Cartoon Network Cruise Ship - Sailing From Singapore In Late 2018

From reel life to real life, luxury cruise operator Oceanic Group partners Turner
 for the definitive Cartoon Network experience -
 bringing iconic characters from The Powerpuff Girls to We Bare Bears to life on the high seas.

For the first time, some of the world’s most famous cartoon characters will set sail on their very own cruise liner. This fully-branded ship is the result of a partnership between Oceanic Group, Asia-Pacific's leading cruise management company, and Turner, the global media giant behind Cartoon Network.

The two charismatic business leaders - Daniel Chui, CE, Oceanic Group and Ricky Ow, President, Turner Asia Pacific, elaborate on their philosophies behind the novel partnership...

Set to make its maiden voyage from its home port of Singapore in late 2018, the 11 guest-deck, 2,000-guest Cartoon Network Wave will be one vast haven for Toon-loving travellers. This is the first time anywhere that a cruise liner has undergone a full Cartoon Network transformation. With the ocean as a backdrop, families will enjoy the world’s first immersive Toon vacation at sea, and an adventure with their favourite Cartoon Network stars.

And the partnership is launched!

The novel thematic onboard experience of Cartoon Network Wave is inspired by Cartoon Network’s universe of well-loved characters from iconic shows such as Adventure Time, Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls and We Bare Bears. This includes a variety of diverse entertainment, activity and recreation features, as well as retail and food and beverage options.

Cosy Cartoon Network-themed furnishings abound -

Triplex Lounge and Kids Room...

Enjoy the sea breeze at Toonix & the outdoor Rope Adventure Park...

Cartoon Network Wave will be docked at the Singapore Cruise Centre and will sail to 13 popular destinations in the Asia Pacific region including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and Japan. Online bookings for Cartoon Network Wave will start later in the year. More details on the booking dates and itineraries will be released on the Cartoon Network Wave website.

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China (中国) - Sichuan (四川)

A Journey Over Mountains & Waters A land of rocky mountains, snaking rivers, steep slopes, deep valleys, and harsh barren terrain. Spread across the Longmen Shan Fault, devastating earthquakes splinter its rock foundation every few years. Yet in some places, lush greenery and crystal-clear azure waters abound. The endangered Giant Panda thrives, amidst the ecologically-friendly lifestyles of the Zang and the Qiang minorities - cultures rich in colour, beautiful crafts, and mystical song and dance...

Jiuzhaigou	Dujiangyan	The Zangs
Rize Valley	Mountain Roads	Tibetan Cultural Show
Shuzheng Valley	Altitude Sickness	Folk Culture Village
Zechawa Valley	Yak Butter Tea	Tibetan Handicraft

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Jiuzhaigou Folk Culture Village - The Crafts

Jiuzhaigou Folk Culture Village (九寨沟民俗文化村)

Sichuan (四川), China (中国)

March 2013

After going round the Nine-Treasure Lotus Stupa (九宝莲花菩提塔) outside the Jiuzhaigou Folk Culture Village (九寨沟民俗文化村), Merlion Wayfarer stepped past the entrance of the village...

A broad main street leads from the gateway...

Products made from yak horn... and pelts!

Beautiful hair pins displayed on a straw hat...

Dolls dressed in traditional costumes...

A stuffed yak head with lots of stuffed pandas - An interesting pairing...

Local produce for sale... 

An interesting way to display carbonated drinks, and look - a post box!

Colourful decorations adorn each building...

Local artisans making yak horn combs...

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More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer Goes World's Picasa at :
Sichuan - The Zangs (藏族人)

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Jiuzhaigou Folk Culture Village - The Stupa

Nine-Treasure Lotus Stupa (九宝莲花菩提塔)
Jiuzhaigou Folk Culture Village (九寨沟民俗文化村)

Sichuan (四川), China (中国)

March 2013

(This article is part of Merlion Wayfarer Goes World's People series on The Zangs.)

  

At the entrance to the Jiuzhaigou Folk Culture Village (九寨沟民俗文化村), one of the nine villages in Jiuzhaigou, a grand stupa resides...

A stupa is a form of Buddhist structure found in the Indian subcontinent, across Asia and worldwide. The earliest Buddhist religious monument, it was originally made of a simple mound made of clay, and found mainly at the entrance to a village, or in open barren areas. These evolved into large hemispherical mounds with additional features, e.g. the mehdi (a circumambulatory path around the stupa), the torana (the gateway), the vedica (a fence-like enclosure originating from the Vedic period), the harmika (a square platform on top of the stupa), and chattrayashti (the parasol or canopy). Each of the components of the stupa is rich in metaphoric content and is identifiable with the five cosmic element - earth, water, fire, air and space.

The Tibetan monk onsite informed Merlion Wayfarer walking five times round the mehdi
while turning the prayer wheels would be ideal. If not, at least once.... 

The local animist Benbos are the caretakers of the stupas within Jiuzhaigou. As the pre-Buddhism religion of the Himalayas, the Ben religion perceives natural physical entities - including animals, plants, and often even inanimate objects or phenomena - as having a spiritual or godly essence. In this way, local believers are perceived as excellent guardians of the local traditional and natural heritage.

The flags lining the vedica are not just plain coloured flags. 

Each has a religious symbols and text printed or written on it...

The nine stupas within Jiuzhaigou reflect the original history of the stupa. After Buddha passed away, his remains were buried in eight stupas along the path of his epic pilgrimage journey. At the ninth stupa, the urn and embers were placed together with scriptures and other religious artifacts. In this way, the nine stupas are religiously significant for today's Buddhist and Bon believers. In Jiuzhaigou, the tradition of the nine stupas fit in with the cultural tradition as here being the "Valley of the Nine Villages".

Next, Merlion Wayfarer ventures into the village to view the range of Tibetan Crafts available...

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More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer Goes World's Picasa at :
Sichuan - The Zangs (藏族人)

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The Zangs - Jiuzhaigou Folk Culture Village

Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟)
Sichuan (四川), China (中国)
March 2013

(This article is part of Merlion Wayfarer Goes World's People series on The Zangs.)

Merlion Wayfarer visited the Jiuzhaigou Folk Culture Village (九寨沟民俗文化村), one of the nine Tibetan villages in Jiuzhaigou. Although it was largely commercialized (By right, locals don't usually sit there in their villages to wait for people to buy their wares!), it was an interesting insight into the range of crafts made by the Tibetans...

|     Nine-Treasure Lotus Stupa     |     Tibetan Crafts     |

An azure lake just steps away from the village. Such is the beauty of the place...

The entrance of the village with its grand gateway, colourful buildings and wooden buildings...

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More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer Goes World's Picasa at :
Sichuan - The Zangs (藏族人)

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