From 20 August to 25 September 2022, the theme of Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay is Hanging Gardens – Mexican Roots.
This year’s Hanging Gardens exhibition showcases vibrant floral interpretations and icons of ancient Mexican civilisations, including the iconic Chichén Itzá pyramid of the Mayan civilization, the double-headed serpent of the Aztec, various Mexican crops such as corns, chilies and tomatoes, as well as medallions with mosaic designs composed of seeds, beans and pulses.
The opening hours of Flower Dome is 9am – 9pm daily. I highly recommend that you book the ticket in advance to avoid wasting time queueing to buy ticket from the counter.
This year marks Gardens by the Bay’s 10th anniversary, and there will be 8 floral displays throughout the year at Flower Dome. Here’s the list of floral display for the entire 2022:
- Dahlia Dream (4 Jan – 20 Feb 2022)
- Sakura & tokidoki (4 Mar – 3 Apr 2022)
- Precious Peony (9 Apr – 8 May 2022)
- Rose Romance (13 May – 12 Jun 2022)
- Hydrangea Holidays (24 Jun – 14 Aug 2022)
- Hanging Gardens (20 Aug & 25 Sep 2022) –> This article!
- A Spanish Serenade with Sunflowers (1 – 30 Oct 2022)
- Poinsettia Wishes (9 Nov – 2 Jan 2023)
PS: From 27 August to 11 September 2022, children (aged 12 and below) who are Singapore Residents will be eligible for free admission to the Flower Dome between 6-9 pm in the evening.
Floral Arch
The first thing you’ll notice as you step into Flower Dome is the colorful Floral Arch. This elaborate arch can usually be found at the entrances of Mexican towns, churches and weddings. Floral arches indicate the place is dressed for a festival.
This particular Floral Arch at this exhibition is the work of Mario Arturo Aguilar Gutierrez, a third-generation artisan, and his two assistants. They traveled from Mexico City to Singapore to build the arch on-site.
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The arch is always crowded with people wanting to take photographs for memory. If you want a less crowded photo spot, go to the area behind the arch where there is a slightly less crowd.
Flower Field
The Flower Field is the main location of the Hanging Gardens – Mexican Roots exhibition. From above, you can see the iconic Chichén Itzá Pyramid as well as the Double-headed Serpent.
Chichén Itzá Pyramid
The most prominent landmark in the Hanging Gardens is definitely the Chichén Itzá Pyramid. This model Chichén Itzá Pyramid is 4.5m-tall and features lush greeneries and flowers on each step.
The pyramid is one of the remains of Mayan civilization. Located in Yucatan state of Mexico, the city of Chichén Itzá has rich architecture and culture during the Late Classic Period (circa AD 600 – AD 900) to the Terminal Classic Period (circa AD 800 – AD 900).
In modern times, Chichén Itzá Pyramid is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico and has gone through extensive restoration to preserve the authenticity of its architecture.
Double-headed Serpent
The double-headed serpent is a snake with two heads. Its actual name is Maquizcoatl. The serpent has a mystical significance in ancient Mexico’s history. It symbolizes regeneration, new life and fertility due to the shedding of the serpent’s skin.
This double-headed serpent at Flower Dome’s Hanging Gardens is decorated with 3,000 tillandsias (air plant native to Southwestern USA, Mexico and South America) carefully tied to the body.
Personally, I feel that the heads are pretty scary during daylight. I can’t imagine how spine-chilling they are during the night. So, if you are bringing young kids who are easily scared, you might want to keep an eye on them.
Seed Mosaics
Along the body of double-headed serpent are medallions of seed mosaics, describing the timelines of Mexican history, starting from the Mayan times in 1000BC until the Mexico that we know today.
Seed mosaic is a traditional Mexican art that is usually seen during harvest festivals and ceremonies. As the name suggests, the mosaic is created using seeds, beans or pulses of various sizes and colors to create the intended images.
Because the seeds, beans and pulses are often loosely laid out without any glue, one might wonder if these mosaics will last. The truth is, these mosaics are not intended to last. In Mexican culture, this is an analogy of life, one which will end eventually, and thus, one must enjoy his/her life.
Crops
There are also various exhibits showing the crops that have deep meaning in the Mexican culture. In one of the exhibits, there are various types of corn, such as dent corn, flint corn and sweet corn. There are also various tropical fruits, such as avocado, papaya and dragon fruit.
Olmec Head
Olmec heads are giant stone sculptures of human heads. The original Olmec head can be as tall as 3m and weigh up to 8 tonnes (8,000kg).
The Olmec colossal heads date back to at least 900 BC and are a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization. Seventeen heads have been discovered in San Lorenzo and La Venta, two main centres of Olmec civilization
Chac Mool
Chac Mool is a statue depicting a person reclining on a rectangular base, with its knees and elbows bent, and its head facing 90 degrees to the left or the right from its front. Its hands are usually holding a bowl and supported at the belly. The bowl is usually filled with offerings, ranging from tamales, tortillas, flowers to feathers.
Quetzalcóatl
Quetzalcóatl is one of several significant gods in ancient Mesoamerica. Its name is made up of two words: quetzal (meaning emerald plumed bird) and coatl (meaning serpent).
Quetzalcóatl was a cultural hero, a prophet, the creator of life and humankind, a wizard, the god that gave corn to people. For the Aztecs, the revered creator god is also known to bring winds and rain, which is essential for agriculture.
Tula Giants
Tula giants are towering statues found atop the Temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli in the ancient city of Tula. Their facial expressions show power and ferocity. The archaeologists are still uncertain about the exact purpose of the statues within the Mesoamerican context, they deduced that the statues likely served as pillars or columns supporting the roof of the temple.
The Tula giants at Flower Dome were located at the Baobabs area, which can be easily missed out because it’s located at the upper level of the Dome.
Historical Pieces
At Mediterranean Garden are several pieces with significant meaning in the Mexican culture.
Flowers
Despite heavy emphasis on the landmarks, we shouldn’t leave the dome without admiring the flowers. The Hanging Gardens features flowers from Asteraceae family (including Cosmos, Dahlias, Marigold and Zinnia), Orchids, and Bromeliads.
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