Chinese Garden Twin Pagodas

The Twin Pagodas are located in the heart of the Chinese Gardens, near the Jurong district. By MRT: - Closest MRT Station: Chinese Gardens (East West Line) - Head south, following the path out of the station and then crossing the bridge. - Just ahead would be the 7-Storey Pagoda; facing this building, turn right and head down the path.

April to November are the months when the sun does not set behind the higher trees and from this perspective, would not be blocked by the Pagoda on the left.

While you can photograph the pagodas in the morning and afternoon, catching the sun setting behind them really creates a feeling of finally reaching a destination after a long and hard journey, ala Journey to the West. It’s not worth photographing at night as the Pagodas will not be lit up at all.

Use a wide-angle lens (10mm) to include as much of the Pagodas as you can into the shot. This particular picture was taken with just my camera and my lens, no other props needed.

Try aligning the path with the grid on your camera to ensure that you capture its symmetrical architecture.

Should you choose to do a long exposure, a tripod, neutral density (ND) filter and a remote would be needed. A long exposure would be perfect on a day with fast moving clouds, giving the silky look of clouds racing through the sky.

The entire Chinese Gardens is accessible to the public, so you can arrive in the afternoon and take some time to explore the compound. You can climb up the 7-Storey Pagoda you passed by earlier; it has a spiral staircase that makes for an amazing photo (the building closes at 1900 hours, so be there earlier if you wish to explore). It also boasts a stunning view of the Chinese Gardens. You can also climb up the Twin Pagodas and watch the sun set beyond Jurong Lake.