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'<div style="width:205px;float:right;margin-left:10px;"> [[Image:Singapore_Botanic_Gardens_logo.jpg|right|thumbnail|200px|Singapore Botanic Gardens logo, ''[[Cyrtostachys]]'' [[Arecaceae|palm]] ]] [[File:Singapore botanic garden pond (2004).jpg|thumb|200px|[[Symphony Lake, Singapore|Symphony Lake]] at the Singapore Botanic Gardens]] [[File:Singapore botanic gardens gazebo.jpg|thumb|200px|Music was played at this [[gazebo]], known as the Bandstand, in the Singapore Botanic Gardens in the 1930s]] [[File:Singapore Botanic Gardens, Evolution Garden 22, Sep 06.JPG|thumb|200px|Replica of the ancient ''[[Lepidodendron]]s'' or giant [[clubmoss]]es at the Evolution Garden]] [[File:SaracaStream.JPG|thumb|200px|One of the newer attractions is the Saraca Stream in the Tanglin Core area]] [[File:Singapore Botanic Gardens Palm Valley.jpg|thumb|200px|The lush lawns of Palm Valley are a popular spot for [[picnic]]s and outdoor concerts]] [[File:Singapore Botanic Gardens 7, Jul 06.JPG|thumb|200px|Office Building (Botany Hall 1) at the redeveloped Tanglin Core]] [[File:Singapore botanic garden orchids in mist house.jpg|thumb|200px|''Phalaenopsis philippinensis'' orchid growing in a mist house]] [[File:Singapore Botanic Gardens waterfall.jpg|thumb|200px|A waterfall in the Ginger Gardens]] [[File:GreenRoof-SingaporeBotanicGardens.jpg|thumb|200px|Singapore's first "green roof" at the Green Pavilion]] [[File:Orchids-NationalOrchidGarden-20041025.jpg|thumb|200px|Orchids in the [[National Orchid Garden]]]] </div> The '''Singapore Botanic Gardens''' ([[Simplified Chinese|Chinese]]: {{lang|zh|新加坡植物园}}; {{lang-ms|Taman Botanik Singapura ''or'' Kebun Botani Singapura}}) is a 63.7-[[hectare]] (157-[[acre]]) [[botanical garden]] in [[Singapore]]. It is half the size of the [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|Royal Botanic Gardens]] in [[Kew]] or around one-fifth the size of [[Central Park]] in [[New York]]. It is the only botanic garden in the world that opens from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight every single day of the year, and does not charge an admission fee, except for the [[National Orchid Garden]]. The garden is bordered by Holland Road and Napier Road to the south, [[Cluny Road]] to the east, Tyersall Avenue and Cluny Park Road to the west and [[Bukit Timah Road]] to the North. The linear distance between the northern and southern ends is around 2.5&nbsp;km (1.5&nbsp;miles). ==History== The first "Botanical and Experimental Garden" in Singapore was established in 1822 on Government Hill at [[Fort Canning]] by Sir [[Stamford Raffles]], the founder of modern Singapore and a keen [[natural history|naturalist]]. The Garden's main task was to evaluate for [[cultivation]] [[crop (agriculture)|crops]] which were of potential economic importance, including those yielding fruits, vegetables, spices and other raw materials. This first Garden closed in 1829. It was not until 30 years later that the present Singapore Botanic Gardens began in 1859, when the [[Agri Horticultural Society]] was granted 32&nbsp;hectares of land in Tanglin by the colonial government, which had obtained it from the merchant [[Hoo Ah Kay]], known as Whampoa, in exchange for land at [[Boat Quay]]. [[Laurence Niven (landscape designer)|Laurence Niven]] was hired as superintendent and [[landscape design]]er to turn what were essentially overgrown plantations and a tangle of [[Primary Rainforest|virgin rainforest]] into a [[public park]]. The layout of the Gardens as it is today is largely based on Niven's design. The Agri Horticultural Society, however, ran out of funds and, in 1874, the colonial government took over the management of the Gardens. The first [[rubber]] seedlings came to the gardens from Kew in 1877. A naturalist, [[Henry Nicholas Ridley]], or Mad Ridley as he was known, became director of the gardens in 1888 and spearheaded rubber cultivation. Successful in his experiments with rubber planting, Ridley convinced planters across [[Malay Peninsula|Malaya]] to adopt his methods. The results were astounding; Malaya became the world's number one producer and exporter of natural rubber.