Singapore's Gardens by the Bay, 18 "Supertrees" 25 to 50 meters high, and more than 160,000 tropical plants

What impressed me most during my Trip to Singapore was the Gardens by the Bay, which cost over NT$23.3 billion and borrowed about 100 hectares of land from the ocean. The Gardens by the Bay, which was officially opened to the public on June 29, is actually the first completed Gardens by the Bay, covering an area of ​​54 hectares. The other two gardens (Gardens by the Bay and Marina Central Gardens) are still under construction and are expected to be completed and opened in 2015.

Due to time constraints this time, we only visited the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest (the red framed part in the picture below) in the very large garden, but this alone made me appreciate this attraction. It left a very good impression and I plan to spend a whole day exploring this garden next time.



The most eye-catching thing in Marina South Garden is the 18 "Supertrees" (also known as super trees) that are 25 to 50 meters high. These "trees" are actually vertical gardens, with trunks filled with more than 200 species and more than 160,000 tropical climbing plants and ferns. Some of the trees are equipped with solar energy storage panels to power the lights on the trees, and some of the trees are connected to the cold room system as air outlets for hot air. In addition, the Supertrees can also collect rainwater. , reuses natural resources and has the functions of landscaping, shading, power generation, lighting, etc. What an amazing design!

Between several giant trees in Supertree Grove, there is a 128-meter-long OCBC Skyway, which is about the same height as the highest point of the Xitou Skyway, allowing visitors to overlook the entire coastal area from a high place. Beautiful views of the Bay Area. It's a pity that I couldn't go to the Supertree Grove Skywalk to enjoy the scenery this time. I could only take pictures of the three Supertrees next to the visitor center.



Supertree Grove will be lit up at night, and there will be a 15-minute free sound and light show (Garden Rhapsody) at 7:45 and 8:45 in the evening. If you visit at night, don’t miss it. The temperature in both cold rooms is controlled at 23-25 ​​degrees, which is much more comfortable than the hot and humid weather outdoors. Passing through this rest area is the entrance to the Flower Dome.



Multiple "flower interactive walls" are set up on both sides of the passage into the cold room, where you can learn about the complete process of flowers from fruiting to blooming.



This greenhouse, which is composed of more than 3,000 pieces of glass, is the largest column-free greenhouse in the world. When you walk in, I think everyone will be shocked by the sight in front of you and exclaim "Wow".



The flower dome cold room simulates the dry and cold climate of the Mediterranean, planting drought-tolerant plants from Mediterranean and subtropical climate areas. There is also a beautiful flower bed in the middle of the cold room that changes with the seasons and themes.



In addition to the explanation signs with text and pictures about the plants in the cold room, if there is an icon of the headphones in the photo, it means that the audio guide has introduced it. If you want to know more about the plants in the cold room, you can rent audio guide equipment at the ticket office (S$4 per day). Currently, it is only in English, and Chinese guides will be added in the future.



You can see many plants that you usually don’t see here, such as the Cyphostemma juttae (commonly known as African Tree Graps) on the left in the photo and the Baobab on the right, both of which use their enlarged trunks to store water. It is a very drought tolerant plant.




This strange-looking flower is the "kangaroo paw flower", a native plant that grows in southern Australia. It is named because the flower buds look like kangaroo paws. In addition to the red and yellow in the photo, there are also orange, green, pink, etc. Available in a variety of colors, it is Australia's second largest exported flower.




What I think is great about the Flower Dome Conservatory is that many artistic sculptures are integrated into the plant landscaping. While appreciating the plants, you can also appreciate the beauty of art.






After visiting the Flower Dome cold room, we went to another Cloud Forest cold room. As soon as we walked in, we exclaimed "Wow" because the 35-meter-high rockery and artificial waterfall in front of us are so amazing. It feels like being in a tropical rainforest.



This greenhouse is planted with tropical mountain plants at an altitude of 1,000 to 3,500 meters, such as orchids and pitcher plants commonly seen in Taiwan.



The design of the Cloud Forest Cold Room is very special. After entering, you first take the elevator to "climb" to the top of the rockery, and then slowly walk down the aerial trail to admire the plants on the artificial rock wall.



In order to save energy, the glass of these two cold rooms is coated with special coating, allowing only 65% ​​of the light to enter. When the sun is too strong, the top curtain will automatically close to prevent the plants from being sunburned.




Through the transparent glass, you can enjoy the beautiful skyline of Marina Bay as well as the Sands Hotel, Ferris wheel and other buildings.




The exit of the two cold rooms is the shop selling souvenirs. The members of the Traveling group were able to buy their favorite products in just a few minutes. It was really amazing!




Such a large piece of land in a prime location in the city center could have been used to build other buildings or develop more profitable commercial projects. However, the Singapore government is willing to use it to develop Gardens by the Bay and bring a world forest to Singaporeans. It is really disappointing. People admire him very much.

The garden is open for a long time, from five o'clock in the morning to two o'clock in the middle of the night, and most of the spaces are free. Even if you only have a few hours of transfer time, I highly recommend everyone to go to this place. If you have time, it is recommended to leave a few more hours for Gardens by the Bay to walk around the two conservatories, Supertree Grove and outdoor gardens.

Such a well-planned attraction is both educational and entertaining, suitable for both adults and children~