Orchid Park in Singapore on the map. Botanical Garden in Singapore. Sundial Garden
Inside the botanical garden in Singapore is its main pride - the Orchid State Park. More than 1.5 million travelers visit this place every year.
The grand opening of the Orchid Park in Singapore took place in the fall of 1995. The initiator was Deputy Minister of Singapore Lee Kual Eew.
The state orchid park is located on the hill of the Botanical Garden, occupying an area of 3 hectares. Today, garden workers boldly declare that this is the most large collection living orchids in the world. This is the best exemplary center for hybridization and conservation of orchids.
In the park today you can see about 60,000 plant species, including 400 varieties and more than 2,000 hybrids.
The richness of the collection, its unreal diversity, was achieved thanks to the colossal work and labor of gardeners who carefully select plants and care for them. The Garden’s staff never stops traveling around the country and selecting fresh flowers in order to expand the collections and improve the herbarium.
Initially, the Botanical Garden collected a collection of orchids in order to study the flora of the country. But when new ones were received interesting views These plants were presented at the exhibition and they began to gain popularity and be used as garden plants.
Orchid State Park is divided into 4 thematic groups.
The Orchids of Singapore branch has the widest colorful collection, among which you can see the most revered orchid, "Vanda Miss Joaquim". This species was bred by scientist Agnes Joaquin in 1893. This Singapore orchid was recognized as the official symbol of Singapore in 1981. Subsequently, all new species were given names famous people or the scientists themselves who developed them (for example, the orchids of Princess Diana, Nelson Mandale, Queen Elizabeth, President Suharto).
The second part of the state orchid park is VIP Orchids, which were brought from other countries. More species were found and exported from countries South-East Asia: from Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, from the Java Islands, from Sumatra, Sulawesi, Borneo, Indochina, Burma, as well as from the Australian continent, from India and China.
A section of the park called the Cool House or glass pavilion contains “cold-loving” species of orchids. Over the past 30 years, conditions have been created in the state orchid park for the normal stay of orchids brought from temperate countries. So the temperature and illumination in the pavilion absolutely accurately conveys the natural growing conditions of flowers.
The last part of the park is the Bromeliad Garden. There are more than 300 species of orchids here, plus 500 hybrids brought to Singapore from Central and South America. Bromeliad plants include pineapple, aechmea, guzmania, cryptanthus and others.
The Singapore Botanic Garden is more than seventy hectares of natural splendor that will take the breath away of even the most hardened city dwellers. Its territory is recognized as a UNESCO site World Heritage, however, without this honor, the area would still not have escaped the increased attention of tourists. A more beautiful nature reserve has not yet appeared in Southeast Asia, and not visiting it when coming to Singapore is a true blasphemy.
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British colonialist Thomas Raffles is a significant figure in Singapore history. In fact, he is the founder modern Singapore. In the winter of 1819, an expedition under his leadership landed on the island, and the Englishman quickly realized how strategically and geographically advantageous the local land was. Having concluded an agreement with the Sultan of Johor, he organized on the island British colony. However, the scientist’s deeds did not end there. It was at his instigation that the first botanical garden was founded in Singapore. As a scientist, he set out to study the fertility of the local soil, and the experiment successfully existed until 1829.
Thirty years after the closure, it was decided to create a new botanical garden - it is the one that has survived to this day. Laurence Niven did the planning and his ideas can be clearly seen in the modern design. In 1888, “Crazy” Ridley, in reality Henry Ridley, who began breeding the first rubber plants, was appointed director of the facility. His bold and experimental methods led to the island becoming the world's leading supplier of rubber.
During World War II, Singapore was occupied by the Japanese. Despite the invasion, they treated the natural heritage, continuing to develop new crops and carefully caring for the planted plants. After the end of hostilities, the garden again came under the jurisdiction of the British, and remained under their patronage until the declaration of independence.
The modern botanical garden is amazing nature reserve, where most visitors stay not for an hour or two, but for the whole day. The attraction is not only the vast green areas and unprecedented plants, but also the developed infrastructure - in the garden you can have a snack, go to the restroom without any problems, and enjoy an amazing concert program. In the middle of Symphony Lake there is a stage where an orchestra plays on weekends, and every visitor can enjoy the amazing melodies completely free of charge. In addition, this is the only garden in the world that is open at any time of the year and works almost all day: from five in the morning until twelve at night.
