Fountain of Wealth

The Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City, Singapore

The Fountain of Wealth (Chinese: 财富之泉) is listed by the Guinness Book of Records in 1998 as the largest fountain in the world.[1] It is located in one of Singapore's largest shopping malls, Suntec City.

During certain periods of the day, the fountain is turned off and visitors are invited to walk around a mini fountain at the centre of the fountain's base, three times for good luck. At night, the fountain is the setting for laser performances, as well as live song and laser message dedications between 8 pm to 9 pm daily.[2] It is situated in such a way the fountain is the hub of the shopping mall.

History

The Fountain of Wealth was constructed in 1995, together with the main Suntec City development. A symbol of wealth and life, the Fountain of Wealth is recognised since 1998 by the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Largest Fountain. The bronze ring of the fountain is designed based on the Hindu Mandala, meaning universe and is a symbolic representation of the oneness in spirit and unity and further symbolises the equality and harmony of all races and religions in Singapore.

Structure

lit up at night

The fountain is made of silicon bronze, and consists of a circular ring with a circumference of 66 metres supported on four large slanted columns. It occupies an area of 1683.07 square metres,[3] with a height of 13.8m.[4] The sand cast silicon bronze, including all formwork and patternmaking was designed,manufactured and installed by DCG Design and Meridian Projects (from Melbourne Australia) in 1995. The base area of the fountain is 1683 square metres. In the design plan of Suntec City, where the five tower blocks represent the fingers and thumb of a left hand emerging from the ground, the fountain forms the palm of the hand.

Apart from the jets of water cascading down from the ring, the centre of the fountain also boasts a medium-sized water screen, used for the nightly laser shows, as well as a large jet of water which is occasionally turned on, and spouts higher than the top of the ring.

Recent upgrades from the acclaimed Fountain Manufacturer OASE have seen smaller jumping and arcing fountains placed at the peripherals of the Fountain of Wealth.

Location

The Fountain of Wealth is located within the commercial complex of Suntec City in Singapore. The base of the fountain is located underground, and on its base perimeter lies the main basement restaurant area of Suntec City. The circular ring top of the fountain is visible at ground level.

  • The inward flowing water of the fountain was used for two reasons. Water is known as the symbol of life and wealth in Chinese culture, and the inward motion of the water symbolises the retention of wealth for Suntec City.[5] According to feng shui experts (Chinese geomancers), the water flowing inwards represents riches pouring in,[6] thus the name Fountain of Wealth.
  • It is claimed that visitors to Suntec City, who walk around the central base of the Fountain three times and touching the water at all times, would gain some good luck of their own.[5]
  • When The Amazing Race 3, a reality television show, came to Singapore in 2002, contestants collected a clue at the fountain.[7]
  • It was featured in the Indian hit movie, Krrish, when Krrish played by Hrithik Roshan used it as an observation point to locate the position of his Nemesis's helicopter that he is chasing.
  • World-famous magician, Cyril Takayama, performed some tricks on the fountain on the first episode of "Cyril : Simply Magic", which was broadcast on AXN Asia, and MediaCorp Channel 5.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Suntec City – Corporate. "Fountain of Wealth". Suntec City. Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  2. ↑ Suntec City / Fountain of Wealth
  3. ↑ Suntec City – Corporate Archived 5 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ National Heritage Board (Singapore) (2006). "Suntec City". In Tommy T.B. Koh et ali. Singapore: The Encyclopedia. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet. p. 526. ISBN 981-4155-63-2.
  5. 1 2 Real Destination : Singapore : Features : Suntec City Archived 15 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ Fountain of Wealth, Singapore : Reviews of Fountain of Wealth – Yahoo! Travel
  7. ↑ "Episode 11: Ho Chi Minh City to Danang to Seattle". CBS. Archived from the original on 1 June 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007.

Coordinates: 1°17′41.2″N 103°51′31.7″E / 1.294778°N 103.858806°E / 1.294778; 103.858806

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