One of my favorite attractions here is the Sentosa Island – Universal Studios Singapore, Haw Par Villa and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.

Singapore Sentosa Island is a 15 minute drive from the city. Teenagers like myself usually go there by the Mass Rapid Transport (MRT), to get there. Sentosa Island has many recreational facilities including family attractions, sea sports, golf as well as hotel accommodation and with over 20 attractions in this island. A canopy of secondary rainforest taking 70 per cent of the 500-hectare island and is home to monitor lizards, monkeys, peacocks and parrots as well as other native fauna and flora. Sentosa has a 3.2 kilometre stretch of white sand beach, and is the only location in Singapore to offer a seaside accommodation of over 670 hotel rooms. This island is accessible by cable car, bus, taxi or car, the island is open for 24 hours a day. Whenever I go to Sentosa, I am always accompanied with close friends. We will visit Sentosa, especially Universal Studios Singapore after examinations to relax and have fun. When in Sentosa we will usually go to the Universal Studios Singapore. Universal Studios Singapore is Singapore’s only movie-theme park that features 24 rides and attractions, including a pair of dueling roller coasters that brush past one another in several near misses in their aerial combat. Thrill-seekers can choose between a coaster where they are seated or the other where riders are suspended. Exciting loops, sudden turns, breathtaking drops and thrilling near-collisions will make you scream your heart out. Dinosaurs, lemurs, ogres and Egyptian mummies add to the thrills and adventures. With 18 attractions created or redesigned for Singapore, Universal Studios Singapore promises an experience that you will not forget. Laughter and screams are heard around every corner, and lasting memories are made everyday.

Another tourist attraction that I have visited is the Haw Par Villa. Haw Par Villa or The Tiger Balm Gardens is a theme park located at 262 Pasir Panjang Road Singapore. The park contains about 1000 statues of chinese fairies, sumo wrestlers and figurines of Chinese folklore. To get to the park, take the MRT train to the Haw Par Villa station and once out of the station you will be near the entrance to the Haw Par Villa. Entrance is free and you can take photographs and videos to your heart's content. In the park, you will see the Ten Courts of Hell. Here you can see the god of heaven torturing the wicked by disemboweling and dismembering sinners. This will send a tinge down your spine if you are weak hearted. The ten gates of hell are so interesting and unforgettable with their gore and the crimes and associated punishments when one leads a bad life. The focus on filial piety is striking. Next you will see the statues of Xuan Zang and his journey to the west. Journey to the West is one of the four great classical norvels of Chinese Literature. There are so many amazing mythical characters to see and you will just wonder how they have managed to paint them all individually, there are some macabre scenes with sharks swallowing people and people fighting. At each display there is a story and if it is not too hot, spend some time as they are quite interesting. While certain areas are in need of

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fresh paint, the ponds are teeming with flora and fauna and provide a heavenly spot for a picnic. There are signs that admonish folks not to climb or touch the statues, yet several people could not resist sitting on a statue for a photo. This tourist attraction is important to teenagers like me because the bright colors, intricate facades, building details, and the plaques with history and stories make the visit very worthwhile. Moreover, it is one of the few remaining pieces of Singapore that retains it’s original character and hasn’t been modernized. Haw Par Villa is an interesting theme park that educates about the cultural superstition and is a fascinating venture into mythology.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum is a great place to visit if you are interested in discovering new cultures and religion. This temple really encapsulates the Chinese form of Buddhism that has flowered outside of mainland China. It's decor is extravagant yet traditional whilst the vast quantity of Buddha images hints at a more universal form of Buddhist worship. Some from a western background may see the design as tacky or a few touches too flamboyant, but to me it showed a vast and deep devotional vault that the designers’ saw should be filled with colour and quantity. Apart from the main temple and backroom (housing bodhisattva idols and their correspondence to the Chinese calendar), the temple housed a museum.The museum has great information about buddism and the Temple is an amazing place to discover. It's beautiful to see how other people practice spirituality. On the third floor, there was an exhibit retelling the life of Buddha and featured an impressive array of Buddhist artifacts, from scrolls to statues, explaining the three types of Buddhism. This tourist attraction is important to teenagers like me because I get to learn about different the different religion in Singapore and just standing in the temple, you can feel the serenity peacefully flow through your veins.