Singapore’s National Day celebrations have played a crucial role in shaping its national identity, as it has weathered global headwinds. TaiwanPlus was at the celebration and spoke to some locals about what the occasion means to them.
00:00Singapore celebrates six decades of independence with National Day festivities featuring flyovers and fireworks.
00:17Thousands flock to the area around the city-state's popular tourist destination, Marina Bay, to take part in the largest celebration to date.
00:26Oh, it's very crowded right now, but we wanted to bring our kids to see the fireworks, but it's whooping.
00:32The theme of this year's celebration is Majula Singapura, meaning Onward Singapore, to spot that the country's progress despite trying times.
00:42Many locals say they feel proud of how far their home has come.
00:47It's pretty like seeing how everybody united and thinking about how this country is becoming great in so short, like short time, like less than 60 years, and from a small island become this, so it's pretty great.
01:01But while the excitement and joy at this event were palpable, it comes at a time of great challenges for Singapore.
01:13Taiwan Plus also asks people about some of the political tensions facing the city-state, and even its connections to Taiwan or China.
01:21But people here prefer to shy away from such topics.
01:28That could be due to Singapore's focus on stability, a value reflected in its geopolitical balancing act between China and the US, and sensitivity over the topic of Taiwan.
01:40Despite global headwind, Singapore's national days serve as a way for the people to take a step back from the pressure for a moment, and reflect on what has been built, and what remains to be achieved.
01:50How are Zhang and Li Xue in Singapore in Singapore for Taiwan Plus?
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