<ref name=Cornelius-Takahama2001>{{citation |date=29 March 2001 |author=Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon |title=Sir Henry Nicholas Ridley |place=Singapore |publisher=National Library Board Singapore |accessdate=4 June 2010}}</ref> Another achievement was the pioneering of [[Orchidaceae|orchid]] [[hybrid (biology)|hybridisation]] by Professor [[Eric Holttum]], director of the Gardens from 1925 to 1949. His techniques led to Singapore being one of the world's top centres of commercial orchid growing. Today it also has the largest collection of [[tropics|tropical]] plant specimens. During the [[Japanese occupation of Singapore]] from 1942 to 1945, [[Hidezo Tanakadate]], a professor of [[geology]] from [[Tohoku Imperial University]], took over control of the Singapore Botanic Gardens and the [[National Museum of Singapore|Raffles Museum]]. At the beginning of the occupation, he ensured that no looting occurred in the Gardens and the Museum. Both institutions continued to function as scientific institutions. Holttum and [[Edred John Henry Corner]] were interned in the Gardens and instructed to continue their horticultural work. The Gardens was also renamed as Shōnan Botanic Gardens ({{lang|ja|昭南植物園}}). Later that year, Dr. [[Kwan Koriba]], a retired professor of botany from the [[Imperial University of Tokyo]], arrived as Director of the Gardens, a post he held until the end of the war. After the war, the Gardens was handed back to the control of the British. [[M R Henderson|Murray Ross Henderson]], curator of the Herbarium before the war, succeeded Holttum as director from 1949 to 1954. Eventually the Gardens played an important role during the "greening Singapore" campaign and Garden City campaign during the early independence years. ==Attractions== [[File:Chopin at Singapore Botanical Gardens.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Chopin]] monument, just south of [[Symphony Lake (Singapore)|Symphony Lake]]]] ===National Orchid Garden=== The [[National Orchid Garden]] is the main attraction within the Botanic Gardens. Located on the mid-western side of the Garden, the hilly three-hectare site has a collection of more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids. Within the Orchid Garden there are a number of attractions such as the following: '''Burkill Hall and the VIP Orchid Garden''': Burkill Hall is a colonial plantation bungalow built in 1886. It used to be the director's house and was named in honour of the only father and son pair to hold the post of Director of Singapore Botanic Gardens, [[I. H. Burkill|Isaac]] and Humphrey Burkill. The ground level serves as an exhibition area, showcasing information on the different hybrids named after VIPs who have visited the garden. At the back of Burkill Hall is the VIP Orchid Garden with hybrids of some of the VIP orchids on display. Notable ones include ''[[Dendrobium]]'' [[Margaret Thatcher]], ''[[Renantanda]]'' [[Akihito]], ''Dendrobium'' [[Crown Princess Masako|Masako Kotaishi Hidenka]], ''Dendrobium'' [[Elizabeth II|Elizabeth]] and ''[[Vanda]]'' [[Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo]]. '''Orchidarium''': A haven for serious orchids enthusiasts, the Orchidarium houses natural species in a tropical setting. '''Tan Hoon Siang Misthouse''': Tan Hoon Siang was a descendant of [[Tan Tock Seng]], who was a philanthropist and founder of the [[Tan Tock Seng Hospital]]. The misthouse contains a colourful collection of different hybrids. It also has a small collection of fragrant orchids like ''Vanda'' Mimi Plamer. '''Lady Yuen-Peng McNeice Bromeliad