Singapore is one of the cleanest cities I ever walked through. The Singaporean-Chinese people are worker bees who constructed one impressive hive. Singapore is a dense city brimming with 5.1 million souls. The financial district is in the downtown area with giant, modern skyscrapers reaching toward the sky. Singapore is a contemporary city where architecture, art, and the Eastern philosophy of Feng Shui are merged in a stunning array of buildings. For example, the Marina Sands Bay Hotel and Casino have three 60-story towers with a boat-shaped structure that connects the buildings at the top. The boat structure is nestled with trees, patios, and swimming pools, where guests can entertain themselves and capture a stunning view over the city. Another building, The Gateway, is a rounded-octagonal-shaped building that symbolizes Feng Shui, harmonizing the eight spheres of life.
Singapore is a costly city. Private condominiums are priced at around a million Singaporean dollars (800,000 U.S. dollars), while government-constructed flats are half that. One must be wealthy to own a house with a piece of land. The privilege of driving a car in Singapore is another benefit for the rich, as the right to drive can easily exceed the cost of a new car. Nevertheless, car ownership is not a problem. Singapore's modern metro system crisscrosses the city and rapidly carries travellers to their destinations. The metro is extremely clean because the government fines $500 for eating or drinking in the subway. Unfortunately, the stores do not even sell chewing gum.
Singapore
- Singapore's area is 268 square miles, making it one of the smallest countries in the world.
- The currency is the Singaporean dollar.
- The capital is Singapore.
- In 2012, the population was estimated at 5.1 million, while 1.9 million residents are of non-Singaporean descent.
- Singapore is an Asian tiger with a rapidly growing economy. It is a market-based economy with low tax rates, a competitive workforce, and innovation, and one of the least corrupt countries in the world.
- Approximately 9.1 million tourists arrived in Singapore in 2010.
- China used Singapore as its economic growth model. The Chinese leader, Deng Xiaoping, visited Singapore in the 1970s and also had many Chinese government officials trained there.
- The leader of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed, used Singapore as a model to transform the vast sweeping deserts of Dubai into a modern, thriving city.