IT is not everyday that visitors from China arrive by road. So when 23 China-registered sports-utility vehicles and two buses drove into Singapore via the Second Link on Monday, they were given the VIP treatment and escorted by auxillary police to Sentosa.
Their 6,000km odyssey began in the southern Chinese city of Nanning on Sept 27, and their trip brought them through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia.
The Chinese delegates on wheels - made up of about 110 government officials, motor club members, tour operators and TV crew - will stretch their legs and soak in the sights until Wednesday morning when they will make the return trip - again by road. They will be accompanied by two cars from Singapore and two from Malaysia.
Singapore watch importer Leslie Chang, 43, will be among six people in the two Singapore cars - repeating a journey he accomplished the same time last year. This time, he is bringing along his son, Daryl, a 17-year-old student. Last year, he brought along his father and father-in-law.
On why he is going again, Mr Chang simply said: 'I like driving.''
He added that without the help of the organisers - the People's Government of Guangxi State Autonomous Region - it would be 'impossible to drive into countries like Vietnam and Cambodia on your own''.
In the Singapore contingent are photographer Ernest Chua and medical doctor Tan Poh Heng. Ther others are semi-retired Australians Archibald Stewart and David Duffield - who read about Mr Chang's trip last year.
The entire convoy of 29 vehicles will be flagged off by Sembawang GRC MP Lim Wee Kiak, who is patron of the Singapore Motor Sports Association, and Singapore Sports Council's Chief Executive Oon Jin Teik.
The long drives are part of the China Asean International Touring Assembly (CAITA 2007), a fringe event of the China-Asean Summit 2007 - a heads-of-state gathering hosted by the Chinese government. Among other things, CAITA 2007 aims to promote connectivity in road transport between China and Asean countries.
