It's Hanami i.e. Sakura viewing season once more at Gardens by the Bay Flower Dome.
A dash of festive springtimeHanami beauty at Sakura Matsuri 2020.
The gloomy truth of it is, spring 2020 has been pretty awful
so far. Even for a country with no real “springtime” like Singapore.
Yeah. I don’t want to mention the name of that thing in this post. But unless you’ve
been buried under a mountain of toilet paper rolls for a month, I’m sure you
know what I’m referring to.
…
But, life must still go on, as everyone says. And why
shouldn’t it? As long as one takes sufficient measures.
I thus ventured down to Gardens by the Bay Flower Dome this evening to check out Sakura Matsuri 2020. What I’m pleased to say is, apart from the requisite temperature checks, everything looked and felt like any other weekday at Gardens.
The Hanami displays, naturally, were gorgeous too. Actually, I feel this year’s display is the best one I’ve seen so far; that is, compared to 2018 and 2016.
In spite of the mood, the event organizers obviously went all out to present the best. They truly deserve a round of applause from everyone.
Sakura “Mankai” Everywhere at Flower Dome
Red wooden torii gates right after the main entrance. Nothing says “Japan ahead!” more than these.Overview of the main Hanami display area.Some close-ups of the lovely Cherry Blossom blooms. Of note, quite a variety, from the vibrant red to the near white, were on display.It’s not all about Cherry Blossom blooms and torii gates. Other “oh-so-Japanese” stuff were showcased too. Such as these Anime dolls by Kotobukiya.
There’s even a mini PlayStation 4 corner!
For those who prefer art that’s more classical in feel, this mini-exhibition of cherry blossom paintings by Singaporean artist Quek Kiat Sing should delight.Back to the festive centerpiece. On display are also gassho-style houses ala Shirakawa-go fame. These rustic “prayer-hands” Japanese farmhouses really pair very well with the Hanami bloomsMore brilliant red torii gates! (BTW, those are Kumiko-style Japanese lanterns. Kumiko being an intricate woodworking technique that uses no nails)Okay, I ought to have mentioned this earlier. This year’s display is title “Tales of the Peach Boy” and that of course refers to Momotaro. Here’s the Okayama lad with his faithful retainers! (Update 2022: And the story of Momotaro would be very familiar to you if you’ve played Ghostwire: Tokyo)
Other than himself and his cutesy animal army, other scenes related to the Momotaro legend are scattered around the main display area too. Don’t miss these photo ops if you’re visiting!
After Sunset
The lovely Gassho farmhouses atmospherically illuminated.Hanami in Singapore for locals and travellers alike!
Geek, gamer, writer, movie lover, photographer, and occasional graphic artist. I like to consider myself a one-stop content creator of sorts. But the truth is, I obsess over too many hobbies.
