From 17 January to 23 February 2025, the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay will be ushering in the Year of the Snake with the Chinese New Year floral display called Spring Blossoms – Legend of Lady White Snake.
As the name suggests, the Spring Blossoms floral display is inspired by Legend of the White Snake – one of China’s four great folktales.
This year’s exhibition features:
- The breathtaking 4.5m-tall floral rendition of Madam White Snake
- Jixian Pavilion, the place where Lady White Snake and Xu Xian first met
- Traditional Chinese houses in Lijiang Old Town
- Chinese pagodas and pavilions
- Over 1,000 stunning dahlias and various popular Chinese New Year blooms
If you’re planning to visit, I recommend going early in the morning to avoid the crowd. The Flower Dome is open from 9am to 9pm daily. You can purchase the ticket online here.
Entrance: Jixian Pavilion
As soon as you enter Flower Dome, you will be greeted with Jixian Pavilion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern China.
Located on the shores of West Lake in Hangzhou, this pavilion is the place where Lady White Snake and Xu Xian, her future husband, first met.
The pavilion’s roof is adorned with a vibrant canopy of pink, orange, and yellow Kalanchoe blossfeldiana flowers, evoking the vibes of spring in Jiangnan.
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Flower Field
The centerstage of Flower Dome is none other than the flower field at the lower floor. Here, you can find the beautiful floral rendition of Lady White Snake, traditional Chinese houses set in breathtaking natural landscape, pavilions, pagodas as well as thousands of dahlias and Chinese New Year blooms.
Pavilion
Chinese pavilions used to be shelters for travellers and soldiers in the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BCE).
By the Han dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE), Chinese pavilions served as rest stops, as well as postal relay stations, administrative outposts and even venues for banquets.
In the later dynasties, the pavilions became central elements in gardens and nature surroundings. Not just a shelter, these pavilions were also used for meditation, poetry and art.
Lijiang Old Town
Location in the Yunnan’s mountains, Lijiang Old Town used to be a trading hub along the ancient Tea Horse Road.
The traditional houses of Lijiang features timber frames, grey-tiled rooftops and upturned eaves.
Canals are part of the ancient water-supply system in Lijiang Old Town. In Lijiang, water flows from Black Dragon Pool and veins its labyrinthine cobblestone streets. The canal is the town’s lifeblood, feeding fountain that sustain its daily rhythms and flora.
For Lady White Snake, West Lake is not a backdrop, but the origin. Its water carried her longing, anguish and resolve, transforming into a flood that saves Xu Xian.
Lady White Snake
The Legend of Lady White Snake is one of the great folktales in China. The tale tells the story of sacrifice, filial piety, and romance between Xu Xian and the snake spirit Bai Suzhen.
Pagoda
Chinese pagodas were initially used to house Buddhist relics. Over the time, they became architectural landmarks and were often featured in myths, literature and paintings.
At this exhibition, there were 2 pagodas on loan from the Asian Civilisations Museum, namely the Compassion and Longevity Pagoda (Cishou Ta), and Thunder Peak Pagoda (Leifeng Ta).
Chinese Garden
Tea Drinking Culture
Dahlias and Various Chinese New Year Blooms
This year’s Spring Blossoms features over 1,000 dahlias, with five new varieties this year.
Symbolising prosperity and new beginnings, dahlias are the signature flower of Gardens by the Bay during the Chinese New Year period.
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