Esplanade Theatres by the Bay

May 12, 2016

Esplanade Theatres by the Bay

Esplanade Theatres by the Bay is one of my favourite places to explore whenever I'm free. I love the vibe there and feel at home. On Friday and weekend nights, there are free outdoor and indoor free art performances from both local and international artists and performers.

There are restaurants and shops selling musical instruments. There is also a Esplanade library that focuses on music and arts. I watched my very first musical performance, The Sound of Music at one of the grand concert halls in the Esplanade Theatres many years back with my elder cousin.

After exploring the Esplanade theatre, you can walk along the 220 metres long Jubilee Bridge and look at the popular iconic Merlion, a hybrid of Lion head and Fish body.

How to get there?

You can alight at the following MRT stations which requires about 10 to 15 minutes walk.

City Hall MRT, Esplanade MRT and Raffles Place MRT stations.

Esplanade Theatres by the Bay design is inspired by the King of Fruit, Durian. One of my favourite fruit which is creamy sweet.

I love durian. It is really fleshy and creamy sweet but high in calories.

Outside the Esplanade Theatre, you'll see the financial institutions near Raffles MRT.

Inside the Esplanades, you can see arts installation in the concourse. Currently the Visual Arts installation features A Problem of How to Fly by Thai artist Poomtangon.

“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding. Find out what you already know and you will see the way to fly.”

“You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way".”

by Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull

From Esplanade Visual Arts
"This installation speaks of the being of the here and now. Our minds are flooded with information from birth, which comes with the social stigmas and preconceptions of right and wrong. We are limited by our knowledge and confined by our cultures, traditions, societies, laws and philosophies. If we can just let them all go, believe in ourselves, spread our wings and empower ourselves with confidence, we will be able to fly.

Poomtangon reimagines the atmosphere in a vast lotus pond, where the endless body of water, coloured by the lotus leaves and bright flowers, meets the blue skies of soaring birds, signifying freedom, strength and belief"

“He spoke of very simple things- that it is right for a gull to fly, that freedom is the very nature of his being, that whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside, be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form.

"Set aside," came a voice from the multitude, "even if it be the Law of the Flock?"

"The only true law is that which leads to freedom," Jonathan said. "There is no other.”

― Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull