History Of The Fountain Of Wealth

| © William Cho
Prianka Ghosh

The Fountain of Wealth was built in Singapore in 1995 during the development of the surrounding complex, Suntec City. The inspiration for the fountain, and in fact the design of the office towers, becomes clear through a closer examination of the complex’s name. Suntec comes from the Chinese phrase xin da, which means ‘new achievement.’ Equipped with many food and beverage options, shops and entertainment venues, Suntec was designed to be a city within the city.
Suntec City was designed following the principles of Chinese geomancy, or feng shui. The Fountain of Wealth sits at the center of five office blocks that are meant to represent a hand coming out of the ground. The Fountain of Wealth appears as a gold ring in the palm of the hand symbolizing the preservation of wealth. The combination of these structures strives to create harmony and, through that, good fortune to the many people who work there.

The Fountain

The Fountain of Wealth was built at a cost of $6 million and is an unmissable beacon of Suntec City. The bronze ring measures at a staggering 21 meters in diameter, which is supported on four sides by 13.8 meter-tall bronze pillars. The entire fountain covers an area of nearly 1,700 square meters, which led to it being listed in the 1998 Guinness Book of Records as the World’s Largest Fountain.

Water is one of the most powerful elements of nature according to the Chinese, because as a source of energy it symbolizes wealth and good fortune. For this reason, the water at the Fountain of Wealth flows inwards, representing the inward movement of wealth for all who witness it. To get even closer to the fountain, at various times throughout the day, Suntec allows visitors to walk around the fountain’s inner ring to gather coins and increase their prosperity. In the evenings, between 8 and 9:30PM, the 18 meter-wide water screen becomes the backdrop for a multimedia laser show that is watched by people sitting in the restaurants positioned around the fountain.

The Fountain operates daily from 9AM to 10PM. Daily times to walk on the Fountain’s inner ring are 10AM to 12PM, 2PM to 4PM, and 6PM to 7:30PM. Find more information here.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Culture Trip Spring Sale

Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

X
close-ad
Edit article