serving the DTL station reflects the elliptical façade of the nearby Hong Lim Complex. Public artwork The station displays two artworks as part of the MRT network's Art-in-Transit programme – a showcase of public artworks on the MRT network. The Phoenix's-Eye Domain Tan Swie Hian's The Phoenix's-Eye Domain is a wall mural representing the journey of Singapore's Chinese immigrants, supplemented by a poem written in three sets of rhyming couplets. The colourful mural, depicting a soaring phoenix in various forms, is displayed at the NEL concourse level, while the poem is engraved on the floors of the station platforms and concourse. The artist intended for the poem to be a "footnote" to the mural, while the mural is supposed to be a visual realisation of the poem. Taking inspiration from the description of the mythical phoenix in the Chinese classic text "Shan Hai Jing", the artist uses the phoenix as a symbol of perseverance and strength of the first Chinese settlers. Not intending to just use recognisable depictions of old Chinatown, Tan wished to capture the enduring and noble spirit of the ancestors, who are depicted in the artwork as helping build modern-day Singapore. In the mural, the phoenix flies over the waterfront of Singapore, which is by two kris-shaped rocks. These two rocks, which once existed at the waters' edge, were used as indicators by early Chinese navigators, who referred to Singapore as the "Dragon's Teeth Gate". Written on the phoenix's body are five characters, each with different meanings: Virtue, Righteousness, Civility, Benevolence and Credibility, regarded to be the five core values of man. In another section of the artwork, the phoenix is shown in its full glory, being surrounded by a myriad of birds. This was intended to be an auspicious sign of Singapore's prosperity. In the last segment of the mural, the birds and phoenix combine into one, symbolising the "universal energy" of the cycle of life. The coolies on the mural are depicted as victorious strong men in classical Greek style rather than defeated labourers, as the artist felt the labourers were already well-built. Before the artwork was reproduced in the United Kingdom, Tan first drew out the work by hand. Instead of watering them down via a painting medium, Tan applied oil and acrylic paints directly onto the canvas. This was done to accomplish vibrant colour transitions for the work. However, it was difficult to