Jurong Hill

Bird's eye view of Jurong Island jacklim (Atlas Obscura User)

The highest point in the city, Jurong Hill was previously known as Bukit Peropok. It has an absolute view of sunrise or sunset, a peaceful resort in the west of Singapore, and a peaceful view from the highest point in the west. However, not many people have visited this place.

At the hill, there is a three-story spiral lookout tower which is the most iconic structure in the area. It was built and opened in 1970. Next to the first floor of the tower, there are parking lots, toilets and a small garden where plants such as poinsettia are grown. There used to be a restaurant on this floor, but it is now closed. The upper floor of the lookout tower could be reached via the climb of the slope. Visitors could enjoy a bird’s eye view of Jurong Town, overlook the surrounding industrial areas at Jurong Port and the very interesting Jurong Island.

Jurong Island is an artificial island for Singapore’s petrochemical industry. It covers an area of more than 3,200 hectares and is home to many of the world’s leading oil, petrochemical, and specialty chemical companies. Well-known names like ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BASF, and Sumitomo Chemical are among the nearly 100 companies that have established manufacturing facilities on the island. The entire island is forbidden to the public, but for security reasons, it was listed as a “protected location” after the terrorist attack in the United States on September 11, 2001.

While the lookout tower is the major attraction at the Jurong Hill peak, there is also a Garden of Fame that is worth exploring. Foreign heads of state and celebrities were invited to plant trees in Jurong Hill’s Garden of Fame from 1969 to 1984. There are total of 30 trees planted. Princess Alexandra of the United Kingdom gave the first in 1969, she planted the first tree in the garden in 1969 while attending the 150th Anniversary of the Founding of Singapore and the National Day Celebration. Queen Elizabeth II, Deng Xiaoping, and Singapore’s president are among those who have planted trees.

Juron Hill can be accessed through Jurong Bird Park. It takes about 10 minutes to walk up the hill from Jurong Bird Park or, you can also drive up the hill.