What to see
Often one day is not enough to cover all the significant places in the Singapore Garden. Whatever you say, on its territory you can feel not so much like an ordinary tourist, but like a real botanist researcher. Even individuals who are ignorant about plants, no, no, take out their phones to photograph a strange flower or an unusual branched tree. But if you don’t have too much time, it’s worth capturing at least the most outstanding points, which will certainly leave a deep imprint in your memory.
- A tropical forest.
This section of the Botanical Garden was not bred by specialist botanists, but was carefully preserved by them, and is much older in age than other plants. An area of 6 hectares is occupied by tropical trees untouched by humans. It is truly amazing to discover this wild corner in the middle of a large city.
- Botany Center
Two new buildings will be of particular interest to those who are seriously interested in botany. On their territory there is an extensive library, a herbarium, a guest service center and a cozy cafe. It is noteworthy that the walls are painted with leaf patterns, and the roof of one of the pavilions is completely covered with living grass.
- Lakes
There are three lakes on the territory of the garden: Swan, Ecological and Symphonic. As mentioned above, the latter is notable for the fact that it hosts free Sunday concerts in the center. The other two are famous for representatives of the local fauna: the surface of Swan Lake is favored by snow-white swans, and the ecological lake is favored by ducks.
- Ginger garden
On approximately one hectare of land, many ginger plants are planted, in the thicket of which a stunningly beautiful waterfall is hidden. In addition, on the ginger territory there is a good restaurant that offers guests both European and Asian dishes. Of course, both contain some amount of ginger.
- Jacob Ballas Garden
An area aimed primarily at the youngest visitors. Its opening took place in 2007, thanks to the efforts of a local philanthropist. This real paradise for children to enjoy the play area, tree houses and interactive exhibits. This perfect place both for games and for gaining new knowledge - some parts of the exhibition tell how natural dyes are used in the manufacture of drinks and medicines.
- Spice and herb garden
A fragrant corner of the Botanical Garden for spice lovers. Here you can not only look at the plants, but also find out what spices Singapore exports.
- Sundial garden
A sundial is built in the center of the area, surrounded by four pools. This corner is especially popular among couples in love - this is where it is customary to take photos together.
National Orchid Garden
Despite all the above-mentioned outstanding corners of the Botanical Garden, most visitors come here precisely because of the beautiful orchids. More than 1,000 varieties of orchids and, even more, their hybrids are planted on an area of more than three hectares. No camera has yet been invented that could convey the riot of colors that opens before travelers. Despite the fact that flowers grow throughout the area, the main wealth is in the main greenhouse - even the most persistent tourists will lose their minds from the many colors and intoxicating aroma!
At the exit from the orchid garden there is an interesting souvenir shop where everyone can buy a souvenir. For example, a pendant or earrings in the shape of a flower. The production technology itself is surprising - a living flower is dipped in gold or silver, covering its surface with a thin layer of precious metal.
Important: entrance to the Botanical Garden is free, but you must purchase a ticket to the Orchid Garden (since it is open until seven in the evening, sales close at six).
How to get there
There are several ways to get to the Botanical Garden.
(Singapore Botanic Gardens) is a huge blooming space in the very center of the city, where the Singapore gardening program once began. Perhaps it was in this very place, where locals love to relax and run today, that the idea of making Singapore a “garden city” was born. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is the only botanic garden in the world that is open most times of the day every day and does not charge an entrance fee.
Location address: 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569 ()
Geographical coordinates:
1°18′55″ n. latitude, 103°48′59″ e. d.
Opening hours: daily from 5.00 to 24.00; National Orchid Garden - daily from 8.30 to 19.00 (tickets sold until 18.00); Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden - daily from 8.00 to 19.00 (except Mondays); SBG Heritage Museum - daily from 9.00 to 18.00 (except the last Monday of the month).
