Annex A
Creating a natural river using soil bioengineering
A combination of vegetation, natural materials such as rocks, and civil engineering techniques has been applied to transform a concrete canal into a natural river at this park.
Termed soil bioengineering, these techniques help to stabilise the river banks and protect them from erosion. They also form natural habitats that encourage wildlife species to settle and multiply.
A test bed was successfully carried out in 2009 to test out approximately 10 techniques in the nation’s tropical climate. Seven of these techniques were eventually applied along the main river.
(a) Fascines Fascines are bundles of young shoots tied together and placed at the foot of the slope to prevent erosion.
(b) Rip-rap with cuttings These are rocks placed along the banks with shoot forming branches inserted between them.
(c) Geotextile wrapped soil-lifts These are alternating layers of shoot forming branches and permeable fabric filled with soil.
(d) Brush mattress with fascines Brush mattresses are thick mats of cuttings constructed using plants. Fascines are placed at the foot of the slope.
(e) Reed rolls These are geotextile fabrics that are planted with vegetation and soil and secured using wood stakes.
(f) Gabions These are structurally-stable steel wire baskets filled with rocks. They are stacked on top of one another to provide instant erosion control and river bank protection.
(g) Geotextile with plantings Commonly used for erosion control purposes, plantings are covered by a permeable fabric. These are applied further inland.
Annex B
Safety comes first
A river monitoring and warning system with water level sensors, warning lights, sirens and audio announcements are in place to provide early warning in the event of impending heavy rain or rising water levels. Warning signs, red markers and life buoys have also been put up along the river.
The river monitoring system will trigger warning lights as well as the siren and audio announcements at safety nodes, to alert the park users to move out of the river beyond the red markers in the event of impending heavy rain or rising water levels. In addition, there are safety lines with buoys at selected locations across the river, as well as CCTVs and a round the clock patrol surveillance team.
For their own safety, park users should take care while enjoying the river, and pay attention to these warnings to move out of the river accordingly.
Annex C
Bishan Park
At 62 hectares, Bishan Park, with its ponds and bridges, colourful shrubs and lush greenery, is one of the largest and most popular parks in Singapore. Divided by Marymount Road into two plots, Pond Gardens (formerly Bishan Park 1) and River Plains (formerly Bishan Park 2), the rejuvenated Bishan Park has a natural river that flows through it.
The park caters to park users of all ages with exciting features including three exciting playgrounds, a community garden, a vantage point on a hill that gives one a landmark view of the park, and a Riverside Gallery.
A Natural River
One of the main highlights of the park is the transformation of the stretch of the Kallang River that used to run in a concrete canal along the park edges into a naturalised and meandering river teeming with life.
Restored and reshaped from a 2.7 kilometre-long concretised canal, the river will bring park users closer to the water so that they can enjoy its beauty and serenity, and also appreciate the flora and fauna that have flourished in the park because of the waterway. Park visitors can choose to head towards the river and stroll along the water’s edge during dry weather, when the water flow is confined to a narrow stream in the middle of the river.
The meandering river that flows through the park is the result of a joint collaboration between National Parks Board (NParks) and PUB, under the Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme.
The canal was transformed into a river using a series of bioengineering techniques, which involved using a combination of natural materials such as vegetation and rocks, and civil engineering techniques to stabilise the slope and control soil erosion.
To maintain the water quality in the ponds and river without the use of any chemicals, a cleansing biotope is used. The cleansing biotope, which is located in Pond Gardens, consists of carefully selected plants which help to cleanse the water by filtering pollutants and absorbing nutrients before returning it to the ponds and the water playground.
Park Amenities and Facilities
Bishan Park has a range of facilities to cater to the diverse needs of all park visitors.
Children will certainly enjoy the three playgrounds in the park, each with a distinctive theme – the Water Playground, Adventure Playground and Bubble Playground. The Adventure Playground has a range of climbing facilities for active teenagers who enjoy a challenge in climbing.
The Water Playground, which helps children appreciate and value water through interacting with it, is suitable for those who love getting wet. Younger children will be fascinated with the rubber mounds that seem to peek out of the sand-filled Bubble Playground.
Those who wish to get a landmark viewpoint of the park can head to Recycle Hill which is located in River Plains. When works began to transform the canal to a naturalised river, the concrete from the canal was cut into slabs and stacked to form Recycle Hill. This was a deliberate effort to preserve a part of the park’s history and to reuse the concrete in a creative and meaningful way.
Pond Garden River Plains Water playground* Bubble playground* Adventure playground* Foot reflexology area Lotus Garden Dog run area Information Point Recycle Hill* Cleansing biotope* Community garden Fitness corner Fitness corner Open fields / event lawns Riverside Gallery Restrooms Open fields / event lawns Car park – along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1* Cafes / restaurants and Sin Ming Avenue Health and wellness centres Restrooms Car park – along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 * Indicates that the feature is new.
Event Spaces
There are several lawns and open spaces interspersed throughout Bishan Park which are available to the public for booking.
The three event lawns in Pond Gardens have a combined area of more than 28,000 square metres while the combined area of the four event lawns in River Plains add up to more than 40,000 square metres.
Activities in the Park
Visitors at Bishan Park can choose to engage in a variety of activities such as foot reflexology, kite flying, jogging, tai chi, soccer, photography, picnicking, dining at one of the F&B outlets, or bringing their dogs to the dog run area.
Biodiversity in the Park
Bishan Park is a haven for biodiversity. Park visitors can look out for a variety of flora and fauna species, including Wild Maracuja (Stinking Passionflower), Basil, Bladder Cherry, the Scaly Breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata), Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Variable Wisp (Agriocnemis femina), Common Scarlet (Crocothemis servilia), and the Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana).
Commercial establishments
There are a variety of food and beverage outlets and health and wellness centres that operate within Bishan Park.
Food and beverage outlets Health and wellness centres Canopy Garden Dining & Bar (Australian Aramsa The Garden Spa cuisine) Cornerstone (Western fusion) PowerMoves McDonalds / McCafe Skin Architech inc. Pte Ltd The Green Room Cafe (vegetarian food)
Getting there
The park is located along Bishan Road and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
By bus: Services 132, 133, 136, 165, 166, 169, 202 (from Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange) and Service 410 (from Bishan MRT station).
Opening hours / Admission
The park is open 24-hours (the park is lit from 7pm to 7am); entry is free.
Annex D
Biodiversity at Bishan Park
Scaly Breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata) The adult has a stubby dark bill, brown upperparts and a dark brown head. The underparts are white with markings that resemble black scales. They feed on grass seeds and live among tall grasses in flocks.
Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) The Purple Heron is the most colourful large heron in Bishan Park. Its purple plumage is perfect for camouflaging in the tall, wild grasses along the river banks.
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) The Little Egret is the smallest and most common egret in Singapore. It has a white body with black legs and yellow feet. The river at Bishan Park is a fishing ground for these birds.
Variable Wisp (Agriocnemis femina) They can be spotted in the thick grassy areas along the river. Their colours change with age, and the male and female sexes are different in colour.
Common Scarlet (Crocothemis servilia) The Common Scarlet is one of Singapore’s most common dragonfly species. The mature males are easily recognised by the bright red colour and black line on the abdomen. This species was one of the first to settle down in the new river at Bishan Park.
Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana) The adult Peacock Pansy has a bright orange upperside, striking eye spots, and attractive purple patterns on the hindwings.
American Bullfrog (Ranaca tesbeiana) The baritone call of the American Bullfrog is so deep and resonant that it resembles the mooing of a cow. These bullfrogs are typically green with circular eardrums on the sides of their heads.