Fountain of Wealth

About

The Guinness Book of World Records (1998 edition) says that Singapore's Fountain of Wealth is the world’s largest water fountain located in one of Singapore's largest shopping malls, Suntec City. Forty-five feet high, the fountain comprises a circular bronze ring with a circumference of more than two hundred and sixteen feet, supported by four large slanted columns. The base area of the fountain covers more than eighteen thousand square feet.

The fountain is part of the symbolic design plan of Suntec city, a commercial and entertainment complex. Five surrounding towers representing the fingers and thumb of a left hand, with the Fountain Plaza as the palm of the hand, and the Fountain of Wealth forming a ring inside the palm. The ring is a symbolic guarantee of the retention of wealth. The design is based on the Hindu mandala, or universe, and is a symbolic representation of oneness in spirit, unity, and harmony among the four races inhabiting Singapore (which are considered to be the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and British). The fountain is a popular tourism icon, and serves as a source of hope and luck for visitors, many of whom come to touch the “lucky” waters and to absorb the positive “qi” or “chi.” The bronze fountain embodies the Chinese belief that when metal and water are balanced correctly, a pathway to success will follow.

The base of the fountain is located underground, with the basement of the sprawling restaurant area of Suntec City surrounding the perimeter. The circular ring of the fountain is viewable at ground level. Every day the fountain is periodically shut off at different periods, so that visitors may walk around the center of its base for good luck. At night a laser and sound show is displayed at the fountain. Couples frequently visit the fountain as a romantic destination and can purchase laser message dedications, such as marriage proposals and song dedications.

The fountain’s water is intended as a symbol of the essence of life at the center of the buildings which comprise Suntec City. At ground level, street traffic flows around the Fountain Plaza while pedestrian traffic flows through the buildings. Below street level lies the Fountain Terrace, where all the buildings are interconnected with shops and restaurants. The complex is thoroughly interconnected with underground and street-level pedestrian linkways.

Suntec City was designed as an integrated business, entertainment, and convention destination with capabilities to meet the specific needs and varied tastes of global convention participants under one roof. Suntec City was chosen as the venue for the inaugural meeting of the World Trade Organization in 1996, and the success of the meeting, with over five-thousand delegates and one thousand journalists in attendance, established a milestone for Singapore as a destination for major prestigious events.

The Fountain of Wealth is open from 9 am until 10 pm daily, and has a set daily schedule for laser show times, which occur three times during the evenings, “Touch Water Sessions” which occur four times throughout the day (visitors walk around the central base of the Fountain three times, touching the water at all times to access good luck of their own) song dedications for an hour and a half each day, and laser message dedications every evening for an hour and a half.

Timings