Ng Tze Yong, The New Paper 20 May 09;
ONE of the things you often hear about Singapore's tourist attractions is that they're fake.
That's why this stretch of Upper Thomson Road between Yio Chu Kang Road and the Seletar Expressway deserves a closer look.
It is real, it is alive, and it lies at the heart of the Singapore Story. It can be a tourist attraction with a difference.
Bearing silent testimony to the vision of Singapore's founding fathers, these trees will also be their legacy, grander than any monument, for hundreds of years.
Sure, Upper Thomson Road is not Australia's Great Ocean Road.
But smack in the middle of our bustling city on a tiny, pancake island, we have created our own scenic drive.
It's an achievement to be proud of.
The road can work as a tourist attraction in three ways.
Firstly, the pristine jungles of Lower Pierce Reservoir can be opened up for eco-tourism. This will make Upper Thomson Road its gateway, and a breath-taking curtain-raiser.
Will tourists be interested in Singapore's flora and fauna? There's a good chance they will. Dr David Bellamy, a renowned conservationist, once remarked that Bukit Timah Nature Reserve contains more plant species than the whole of North America.
Secondly, we can promote it together with Singapore's street racing heritage. Singapore's gritty street circuit in the 1960s was located right next to this 'green road'.
Imagine: F1 with a Garden City twist.
Thirdly, this road can lead tourists to the heartland neighbourhoods of Ang Mo Kio and Sembawang, making their visit more multi-facted and authentic.
But it's not just about the tourism.
At a recent dialogue, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew revealed how the greening of Singapore was a way to woo investors in the early days.
Today, as Singapore forges ahead, these trees, now fully-grown, serve another important purpose:
They make Singapore feel like home.