Web site: www.sbg.org.sg
Botanic Gardens is the oldest park in Singapore
The very first botanical garden in Singapore dates back to 1822, when Sir Stamford Raffles founded the Botanical and Experimental Garden to cultivate crops that were of economic importance to the colonial economy. And in 1859, the abandoned plantation, located on the site of the modern botanical garden, was bought by the government and work began to transform 32 hectares of thickets into an area of fragrant and ennobled nature.
The area of the current Botanical Garden is 74 hectares (183 acres), it stretches from north to south for almost 2.5 km, the total number of plants on its territory exceeds 60,000 specimens. In addition to serving as a favorite place for recreation and sports for citizens and tourists, the garden is also a leading center for botanical and horticultural research. Since 2013, the Singapore Botanic Gardens have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens consist of large quantity various gardens with interesting story and a beautiful collection of plants of world significance, such as the Rainforest, National Orchid Garden, Ginger Garden and some others.
National Orchid Garden
The Orchid Garden is the main attraction at the Botanical Garden. It is located in the central part of the park, on an area of about 3 hectares, and its collection includes more than 1000 species and 2000 hybrids of orchids. This is the only place in the Botanical Garden that charges an entrance fee.
Every year, more and more hybrids of this national plant of Singapore are studied and developed here so that visitors can admire the variety, richness and beauty of orchids of all colors and shades.
In the orchid garden you can buy a flower seedling, as well as a special souvenir - an orchid in gold or silver: the orchid petals are covered with a thin layer of precious metal through a chemical reaction, and then large flowers turn into brooches, and small ones into earrings.
Singapore Botanic Gardens on the map
The rainforest is an area that is older than the Botanical Garden itself. This is a completely natural forest preserved within the city. Singapore is one of two major cities in the world (together with Rio de Janeiro), on the territory of which tropical forest grows.
The ginger garden consists of more than 250 species of this family. All these plants have very interesting shapes and attractive flowers. The ginger garden is divided into special zones based on the usefulness and origin of the trees.
For children in the park there is the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, built with money from a wealthy philanthropist - a fun place for games and creativity, where little explorers can learn all about plant life.
IN former house Director of the garden, the Singapore Botanic Gardens Heritage Museum was opened with interesting interactive and multimedia exhibits.
There are three lakes on the territory of the Botanical Garden - Symphony Lake, Eco-Lake and Swan Lake. Symphony Lake serves as a weekend concert venue for performances by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Near it is a sculpture of the composer Frederic Chopin. And Swan Lake is decorated with a sculpture of beautiful swans that seem to glide across its surface.
The park has several restaurants and cafes.
You can get to the Singapore Botanic Gardens by MRT, bus or taxi. You can devote almost the whole day to relaxing here, but as soon as you want to go back to the concrete jungle, you just need to take just one step and you will find yourself at the main shopping mall.
Photo gallery
The diversity of Singapore's flora is like a kaleidoscope, which contains all the richness and luxury of the island's flora.
The garden is located near the city on a large area of 52 hectares. Beauty lovers have at their disposal hundreds of remote paths among real tropical forests and well-groomed alleys leading from pond to pond, unique “exhibitions under open air" - the Ginger Garden and Palm Valley, Swan Lake with its graceful inhabitants. All plants are illuminated and provided with nameplates.
The first Botanical Garden appeared in Singapore in 1822. The founder of the state and a great amateur naturalist, Sir Stamford Raffles, created it mainly in order to introduce economically profitable grain crops such as nutmeg, cloves and cocoa into cultivation. However, working in this mode, the garden quite quickly - after seven years, ceased to exist and passed into state ownership. Subsequently, the Gardening Society of Singapore founded another park - no longer agricultural, but decorative - with paths, terraces, a stage and even a small zoo. It gradually developed into a leading equatorial botanical garden. Today it is already 148 years old and constantly attracts tourists from all over the world.
Garden Pavilion Bandstand
Bromeliad Garden- more than 300 species and 500 hybrid forms from Central and South America. Bromeliads include plants such as: pineapple, tillandsia, echmea, cryptanthus, guzmania, etc.
