Jurong Lake

Jurong Lake is situated in the west part of Singapore. It has two major islands on it. Nparks has built two themes in them. One is Chinese Garden (裕华园) the other is Japanese Garden (星和园). This trip is not a tour in the gardens. It just a walking exercise trip around the lake.

The trip started at the Chinese Garden MRT. Just outside of the MRT exit you can enter the path towards the east entrance of the Chinese Garden.

A view of the lake on the bridge to the island is just a starter.

If your are not prepared, there is a map that shows you where to go.

Since I have plotted a path, I am following my own way. No one can miss the land mark of the garden - the pagoda.

There are a number of statues that lines the path. The first one is a real life character Lin Zexu (林则徐). A Qing Dynasty officer that campaigns against opium.

The second is ZengHe  (郑和) a Chinese Muslim who sailed the southern seas.

The third one is Wen TianXiang (文天祥), a scholar-general who resisted Kublai Khan's invasion to save the Sung dynasty. He was captured and executed. The famous poem 《正气歌》 is by him.

I did not take a picture of all the statues. I think there are 8 but due to wikiloc system, I can only take 6 in a waypoint. Thus two were intentionally left out. The next one if YueFei (岳飞). This person needs no introduction.

The next statue is GuanYu (关羽) - a character depicted in the Three Kingdoms, Worshiped as a god in many temples for his righteousness.

The last of the six status I took was Confucius (孔子).　One of the few famous scholars that was conferred with the "子" letter. Obviously all Japanese girls has the 子 in their name but that is not the old Chinese honorific reference to scholars.

The twin pagoda sits at the north part of the island.

Along the way you can see plants trimmed like a big bonsai.

Well, you have to be good in Chinese to really interpret the poem below. Generally, it means it is not tired to walk through all the nice scenery but you will be "drunk" with the smells of flowers on the way.

I though this is the turtle museum. But from Google map this is not. However, Look carefully to the left, it has two turtles displayed prominently. Further confirmation from the web shows that this IS the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum. Google get it wrong and placed it in Japanese Garden.

A house on a stone ship.

A bamboo garden path. Very nice. Too bad, my path does not goes into there.

Turning right besides a closed house guarded by Terracotta warriors, there is a stone bolder path across the water. A cleaner was clearing the water from debris. He uses two different languages to respond to my greeting.

The garden of abundance is near the path, but it is not in my plan thus passed it without going into.

Nice flower along the way. Took the picture using HDR camera app.

This one looks like the white rainbow bridge (白虹桥) but it is not. This one spans between Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden.

Just across the bridge and you can see a distinct change in landscape.

Japanese gardens are renowned  for its tranquility - the so called Zen effect.

Took a picture while walking through an empty space. Look carefully, there is a squirrel on the shrub.

A Japanese bridge just across the water. Too bad, can't get any closer.

Two more pictures of the Japanese landscape.

Along the path there are a lot of rounded shrubs besides the path.

Among them there are flowering plants.

At the end of the path, the exit with the Garden name pronounced in English.

Two stone with Chinese words standing beside the path.

This is already a PCN route. I can't resist deviating from the planned route to go on to a bridged path over the water.

I strongly recommend you to walk on the bridge as you can smell the nice pandan leave growing on water. Very nice aroma.

There is a place specifically designated for fishing on the bridge.

Just in case you are not sure how far you are on the bridge. There are markers on the floor.

Well, as I said, the path is a PCN.

It is a bit boring as there is nothing nice along the path for a long way. Took one picture of flowers on the tree.

Almost at the end of the route, took another flower picture. Before I conclude the trip.

A map with path is available at http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=4616318.