NDR 2019: Bicentennial Experience extends due to ‘many requests’ from public

The Bicentennial Experience at Fort Canning has been extended from 15 September to the end of the year after receiving “many requests” for extension, said Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally 2019. Since the exhibition started in May, PM Lee said it has seen “hundreds of thousands” of visitors.According to the website, the Bicentennial Experience comprises a multimedia show presenting Singapore’s history across more than 700 years and an outdoor experience comprising a set of pavilions with interactive elements within the Fort Gate area for free and easy exploration. “The vivid re-enactments brought our rich and complex history to life, and reminded us why we are proud to be Singaporean,” added PM Lee.The activities at the Bicentennial Experience, according to him, help trace nation’s long history, and “appreciate the broader context” that has shaped and created modern Singapore. It also seeks to remind visitors of the resourcefulness and resolve Singaporeans have demonstrated as they “overcame many difficulties, adapted to drastic changes in [the] world, and blazed bold paths” forward throughout the journey.Plans for the 200th anniversary of Stamford Raffles’ arrival in Singapore started as early as last year. Ministry of Communications and Information appointed Wunderman Thomson as its agency partner in June 2018 to handle integrated marketing communications and engagement for the Singapore Bicentennial account. Not long after in December 2018, the Singapore Bicentennial Office (SBO) unveiled a logo comprising seven poly-shapes, each representing one century for a total of 700 years of Singapore’s history.Marketing efforts officially started this year with an optical illusion at the start of January to make the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles, located along the Singapore River, disappear. SBO said it was an effort to bid to spark “fruitful” conversations on the history of Singapore. The Singapore Bicentennial, which was officially launched on 28 January , marks the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the British in 1819.SBO also collaborated with five Community Development Councils to launch five roadshows islandwide. Targeted at educating locals about the history of Singapore, the series kicked off in April in the southeast district, followed by four other districts in the subsequent months. Over 280 partners came on board to initiate or support over 100 bicentennial ground-up events and projects to uncover stories of the past. Many of them were long-established organisations and institutions in Singapore, including the Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre with over 180 years of history, the Goh Loo Club set up more than a century ago, and the Eurasian Association marking its centenary this year.National Heritage Board and National Parks Board launched a sophisticated mobile application BALIKSG  in March, inviting Singaporeans to experience history for themselves through an augmented reality trail as the nation commemorates its bicentennial. The trail, running along the Singapore River and around Fort Canning Hill, integrates significant events and places in Singapore’s history in an interactive way.Most recently, in June, snaking queues formed at the local banks for Singapore’s Bicentennial notes. The commemorative notes are limited edition, with only two million pieces notes were made available.