Ginger Garden. About 250 species of this oriental plant grow in the garden.
Palm Valley. The valley's lawns are a popular spot for picnics and outdoor concerts.
Cactus garden in the Sunny Garden
A tropical forest, which is part of the island's jungle.
Garden of Evolution with the rarest plants in amazing design.
Eco-Lake
Swan Lake
Symphony Lake
Inside the botanical garden is its main pride, a place where more than one and a half million travelers visit every year - National Park Orchids. It opened on October 20, 1995 at the initiative of Deputy Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew.
The Orchid Park is located on one of the hills of the Botanical Garden and covers an area of 3 hectares. Today it is the world's largest collection of living orchids and an exemplary center for their hybridization and conservation. The park contains 60,000 species, including 400 varieties and more than 2,000 hybrids.
The richness and diversity of the collection is the result of careful selection and exchange programs with other botanical institutions. The Garden’s staff regularly travels around the country, collecting fresh flowers to replenish the collection and herbarium.
Initially, the collection of orchids was created as part of the Botanical Garden’s program to study the country’s flora. But as soon as new, more interesting types of orchids were obtained, they were presented at the exhibition and gained great popularity as garden flowers. After the start of the orchid breeding program in the late 1920s, flower varieties began to be collected as material for research.
Singapore's orchids are the most extensive and colorful collection. Here you can see the most beloved and revered orchid - "Vanda Miss Joaquim". In 1893, scientist Agnes Joaquin first grew, actually discovered and invented, the Singapore orchid, which in 1981 became the official symbol of Singapore. Subsequently, naming new types of flowers after famous people became traditional, for example, in the park you can find the orchid of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth, Nelson Mandale or President Suharto.
"Vanda Miss Joaquim"
Distinctive feature National Park orchids is a representation of these amazing flowers. Within each thematic part, four separate color zones have been created: the “spring” zone is dominated by flowers of bright, golden, yellow and creamy shades, the “summer” zone mainly contains red orchids, the “autumn” zone has flowers of mature, rich shades of predominantly orange, and in the "winter" room white and light blue orchids are planted. Only one color for an orchid is not recognized in Singapore - black, although it is quite possible to breed it. It is believed that, despite the sophistication of its forms, the black orchid loses its tenderness and ceases to be real, because the true beauty of its color lies in the play of halftones.
In order to achieve such color zoning, Park staff spent a long time and carefully selecting flowers and developing new hybrids of a wider variety. color range. In addition, orchids are also grouped by type: epiphytes (orchids growing on other plants that support their life), terrestrial plants (what we are usually used to seeing) and climbing flowers. To be fair, it is worth noting that Orchid Park is a feast not only for the eyes, but also for the nose. Just imagine what a magical, viciously sweet aroma hovers over a vast territory planted with the most exquisite flowers in the world.
Orchids in The National Orchid Garden grow in the wild, without special devices, moisture, and, most surprisingly, without fences. Singaporeans take pride in the fact that all the work involved in caring for orchids is done by hand. Anyone can come up, touch, smell and take a photo with the specimen they like. But God forbid that something should be torn off, cut off or broken! In Singapore, the orchid is a symbol of the state, and it is protected by law carefully and jealously.
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Cool House- a glass pavilion where “cold” species are kept. Over the past thirty years, the park has created conditions for growing orchids brought from countries with temperate climates. The temperature and light level in the pavilion are adjusted to the natural growing conditions of flowers. Each year this innovation will only expand the range of orchid varieties that can be displayed in the National Park.
The city and country of Singapore surprises with its exotic, unusual combination modern architecture and corners with preserved pristine nature. Stunning botanicals and animal world region is represented in zoological and botanical gardens. Huge, well-kept parks in the heart of shopping districts impress travelers from all over the world. And the Singapore Botanical Garden is one of the best, included in the UNESCO list. This is one of the main attractions of the country.
Story
The garden was established in the 20s of the 19th century. The main purpose of its creation was the cultivation of cocoa beans, spices and some other crops. Then, within a few decades, the need for plant cultivation disappeared and the area was not used. Serious work on creating the park began in 1859. Gradually vegetable world enriched himself, they began to bring seedlings from other regions.
