Jurong Lake Gardens

Jurong Lake Gardens opened in stages from 2019 as the national gardens in the west, built around the lake by naturalising what had been hard-edged waterfront into freshwater swamp and grassland. Within it are the Chinese Garden of 1975, with a seven-storey pagoda and a stone boat, and the Japanese Garden beside it, both restored and reopened after a long closure. Otters, herons and monitor lizards use the water.

What you actually see

• The Chinese Garden - a 1975 garden with a seven-storey pagoda and stone boat.
• The Japanese Garden - the restored garden of ponds and stone lanterns beside it.
• The naturalised wetland - restored freshwater swamp along the lake edge.
• The otters - smooth-coated otter families using the lake.

When to go

Year round; early morning and evening are coolest. The gardens are open long hours and are floodlit at night. Afternoon storms are frequent.

Honest expectations

The site is large and covering it means a lot of walking with limited shade in the newer sections. The Chinese and Japanese gardens keep separate hours. Weekends are crowded.

Nearby

Science Centre Singapore is nearby, and Jurong is west.