House''': Named in honour of its sponsor, the Bromeliad House showcases plants from the [[Bromeliaceae]] family, which includes the pineapple. The unique collection of bromeliads on display was acquired from [http://shelldance.com Shelldance Nursery] in the United States in 1994. '''Coolhouse''': The Coolhouse tries to recreate the environment of a tropical highland forest and showcases orchids that are normally only found in the tropical highland areas. ===Rainforest=== The Singapore Botanic Gardens has a small [[tropical rainforest]] of around six hectares in size, which is older than the gardens itself. The rainforest and its bigger cousin at the [[Bukit Timah Nature Reserve]] are located within the Singapore's city limits. Singapore is one of the only two major cities with a tropical rainforest within its city limits, the other being [[Tijuca Forest]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]]. ===Evolution Garden=== The 9.9-hectare (3.7-acre) Evolution Garden is located within the Central Core area of the Gardens. It tells the [[evolution]]ary story of plant life on Earth throughout the ages. ===Ginger Garden=== Located next to the National Orchid Garden, this one-hectare garden brings together members of the [[Zingiberaceae]] family. The garden houses a restaurant called Halia Restaurant. There is also a drop-off point along Tyersall Avenue as well as a waterfall. The garden was officially opened in 2003 and it took over the spot vacated by the previous Orchid Enclosure. ===Botany Centre and Tanglin Gate=== The reopened Tanglin Gate has been given a new look. Gone is the old cast iron gate; it now sports a more modern silver colour with a leaf motif as its main design. The two new blocks of offices and classroom in the upgraded Tanglin Core area are known as the Botany Centre. They house the: *Library of Botany and Horticulture (including the Public Reference Centre); *the Singapore Herbarium; *Orchid Breeding and Micropagation; and *education outreach and workshop classrooms. The corridors and walkways of the Botany Centre are covered by leaf imprints. There are also a number of wooden carvings scattered around the grounds, and fern-covered vertical walls. The Green Pavilion is the first "green roof" in Singapore. Weed- and grass-like plants fully cover the pitched roof. It houses the visitor services desk as well as a food court, Inside Green, in its basement. The offices of former directors, namely Holttum Hall (after Eric Holttum, Director of the Gardens from 1925 to 1949) and Ridley Hall (after Henry Nicholas Ridley, first director of Gardens from 1888 to 1911) were preserved and now serve as the Singapore Botanic Gardens' Directorate and Visitor Management and Operations offices. ===Jacob Ballas Children's Garden=== The Children's Garden was named after its main donor Jacob Ballas, a Jewish-Singaporean philanthropist who died in 2004. Built at a cost of [[Singapore dollar|S$]]7 million (of which $99 million was donated by the Jacob Ballas Trust and sponsors), it is located at the quieter northern end of the Botanic Gardens. It has its own visitor centre with a café. It opened on Children's Day, 1 October 2007. The [[National Parks Board]] claims it is Asia's first children's garden. There are play areas like the Water Play area, a small playground, tree-houses with slides, and a maze. There are also interactive exhibits that teach how [[photosynthesis]] takes place, and a mini-garden that showcases how plants may be used to make dyes and beverages, or as herbs. At the Children's Garden Visitor Centre there is a sculpture by the Israeli artist Zodok Ben-David. Named ''Mystree'', it was commissioned by the [[Yad Vashem]] museum in 2010. From a distance, the sculpture looks like a tree but a closer inspection reveals 500 human figures. Although it is part of the Botanic Garden, the Children's Garden has its own entrance along Bukit