Singapore Botanic Gardens was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

#onthisday six years ago, Singapore Botanic Gardens was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, joining more than a thousand others Unesco World Heritage Sites around the world.

It’s the only tropical botanic garden, and the third botanic gardens in the world, after Orto botanico di Padova in Italy and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in England.

The 82ha Singapore Botanic Gardens is where Singapore’s natural history is in full bloom. It’s where the roots of our heritage trees run deep. There’s the iconic Tembusu tree that we carry with us on our $5 notes, and trees like the Meranti Melantai, which is one of the oldest remnants of primary rainforests in Singapore. It’s also where we planted the seeds of connections with other countries and nurtured them. The Monkey Pot Tree, for example, was grown from seeds from the Kew Garden, and our orchids (we have >1000 species and >2000 hybrids in the Orchid Garden!), are our gestures of friendship to other countries important for our diplomatic ties.

Our lush botanic gardens are respite for Singaporeans and one of the green spaces we rediscovered in past months when we headed outdoors for fresh air. It’s where we can always come together for our morning tai chi or evening jogs. It’s where we walk our dogs or have a picnic with friends and family, and where generations of us enjoy our City in a Garden.