Sunday, September 16, 2012

Ecstatic Over Prince William and Kate in Singapore

A glimpse of the Royal couple on their Diamond Jubilee tour in Singapore (11-13 September 2012)

Floral tribute: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge look at an orchid named after Prince William's mother Diana, Princess of Wales, during their first engagement in Singapore

Heartfelt: The Duke of Cambridge described the orchid named after his mother as 'beautiful'

Touching tribute: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge viewed the Dendrobium Memoria Princess Diana Orchid when they visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens

Special moment: The happy couple inspect the orchid that will bear their name

The Vanda William Catherine: The free-flowering orchid hybrid is meant to represent the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton 

Enter the dragon: The couple arrived to a whirr of noise and colour as they were greeted by a traditional lion dance - a sign of welcome and good luck - to represent Singapore's Chinese community
Making a Royal entrance: Kate chose a pretty patterned silk skirt and top by Asian designer Raoul, which cost £485 for the Royal couple's visit to a local housing estate

Snap happy: The Duchess can just be seen over a sea of cameras and camera phones during the couple's stop-off in Singapore
Lovely to meet you: The Duchess looked enthralled by the sea of hands extended towards her as she met the crowds during a visit to Queenstown, Singapore

For us? The Duke and Duchess speak to student Tan Si Xue after he gave them one of his paintings following a performance at the Rainbow Centre

Look, they match your dress! Kate accepts a bouquet of flowers from a little girl during a tour in Strathmore Green at Queenstown public housing estate in Singapore

'Princess mad': The Royals accepted a posy of flowers from Maeve Low, aged five, who was picked to make the presentation by the Make-A-Wish Foundation after she was given the all-clear from lymphoma

For me? Kate receives a gift from a little girl, left, while Wills, right, also gets given a little memento of the day from a boy dressed in traditional clothes during the couple's visit to Strathmore Green, a precinct in Queenstown, Singapore

For me? Kate receives a gift from a little girl, left, while Wills, right, also gets given a little memento of the day from a boy dressed in traditional clothes during the couple's visit to Strathmore Green, a precinct in Queenstown, Singapore

Set back: Earlier in the day crowds, eager to see the Prince, rushed forward causing a barrier to collapse as the Duke and Duchess returned to their car at the end of a visit to the Rainbow Centre. Luckily nobody was hurt

Move over Michelle Obama! The Duchess flexes her biceps after pushing in the last blade of a Rolls-Royce wide chord fan blade during her tour of the Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus in Singapore

How am I doing? The Duchess giggles as she is shown how to operate a test engine, left, and right, dons a pair of safety goggles during a visit to the Rolls-Royce factory

Green fingered: Earlier in the day the Duchess planted a tree in the Gardens of the Bay complex in Singapore, being careful not to get her elegant white Alexander McQueen broderie anglaise suit dirty

Husband and wife effort: Wills take the strain on the other side of the tree as the couple plant a tree during their tour of the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore

Effortless style: The Duchess looked cool and unflustered in the 36 degree heat as she wore a pretty white Alexander McQueen broderie anglaise suit. On her feet she wore her favourite towering navy suede Coco wedges by Stuart Weitzman for Russell & Bromley, which cost a cool £245

Unusual: Kate, right, carries a stunning red bouquet as she makes her way past the tree structures in the Gardens By The Bay in Singapore during the Royal couple's Jubilee tour 

Monarchy mad: A fan holds a photo of Britain's Diana, Princess of Wales, as thousands wait for the arrival of William and Kate

Frenzy: More than 3,000 cheering, flag waving members of the public had gathered at the gardens to see the royal couple, many of whom had waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the pair, who they said 'made them feel proud to be British'

Home from home: William and Kate met pupils from the Tanglin Trust British School who had made dozens of glittery banners and were chanting 'Wills is brill, Kate is great' at the top of their voices

The wreath included a message from William's grandmother, which read: 'In Memory Of The Glorious Dead Elizabeth R and Philip'

Valour: William was particularly interested in the graves of the men from Z Special Unit, who were captured in an heroic attempt to plant mines on the Japanese fleet in Singapore harbour by creeping up on the ships by canoe. The men were executed by their captors just weeks before the end of fighting on July 7 1945

Morning light: The couple walk the rows of graves illuminated by the weak morning sun

Dream like: The Kranji Memorial is situated on a tranquil sun-bathed hill high above the bustling city of Singapore


Lastly, let's appreciate some artworks that depicts a brutal persecution that is hidden behind the China Wall.....

绘画:希望 Painting: Hope



这幅画表现的是悼念被中共迫害致死的法轮功学员。
The painting shows a Falun Gong practitioner holding candle to honor the thousands who have died in the Chinese regime’s persecution of the peaceful meditation practice.

A Gallery filled with Truth, Compassion, Tolerance 真善忍画廊