We were on our way home and about to board the Bayfront MRT when Joey spotted the sign that pointed to Gardens by the Bay, Singapore’s newest tourist attraction.
“Wanna go see it?” he asked us. Gelle and I nodded enthusiastically.
So we followed the signs and the throngs of people and found ourselves, for the third time that day, awestruck.
“Wow it’s like Avatar!” Gelle murmured, her eyes wide in amazement.
“That’s it!” I cried out in agreement. “I was trying to think why this place looked familiar and that’s it exactly!”
We were referring to the popular 3D movie, specifically to the alien world in that film called Pandora. The giant trees, called “supertrees” had that surreal, unearthly and beautiful appearance.
What are supertrees, you ask? Do they fly or have superhero powers and what not? Unfortunately not. Unless you count taking your breath away as a superpower. Anyway, Wikipedia describes them as thus:
Supertrees are tree-like structures that dominate the Gardens landscape with heights that range between 25 and 50 metres. They are vertical gardens that perform a multitude of functions, which include planting, shading and working as environmental engines for the gardens.
The Supertrees are home to enclaves of unique and exotic ferns, vines, orchids and also a vast collection of bromeliads such as Tillandsia, amongst other plants. They are fitted with environmental technologies that mimic the ecological function of trees – photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy which can be used for some of the functions of the Supertrees, such as lightings, just like how trees photosynthesize; collection of rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays, just like how trees absorb rainwater for growth. The Supertrees also serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the Conservatories’ cooling systems.
There will also be an elevated walkway between some of the larger Supertrees for visitors to enjoy a breathtaking aerial view of the Gardens. A food and beverage outlet has also been planned atop the 50-metre Supertree. At night, the Supertrees come alive with lighting and project media.
Gardens by the Bay is composed of several sections, but we only had time to visit one – the supertree grove. It was enough, though.
We discovered that they had an opening night special show called the Garden Rhapsody, so we found a place to sit down and waited for the show to start. The show, it turns out, was a lights and musical and interpretative dance extravaganza that had young ones flitting about all over the place, from the tops of the bridges connecting the trees to the concrete grounds around the trees.
“It’s so beautiful!” we gushed. “I don’t understand it though.”
It was kind of confusing, unfortunately. Something about how once upon times, trees could sing. But then something happened and now they – err – can’t? Pardon me for being not so artsy. I am not that deep.
Maybe next time we’ll venture to see the rest of the Gardens, and in broad daylight this time, so we can enjoy their beauty all the more.
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