The Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden in Jurong reopened in September 2024 after a five-year renovation, and what’s there now is worth the trip on its own merits — a 7-storey pagoda, a bonsai collection of over 2,000 trees, and a deliberately tranquil island garden built around Muromachi and Azuchi-Momoyama period design.
Chinese Garden: Imperial Style on 13.5 Hectares
The Chinese Garden opened in 1975, built in the northern Chinese imperial style at a cost of SGD 4.7 million across 13.5 hectares. Its centerpiece is the 7-storey Cloud Pagoda, modeled on Nanjing’s Linggu Temple Pagoda and ringed by 12 Chinese zodiac sculptures on the Cloud Pagoda Plateau. Nearby, the Twin Pagodas — three storeys each, based on Taiwan’s Spring and Autumn Pavilions — represent Yin and Yang. The 13-arch White Rainbow Bridge mirrors the Seventeen-Arch Bridge at Beijing’s Summer Palace, and the 1992 Suzhou-style Bonsai Garden holds more than 2,000 bonsai trees imported from China and beyond across 5,800 square meters.
What the 2024 Renovation Added
The gardens closed in May 2019 for a renovation that reopened in September 2024, and several original features were demolished and replaced rather than simply restored. New additions include an aquatic garden with 150 species of water lily, a Sunken Garden exhibit with 200 species of epiphyte, a Bamboo Grove with a waterfall, a Water Wall Court, and the Cascading Creek habitat. The 2024 Moonrise Bridge now gives a second route across to the Japanese Garden, alongside the original 1989 Bridge of Double Beauty.
Japanese Garden: Built for Quiet
The Japanese Garden opened in 1974, a year before its neighbor, on an artificial island in Jurong Lake covering the same 13.5 hectares. Where the Chinese Garden is visually dense and symbolic, the Japanese Garden pulls from Japan’s Muromachi period (1392-1568) and Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1615), aiming for a calmer, more meditative mood. Around 10 stone toro lanterns line the paths between traditional arched bridges and rest houses, koi ponds host monitor lizards alongside the fish, and a Turtle & Tortoise Museum sits within the grounds. One of Singapore’s ten educational sundials, representing Venus, is also set into the garden.
Getting Between the Two Gardens
The Bridge of Double Beauty and the newer Moonrise Bridge both connect the Chinese and Japanese Gardens directly, so visiting both in one trip needs no detour back to the entrance. Both gardens sit within the wider Jurong Lake Gardens precinct alongside Lakeside Garden — see our Jurong Lake Gardens guide for the rest of the park, including the nature playground and waterway trails that sit outside these two gardens specifically.
FAQ: Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden Jurong
Is admission free?
Yes — since reopening as part of Jurong Lake Gardens under NParks, both gardens no longer charge the separate admission fee they once did as a standalone attraction.
How long does it take to see both gardens?
Budget 2 to 3 hours to see the main features in both gardens without rushing, more if the Bonsai Garden or Turtle & Tortoise Museum are priorities.
Which garden should I prioritize if I’m short on time?
The Chinese Garden has the more photogenic architecture — the Cloud Pagoda and White Rainbow Bridge in particular — while the Japanese Garden rewards a slower, quieter walk rather than a checklist of landmarks.
Bottom Line: Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden Jurong
The 2024 renovation gave both gardens genuinely new features rather than a cosmetic refresh, and the Cloud Pagoda, Bonsai Garden and Japanese Garden’s stone lanterns are worth the trip to Jurong on their own. NParks’ official Jurong Lake Gardens site has current opening details for both gardens, and our Science Centre Singapore guide covers the other major stop a short walk away.
For more nearby, see our guide to Southern Ridges Walking Trail: Henderson Waves to Mount Faber.
Pingback: Jurong Lake Gardens: What to Expect - Singapore With Me
Pingback: Science Centre Singapore: Tickets and Exhibits (2026)