in992-The-weight-of-guarding-ideals-orchid-paperweight-and-perseverance-under-the-national-flag

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During Singapore’s National Day month, the fluttering national flag and the silent orchid paperweights tell the story of the city-state’s tenacity. The red and white stripes and five stars on the national flag symbolize the belief in equality and unity; while the orchid paperweights commonly seen on desks, in the form of Vanda Miss Joaquim, solidify the Nanyang spirit of “blooming in adversity”. This paperweight, based on the national flower, not only carries the practical function of weighing down paper, but also implies a profound meaning. Its base is usually thick and stable, just like the foundation of Singapore’s founding; and the orchid shape on top stretches upward, just like the national attitude of pursuing excellence despite the scarcity of resources. Paperweights must be fired at high temperatures to form, just like the character of this young country that has been shaped in the tempering – it has both the determination of a ballast stone and the flexibility of breaking through the ground and rebirth. When the National Day fireworks illuminated Marina Bay, people gazed not only at the fluttering national flag, but also at the perseverance passed down from generation to generation. Just as the orchid paperweight silently supports the writer’s pen and ink on the desk, every Singaporean has become the “stone” of the country in their respective positions. From cleaners in the corridors of HDB flats to researchers in the lab, the weight of “guarding ideals” keeps the crescent-star flag unfurled. The paperweight not only holds down paper, but also impetuousness and instability; the national flag calls for not only celebration, but also responsibility and inheritance. When the soul of orchids is integrated into the blood of the country, this silent and majestic power will eventually hold up the red and white flag and fly forever in the wind and rain.

在新加坡國慶月，飄揚的國旗與靜默的蘭花鎮紙，共同訴說著這座城邦的堅韌品格。國旗上的紅白條紋與五顆星，象徵平等團結的信念；而書案上常見的蘭花鎮紙，則以卓錦萬代蘭的形態，凝固著”逆境綻放”的南洋精神。這種以國花為原型的鎮紙，不僅承載著壓鎮紙張的實用功能，更隱含著深刻寓意。其底座通常厚重穩固，如同新加坡立國根基；而上方的蘭花造型舒展向上，恰似在資源匱乏中依然追求卓越的國民姿態。紙鎮須經高溫燒製方能成型，正如這個年輕國家在淬煉中塑造的品格——既有壓艙石般的定力，又有破土重生的柔韌。當國慶煙火照亮濱海灣，人們凝視的不僅是飄揚的國旗，更是代代傳承的堅守。正如蘭花鎮紙在案頭默默支撐書寫者的筆墨，每個新加坡人都在各自崗位成為國家的”鎮石”。從組屋走廊的清潔工到實驗室的科研者，這份”鎮守理想”的重量，讓星月旗始終舒展如初。紙鎮壓住的不僅是紙張，更是浮躁與動搖；國旗召喚的不僅是慶典，更是責任與傳承。當蘭花之魂融入國家血脈，這份靜默而磅礴的力量，終將托舉著紅白旗幟，在風雨中永遠飄揚。