Let’s take a visit and explore the Mid-Autumn Lights by the Lake 2024 at the Jurong Lake Gardens. The event offers a Singaporean celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival with stunning lanterns, immersive light installations, and various cultural activities which comes to life at night.
Also, the event is set against the serene backdrop of the newly revitalized Chinese and Japanese Gardens. It tad creates a magical atmosphere, transforming the gardens into a glowing wonderland. It beautifully captures the festive spirit, providing an unforgettable experience for visitors. The event runs from 8 September to 22 September 2024, lighting up the landscape from 6:30 pm to 10 pm daily.
Lights by the Lake at Dusk
As dusk falls over Jurong Lake Gardens, the event truly comes to life. Lantern displays light up the lush greenery, reflecting off the Jurong lake’s calm waters. Here, the blend of lights, culture, and natural beauty creates a picturesque and serene environment. It welcomes you to explore and enjoy the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Lantern Highlights at Lakeside Field
Moreover, the lantern displays are spread across the Jurong Lake Gardens, with many located in the Lakeside Field and Chinese and Japanese Gardens.
Also, Lakeside Field is home to giant lanterns such as The Legend of the White Snake and the colorful of lanterns Birds of Wonderland, which catches the eye.
Also, the field also houses a bustling food marketplace inside a large white tent. Here, you can find a variety of night street foods with indoor tent seating. Notably, there is a distinct aroma of smelly tofu adding a unique sensory experience to the area.
Wrapping up the lanterns along the field’s perimeter are the grand Whispers of Nature, Nezha and the Dragon King. The towering Chang’e & Her Moon Palace dominates the lanterns here.
These displays are among the tallest at the event. Here, you can make wishes by participating in the Floating Lantern Wishes. It is where floating lanterns, each inscribed with a wish or message released into a basin. This provides a meaningful and personal experience for participants, further enhancing the festival’s charm.
In addition, the Reflections of Twilight lantern light-up, located near the Ecopond beside the Fusion Spoon restaurant. It offers a beautiful stop for those exploring the gardens.
Additional Activities at Lakeside Gardens
The Lakeside Gardens section offers more than just light displays. Families can have fun at the Forest Ramble, an extensive nature-themed playground where kids can climb, crawl, and explore. Here, you can take a stroll along the Rasau Walk. It is a scenic pathway running beside Jurong Lake, or head to the Water Sports Centre, where adventurous activities like kayaking and dragon boating are available.
Chinese Gardens: A Cultural Highlight
One of the main attractions of the event is the newly reopened Chinese Gardens. It is a cultural gem designed in the traditional northern Chinese style. The gardens feature iconic classical Chinese elements, such as pagodas, pavilions, and stone bridges.
Here, you are greeted by majestic Moon Gates, which are beautifully illuminated and serve as the entrance to the garden’s lantern displays. Here at the bridge entrance, you can find the Dragon & Phoenix Bridge lantern. This serves as the entry at the White Rainbow Bridge inot into the Chinese garden. It tad adds a striking architectural element with a very Chinese flair.
Also, the entrance archway also has exterior projection mapping. These building facade projections runs every hour, and this building is also home the newly opened Canopy Jurong Lake Gardens restaurant. Here is also where you can find toilet amenities as well as the Chinese garden edible garden plots.
Beyond the lantern displays, the Chinese Gardens offer you the opportunity to cross picturesque stone bridges and stroll through Suzhou-style courtyards, featuring elegant rock formations and beautifully arranged plants. These spaces reflect the harmonious balance between nature and architecture that defines traditional Chinese garden design.
Cloud Pagoda light show
Additionally, the permanent Cloud Pagoda features light projection mapping that is synchronized with music. It adds a dynamic visual and auditory element to the evening’s experience.
Furthermore, the seven-story tall Cloud Pagoda is one of the garden’s standout structures, offering panoramic views of Jurong Lake and its surroundings from its upper levels. Notably, during the event, the Pagoda has light and projection mapping to music at every hour of the show night.
Moreover, the building was inspired by the Linggu Pagoda in Nanjing China, this pagoda symbolizes renewal and prosperity. Other major permanent building highlights in the Chinese Gardens include the Twin Pagoda, adorned with traditional lanterns and soft golden lights. It can be seen from across the Lake and symbolises family unity during the festival.
Also, not too nearby, the permanent Bonsai Garden has a nice small garden of plants, stone features and Moongates. It showcases a carefully curated collection of bonsai trees, representing the artistry and tradition of bonsai cultivation.
Also, one of the most impressive sights here is the Giant Lotus field. Here, you can find hundreds, if not thousands of Lotus floating gracefully on the lake. It symbolizes purity and harmony. Its reflection in the water creates a breathtaking sight for visitors.
The Ficus Lawn area of the garden is home to smaller but equally charming lantern displays, such as the Swallow Lantern, Chinese Cultural Lantern, and Chinese Orchestra Instruments Lantern.
Here, you can also find the Lion Dance Lantern and the majestic Phoenix Lantern, adding to the diversity of cultural representations at the event.
Japanese Gardens: Serenity and Simplicity
Moreover, after exploring the vibrant displays in the Chinese Gardens, you can cross the Moonrise Bridge to the more tranquil Japanese Gardens. Here, the lanterns take on a quieter and more minimalist form. It complements the grandeur of the Chinese Gardens with a serene atmosphere.
Also, the Floral Garden is the centerpiece of the lantern displays in the Japanese Gardens. Here, a beautifully lit Floral Archways guide you through glowing flowers of various colors. In the center of the Floral Garden is a red wooden bridge, a favorite photo spot for visitors.
Notable smaller lanterns in this area include the Fox Origami, Crane Origami, and Rabbit Origami Lanterns, which showcase intricate craftsmanship.
Also, the Bamboo Forest is inspired by the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto, and the Sunken Garden with its circular waterfall pool are also popular photo-worthy attractions. These areas provide a peaceful contrast to the festival’s vibrant lights and are best explored during the day, though they still hold charm in the evening when illuminated.
Heading back via the Japanese Garden road brings you to the logs trial portion of the park where you can find an assortment of Uncle Ringo amusement park rides here.
Wrapping up
All in all, the wraps up our visit to the Lights by the Lake 2024 at Jurong Lake Gardens. You are good for the event about an entire evening tops, especially if you were to cover all the lanterns in all sectors. It is tad a spectacular celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival that blends cultural heritage, nature, and modern art and great for a family outing. The event runs daily from 6:30 pm to 10 pm until 22 September 2024.
