At another section of the artwork, the phoenix was shown in full glory, being surrounded by a myriad of birds. This was intended to be an auspicious sign of Singapore's prosperity. In the concluding segment of the mural, the birds and phoenix combined into one, symbolising the "universal energy" of the cycle of life. The coolies on the mural were drawn as victorious strong men in Greek classical style rather than defeated labourers, as the artist felt the labourers were already well-built. Drawing out the work by hand, Tan had oil and acrylic paints directly applied on the canvas instead of watering them down via a painting medium. This was to accomplish the vibrant colour transitions for the work. Reproducing this colour treatment, however, was difficult during the mural's production in the United Kingdom. Through experimentation, the specialist company in Birmingham adopted a seven colour process to closely match the original's colours on the final artwork in vitreous enamel.