15/08/2025

LYFE FRIDAY | AUG 15, 2025

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WUHAN, a city of rivers and lakes, offers a surprising encounter with the sea – right in the heart of central China. Here, it is easy to sense the vastness of the ocean. Whether it is rivers merging into summer swollen inland seas, reed-filled wetlands ripping like emerald tides, golden silica beaches evoking coastal shores or high-rise skylines like waves on the horizon, Wuhan delivers a marine-like expanse that stirs the soul. With 165 rivers and 166 lakes, water covers a full quarter of the city’s land area. This aquatic tapestry creates a sense of scale and openness that is rare for an inland urban centre. In summer, rising water levels stretch the surfaces of rivers and lakes even wider. When blue skies meet these shimmering waters, Wuhan unveils views rivalling Mediterranean seascapes – particularly at East Lake Beach, where imported sands host volleyball tournaments under coconut palms, and Moonlight Bay, where floating tiki bars serve lychee-coconut cocktails at sunset. For Wuhan locals, “river-lake-sea” is part of their daily life. Sandy beaches, open-air bathing areas, sailing boats – you will find all the coastal experiences here, just without the coastline. French traveller Élise Dubois captures the magic: “Kayaking through Zhangdu Lake’s flooded forests – fireflies dancing in jade-green canals country’s – felt like discovering Atlantis in China’s heartland.” This is Wuhan’s paradox: a metropolis where cranes silhouette against wetland sunsets, and ferry horns sing sailors’ lullabies. Visit Wuhan, and feel the sea — in a city shaped by water, deep in China’s heartland. A speedboat on Wuhan’s East Lake. Exploring beauty of Wuhan’s rivers, lakes

Jisoo’s Your Love video amplifies the emotional depth of the singer’s music.

K-pop star Jisoo discovers Singapore’s natural wonders

o Amortage mini album track Your Love captures beauty of city-state’s nature, wildlife destination

the-spot inspections and accreditation renewals every two years. The system has made a splash elsewhere in the country, with western Japan’s Kochi Prefecture implementing a version from fiscal 2012 and Nagano Prefecture in central Japan doing so from fiscal 2014. “Toilets are part of the spirit of hospitality,” a Nagano official said of the scheme. Kohei Yamamoto, chairman of the Japan Toilet Association, praised the Gunma Prefecture initiative as “a great, progressive approach with detailed criteria”, adding he hopes it “could be a point of reference” for bathroom services nationally. – Bernama-Kyodo cavern chambers inspired by real-world caves. Locations featured in Jisoo’s Your Love special video and behind-the-scenes video 0 Rainforest Wild Asia Asia’s first adventure-based zoological park, offering an immersive Southeast Asian tropical rainforest experience, complete with wildlife encounters and treks through the forest floor. Opened on March 12, 2025 at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Rainforest Wild Asia spans 13 hectares. This open-concept wildlife park invites guests to embark on journeys tailored to their sense of adventure, offering a multi-layered experience where they can engage with nature and encounter wildlife in unexpected corners. Visitors can explore a Southeast Asian rainforest at different levels – high in the tree canopy, along the forest floor, or beneath the ground in cave chambers. They can choose from universally designed walkways, more challenging forest treks, or guided harnessed adventures to suit their preferences. 0 Singapore Zoo Renowned for its naturalistic and open concept animal habitats. Get up close with the charming fennec foxes at Singapore Zoo in the new “Hello from the Wild” programme. Enjoy an intimate experience packed with photo ops and insider insights from the animal trainers.

AN eastern Japan prefecture’s quality certification system for public toilets to boost cleanliness and reassure visitors has been gaining praise and influencing other parts of the country. The visitor toilet accreditation system in Gunma Prefecture began in 2003, with conditions at 259 bathrooms meeting its standards as of fiscal 2024. Facilities are judged on cleanliness, safety, ease of use and other factors based on around 25 points, with certified lavatories bearing a plaque with the prefectural mascot Gunmachan. Hisako Kobayashi, who cleans toilets at the S INGAPORE Tourism Board (STB) has collaborated with K-pop artiste Jisoo to release a special video for Your Love , a track from her new mini album Amortage . Set against the backdrop of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve in Singapore, this video highlights the country’s natural wonders and wildlife attractions while amplifying the emotional depth of Jisoo’s music. This collaboration aims to promote the diverse charms of Singapore to global tourists through K-content and inspire viewers to visit the city. The content partnership with Jisoo is expected to drive awareness of Singapore’s distinctive tourism offerings and inspire Korean and international visitors to experience the country’s rich culture and unique landscapes. STB has previously collaborated with global musical artistes such as Jin, Coldplay, One Republic, Billie Eilish, Charlie Puth, Jackson Wang and Honne to spotlight Singapore to global audiences. The special video, along with accompanying assets, including a behind the-scenes video, showcases some of Singapore’s immersive experiences inspired

A scene from Jisoo’s Your Love special video.

Kannonyama Family Park in Takasaki that boasts seven accreditations, attributed their success to regular daily maintenance. “We work hard to make sure visitors feel comfortable using them,” Kobayashi said. Individuals seeking an accredited toilet can use a map provided on the website of NPO Gunma, the organisation that runs the scheme. The organisation’s Kaori Hasegawa, responsible for inspections, said there were cases where people with disabilities decided their travel destinations based on accessibility to certified public toilets. All awarded bathrooms are subject to on by nature, including Rainforest Wild Asia and Singapore Zoo. Jisoo’s Your Love special video was released on Tuesday, and a behind-the scenes video will be uploaded after. To celebrate the launch of the video, Rainforest Wild Asia will come alive with the “Your Love meets the Wild” campaign from Aug 13 to October 2025. Step into an immersive rainforest adventure where love for nature meets wild exploration. Follow a curated trail that brings the video to life, guiding visitors through captivating locations from wildlife encounters to the stunning

Public toilet certification in Japan helps tourists

A floating cinema at dusk with city lights in Wuhan.