Timah Road. ===Other attractions=== Tropical plants line the bank of the Saraca Stream as it meanders its way down a small hill. The main highlights of the stream walk are the Yellow [[Saraca]] trees (''Saraca cauliflora'') and Red Saraca (''[[Saraca declinata]]''). Other attractions include the Palm Valley, Bandstand area, Sun Garden and Sundial Garden. The Botanic Gardens has three lakes, namely [[Symphony Lake, Singapore|Symphony Lake]], Eco-Lake and [[Swan Lake, Singapore|Swan Lake]]. The Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage on Symphony Lake occasionally has free concerts on weekends. Notable performers include the [[Singapore Symphony Orchestra]] and [[Singapore Chinese Orchestra]]. On 10 October 2008,<ref name=PolishEmbassy2008>{{citation |date=5 October 2008 |title=The Unveiling Ceremony of a Monument to Frederic Chopin & Inaugural Concert by NAFA Orchestra ||url=http://www.singapore.polemb.net/?document=264 |publisher=The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Singapore |accessdate=4 June 2010}}</ref> a statue of the composer [[Frédéric Chopin]] was unveiled just south of Symphony Lake. The headquarters of the National Parks Board is located within the grounds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Eateries within the garden include Au Jardin Les Amis, a French fine-dining restaurant in a colonial bungalow; Café Les Amis, a café at the Visitor Centre; and Halia Restaurant, a restaurant at the Ginger Garden. There are also gift shops for visitors. Singapore's national agency in biodiversity-related issues, the [[National Biodiversity Centre]], is also located within the grounds of the gardens. [[File:Singapore Botanic Gardens, Eco-lake, panorama, Sep 06.jpg|thumb|800px|center|Eco-lake at the [[Bukit Timah]] Core of the Singapore Botanic Gardens]] ==Gallery== <gallery> File:$5 tree.JPG| The [[Tembusu]] tree (''Faraea fragrans'') featured on the reverse of the [[Singaporean five-dollar bill]] at Lawn E, Singapore Botanic Gardens File:DendrobiumMargaretThatcher-NationalOrchidGarden-Singapore-20041025.jpg|''[[Dendrobium]] [[Margaret Thatcher]]'' File:Bromeliad200.jpg|The Yuen-Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection File:DendrobiumBaeYongJun-NationalOrchidGarden-Singapore-20060710.jpg|''Dendrobium [[Bae Yong Jun]]'', an orchid cultivar named after the South Korean actor File:VandaMissJoaquim.jpg|[[Vanda Miss Joaquim]], the national flower of Singapore File:Cygnus Atratus Singapore.jpg|[[Cygnus atratus]] in the Eco-Lake File:SunGarden-SingaporeBotanicGardens-20070102.jpg|The Sun Garden (formerly known as the Sun Rockery) File:FlightofSwans-SingaporeBotanicGardens.jpg|''Flight of Swans'' sculpture installed in May 2006 at Swan Lake File:BotanyCentre-SingaporeBotanicGardens.jpg|The Botany Centre Blocks, with a view of ''[[Calophyllum inophyllum]]'' and one of the wooden sculptures dotted around the complex. File:Phalaenopsis-SingaporeBotanicGardens-20041201.jpg|Orchids </gallery> ==External links== *[http://www.sbg.org.sg/index.asp Singapore Botanic Gardens - Official site] *[http://www.visitsingapore.com/publish/stbportal/en/home/what_to_see/parks___nature_reserves/singapore_botanic.html Uniquely Singapore website] *[http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=parks&id=33&Itemid=73 National Parks Board website] *[http://www.singaporevr.com/vrs/botanicgardens/botanicgardens_bandstand.html Virtual Reality preview of the Singapore Botanic Gardens] * [http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122&Itemid=124 National Biodiversity Centre, Singapore] {{coord|1.3151|103.8162|type:landmark_region:SG|display=title}} [[Category:1859 establishments]] [[Category:Botanical gardens in Singapore]] [[Category:Parks in Singapore]] [[Category:Tanglin]] [[Category:Visitor attractions in Singapore]] [[es:Jardín Botánico de Singapur]] [[fr:Jardins botaniques de Singapour]]'