In the 20th century, many new species of tropical plants appeared at the Singapore Botanic Garden. Soil research was also carried out here and new varieties were bred. During this period, the first orchid hybrids began to take root. Subsequently, the garden withstood the period of occupation and was not plundered. The history of the Singapore Botanic Garden does not end here: now it trains biologists, continues to improve the territory and develop new varieties. This park is visited annually great amount people: not only tourists, but also local residents who come here to relax, relax or exercise in the fresh air.
Attractions
Walking through the Singapore Botanic Gardens in Singapore, you can see beautiful alleys, ponds and fountains. The names of the plants you like can be read from special signs installed nearby. It is located somewhat separately. There is an entrance fee, but it is worth a visit: picturesque places can be found here. Tourists will be impressed by the variety of blooming orchids.
There are waterfalls and small sculptural compositions that fit perfectly into the setting of the area. The moss-covered sculptures give visitors the feeling that they are in fairyland. In some pavilions, the air temperature is specially lowered to make the plants feel comfortable.
In 2007, the first one was opened in Asian countries a garden for children, under the name of D. Ballas. You can get there from a separate entrance, but this is also the territory of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Little visitors can not only look at the plants, but also learn more about their cultivation and benefits for humans. There is also a games area and a separate cafe.
Animal world
On the territory of the Singapore Botanic Gardens you can find various animals. One of the three is inhabited by swans. The reservoir is named after them. Among the birds you can also find ducks and Aplonis starlings.
And turtles live in the ponds.
You can take great photos at the Singapore Botanic Gardens in any weather. For example, photograph a pond with water lilies or barely blooming flowers. There are wild birds living among the trees, and it will be lucky to take a photo of one of them.
What else to see?
You should definitely see such unique plant varieties as dendrobiums, saraka, wax palms and some species of the Ginger family. People also come to the garden to listen to music. Orchestra concerts are periodically held at special venues. In 2008, a monument to F. Chopin was even erected here. There are also other beautiful sculptures. For example, a composition depicting swans in Swan Lake.
Travelers from other countries should visit the Garden of Evolution, which occupies an area of 1.5 hectares. Walking along the path, you can observe how plant species changed during different periods of the planet’s history. Coniferous trees and ferns grow along the road, and huge stones and boulders complete the setting.
Another amazing object is the Green Pavilion - a house whose roof is completely covered with plants. It looks unusual, and inside there are seating areas for guests. For those interested in botany, there is a horticultural library and educational centers.
Flowering plants create an extraordinary atmosphere and emit pleasant aromas. But there is a separate area where spices are grown. The smells that reign there will be remembered by guests for a long time. Another area of the garden is dedicated to marsh vegetation.
Water lilies float in a small pond, and water-loving trees and herbs stretch out of the water around.
How to get to Singapore Botanic Gardens?
Getting to the park while on the island is not difficult. The easiest way to do this is by metro. Get off at Botanic Gardens station. From there, signs and the entrance to the garden will be immediately visible.
Another way to get to the attraction is by taxi. But for this, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the approximate prices in advance (they use Singapore dollars here) and think about the return route. IN good weather can be reached on foot, especially if the hotel or guest house is nearby. There are hotels located very close to the park.
Note to visitors who wish to travel by public transport: there are several entrances to the garden. There are several buses along the route.
Information for visitors
You don't need to buy tickets to the park: admission is free for everyone. The operating hours are the same for any time of year. Every morning, the Singapore Botanic Garden opens its doors at 5 o'clock and closes at midnight. The park is open seven days a week and in any weather. Separate pavilions house cafeterias and recreation areas. There is also a garden history museum on site, where you can learn about the founders and famous biologists.
In rainy weather, you should take an umbrella, but there are places in the park where you can hide from the rain. These are gazebos with benches, souvenir shops, food courts, and special pavilions.
Before visiting, be sure to familiarize yourself with the garden plan located at the entrance, as well as the rules of stay. Their main point is not to harm the plants. All the main attractions, indoor areas and branches of the Center are marked there. You can view the plan directly from home by going to the official website of the park.