Ms Chua, an award-winning singer who is popular in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, is the new face of the Singapore Tourism Board's (STB) latest campaign to woo mainland visitors.

Launched last night in Beijing, the campaign targets upwardly mobile Chinese urban executives aged 28 to 45 who are looking 'to experience the soul of a city, rather than the usual group or packaged tours', said STB's regional and Greater China director Edward Koh.

Ms Chua was chosen for her 'individualistic, carefree and soul-searching attributes which the middle-class segment in China's mega cities will identify with', Mr Koh told The Straits Times.

The 33-year-old songbird will appear in print, Internet, television and outdoor commercials, introducing places of interest in Singapore, including Club Street, Little India and Clarke Quay.

Viewers will also be able to hear To Be Happy, a song with both Chinese and English lyrics that Ms Chua wrote especially for the campaign.

The commercials will start to air in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu from next week.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.